Chapter 1 Two Weeks Before the Apocalypse
“Flu cases have been on the rise recently. Please take personal precautions, minimize visits to public places, avoid gatherings unless necessary, and keep warm…” The news anchor’s voice droned from the TV.
“Iris! Are you even listening to me?”
Startled from her daze, Iris Hale, who’d been staring blankly at the TV, blinked hard, staring in disbelief at her surroundings.
A shabby, roughly 300 square feet living room with outdated decor stretched before her, its old mahogany sofa packed with middle-aged men and women.
At the center sat Amanda Hale, a stocky, gray-haired woman in her late sixties.
Her beady eyes were fixed on Iris, her sagging facial fat jiggling with anger.
Memories came flooding back.
This was the scene—two weeks before the apocalypse—when her “dear grandmother”, “dear father”, and “dear stepmother” had shown up to force her out of her house.
But, she’d clearly died just moments ago in the zombie horde besieging the Eastern Base…
Amanda snapped, her voice shrill.
“Ever since your mother passed, your stepmother has treated you like her own flesh and blood. Everyone says so! Now your brother’s getting married, and he just needs to borrow your house. Why are you being so selfish? You’re nothing but an ungrateful brat!”
“Oh, Iris isn’t ungrateful. She’ll definitely be grateful for all we’ve done for her,” chipped in Adeline Bonnard, the plump woman sitting beside Amanda, her tone oozing fake concern.
Amanda snorted loudly. “Cut the crap and move out. Also, your brother says this house has been rented out for too long—everything’s run-down. He can’t get married without new furniture.
“You’ll cover the cost, understand? He’s your brother! As his sister, you should pitch in for his wedding!”
A sudden laugh escaped Iris.
They wanted her house and her money for new furniture? The absurdity was laughable.
Even more laughable was the fact that she’d actually caved to their demands in her past life!
Her mother, Alice Watson, had died in a car crash when she was fourteen. Shortly after, Adeline married her father, bringing along her son Ryan.
Adeline was a master of pretense. On the surface, she showered Iris with “unwavering care.”
Iris, in her rebellious phase back then, was sharp-tongued and prickly. But deep down, she craved family warmth more than anything.
Adeline’s feigned kindness and understanding had fooled her completely. She’d supported Iris in everything, never interfering, making Iris truly believe she’d found a mother figure.
So, Iris gave them everything, even the only house her mother left her. She’d hesitated for just a moment before agreeing to hand it over.
But after the apocalypse hit, they abandoned her time and time again. Finally, in a desperate bid to board a rescue vehicle, they kicked her aside to save themselves.
That was when Iris realized the truth about their fake affection. That was when she learned what “family” really meant to them.
She was nothing more than a meal to devour, a source of blood to suck dry. Once she outlived her usefulness, they discarded her without a second thought. Not one of them had ever seen her as a real family member.
Regret gnawed at her. Iris wanted nothing more than to slap her past self for being so stupid.
In front of everyone, she grabbed several bags of cheap fruit from the table and tossed them into the trash. Then she plopped down on a chair, directly facing the group.
“Iris! What do you think you’re doing? Those are imported apples my mom bought specially for you; she said they’re your favorite! How dare you throw them away?”
Ryan, the young man who’d been glued to his phone on the small sofa, jumped up, glaring at her.
Iris scoffed.
Her favorite? She’d never even liked apples.
She shot her so-called brother a cold glance. “Who do you think you are, talking to me about my house?”
The icy look in her eyes sent a shiver down Ryan’s spine. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze.
Those were eyes filled with bloodlust, honed by a decade of fighting alone in the apocalypse after they abandoned her.
Instantly, his bravado faded.
Adeline quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Iris, darling, are you feeling okay? If you’re not well, we can come back another day.
“I know you’re upset, but Ryan is your only brother. His fiancée insists on a downtown house, and those are impossible to find these days—even if you have money.
“Please, Iris. Just help your brother. When you get married, we’ll find a way to get you a house too. I promise,” she begged, putting on a sorrowful expression.
Benjamin Hale, who’d been silent until now, finally spoke up, his face red with anger, “Promise? What promise? Iris, you act like this house is yours? What does a girl need a house for anyway? Just give it to your brother! When you get married, let your husband buy you one. Stop being so selfish, fighting with your own brother!”
Iris felt no anger, only a sense of indifference.
In her past life, she’d wondered why her father treated her so poorly while doting on his stepson.
Now she knew the truth: Ryan was his biological son, conceived before he’d married her mother.
Benjamin had been married to Adeline in his hometown years ago, and Ryan was their child.
To him, she’d never been anything more than an afterthought.
And after the apocalypse—well, one could only imagine how much uglier his true colors would show.
She held up two fingers. “Two million dollars.”
The room fell silent. Everyone stared at her in confusion.
“Iris, what are you talking about?” Adeline asked, her voice trembling.
Iris replied coldly, “This house was my mother’s pre-marital property, and she legally transferred it to me. The deed is in my name. If you want it, pay up. I’ll give you a discount. Two million. Take it or leave it.”
“You’re selling us the house? Are you joking? We don’t have that kind of money!” Amanda shrieked.
Iris checked her smartwatch. “You have five seconds to decide. If you say no, I’ll sell it to someone else. Five.”
“Iris! We’re your elders! How dare you talk to us about money!” Amanda yelled.
“Four.”
“You ungrateful wretch! I’ll teach you a lesson!” Amanda lunged forward, her hands outstretched.
Iris fixed her with a cold stare and sped up the countdown. “Three… Two…”
“Don’t you dare!” Benjamin tried to stand up, raising his hand to hit her.
With a swift kick, Iris sent the chair flying. Benjamin lost his balance and fell hard on his buttocks.
Iris stared down at him, her voice icy. “One.”
“Iris! You’re bold enough to attack your own father?” Adeline screamed.
Ignoring their furious shouts, Iris pulled out her phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Hemsworth? I want to sell my house. Asking price: two million dollars…”
She’d been renting the house through Mark Hemsworth, a real estate agent, and hadn’t been able to take full possession until she turned eighteen—that was why the house had remained hers in the first place.
“You’re interested in buying it right away?” Iris glanced at the stunned group, a faint smile on her face. “Alright, then I’ll…”
“Wait! We’ll buy it!” Adeline cut her off, panic in her voice. “Iris, sell it to us!”
The market price for this downtown house was three million dollars; two million was already a steal.
Plus, buying a new house downtown had so many restrictions that Iris’ house was in high demand.
Adeline had no idea why things weren’t going as planned, but she wasn’t about to let an outsider snap up such a good deal. She could easily resell it for a million-dollar profit!
Iris smiled, satisfied, and hung up the phone.
Perfect. Selling it to them was exactly what she wanted.
Two million was a slight loss, but she needed cash fast. Time was money, and she was running out of both before the apocalypse.
Most importantly, buying the house would drain their savings. She guessed they only had around two million dollars.
In three days, the government would issue a warning about the upcoming apocalypse, urging people to stock up on supplies.
She couldn’t wait to see how they’d survive without any money to buy food or water.
*****
“Ding.”
[Your bank account has been credited with two million dollars.]
At the bank counter, Iris watched as the money appeared in her account.
Adeline and the others had handed over the cash reluctantly, their faces twisted with anger. But they dared not complain, afraid she’d sell the house to Mark instead.
“The housing authority is closed for the holidays. We can go through the transfer procedures when they reopen,” Iris told them.
“That’s fine, Iris!” Adeline beamed, her eyes crinkling into slits. “No rush on the transfer, we’ll let you know when the time comes!”
Her smile was warm and trusting, but Iris saw through it.
Adeline wasn’t trusting her—she was trying to keep Ryan’s fiancée from getting her name on the deed.
As long as the house was still in Iris’ name, she could stall for time.
Iris’ smile widened.
This couldn’t have worked out better.
Ryan, emboldened now that they’d paid, spoke up, “Since we bought the house, get out. Take all your junk with you; I don’t want any of it. I’m picking up my fiancée later to buy new furniture.”
Adeline said, feigning sympathy, “Ryan, don’t be so harsh. Where will your sister go on such short notice? Let her stay a few more days.
“She’s such a good girl. She’ll probably give you some storage fees and even help buy new furniture. As the older brother, you should be more accommodating.”
Ryan snapped. “Mom! Why are you defending her? She’s nothing but a money-grubber! Get out, now! And take that mangy dog of yours with you! If I see it there when I get back, I’ll kill it and cook it for dinner!”
Mangy dog…
The words jolted Iris.
Right! My dog! Summer’s still alive now!
No longer willing to waste another second on them, she ran back home.
As soon as she opened the bedroom door, a Shepherd, pacing restlessly but too scared to make a sound, leaped into her arms.
“Summer!” Iris hugged him tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face.
My Summer’s alive!
Summer was a retired military dog, a gift from her mother on her tenth birthday. He was incredibly intelligent and loyal.
After Alice’s death, Summer had been her only comfort during those dark days.
Adeline’s family hated him. They’d tried to get rid of him multiple times, but Summer always found his way back.
Later, they wanted to give him away, but Iris fought tooth and nail to keep him, even falling out with the family.
Adeline, desperate to maintain her “kind stepmother” image, finally agreed to let Summer stay—but she kept him locked in Iris’ bedroom.
It was only after Iris moved back into Alice’s house that Summer finally had more space to move around.
But as soon as Ryan and the others showed up, he was locked up again.
In her past life, shortly after the apocalypse, when Summer grew old and weak, Ryan’s family killed and ate him while Iris was out scavenging for food.
She’d never forgiven herself for failing to protect him.
“Summer,” Iris whispered, stroking his fur.
Summer licked her hand, as if reassuring her.
“I promise you, Summer. This time, I’ll never let anyone hurt you again,” Iris said, her voice trembling with emotion.
Summer barked, as if understanding her promise.
After comforting Summer, Iris began packing her things.
The house was run-down, but the furniture had been bought by Alice and was once expensive. Iris had lived here with Alice, and every item held precious memories.
As she looked around, a wave of nostalgia washed over her.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind.
“Ding. Supreme Lord System activated!
“For the next hour, every item worth over 1000 dollars carried will reward you with 35 cubic feet of storage space!”
Iris froze.
Her cheat code had arrived!
“Countdown: 59 minutes and 59 seconds!”
Surprised, she picked up her phone from the table and tested it.
“Ding. Detected smartphone, value 4999 dollars! Reward: 140 cubic feet of storage space!”
A vast, empty space appeared in her mind.
The phone in her hand vanished instantly, reappearing in that mental space.
A storage space!
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
