Chapter 4

Such a clumsy attempt at stirring trouble was perfectly in character for her idiotic persona.

Shawn looked at me in confusion. I pursed my lips and shook my head. He didn't press the question.

After giving me a few quick reminders, he turned to leave.

Suddenly, Giselle let out a soft cry. She pretended to twist her ankle and leaned straight toward Shawn. He quickly stepped back, dodging her, and she landed stiffly on the concrete.

Apparently, she hadn't given up on trying to get his attention. I decided I needed to give her something else to focus on so she wouldn't spend all her energy obsessing over Shawn.

The next day, I stayed home watching apocalypse movies, making sure it lined up with when Giselle returned. I muttered to myself, "This guy is brilliant. He even bought a countryside house. When the apocalypse arrives, he can live off the land, raising chickens, cows, fish, and pigs, and growing vegetables. This is exactly the kind of laid-back life I want."

Giselle's eyes lit up, and she sank into thought. I knew she had taken the bait. Unfortunately for her, she had already spent all her savings on supplies and reinforcing the house. Mom and Dad had no money left to buy a rural property.

I scattered countless flyers for small loan companies outside the front door. Among them were some infamous local loan sharks that offered the highest amounts.

Once the apocalypse arrived and the social system collapsed, no one would need to repay those loans. The three of them went on a borrowing frenzy. I ignored it all and went back to my chemistry assignments.

Giselle sneered. "You'll never be better than me."

I bit my lip and asked timidly, "Giselle, is the family running low on money? I still have a few dozen dollars saved up. You can take it."

She slapped my hand away, scattering the bills on the floor. "I don't take money from a poor loser like you."

I didn't argue.

"But we're family…" I murmured.

"Who are you calling fam—"

She stopped mid-sentence, then a sly light appeared in her eyes. "Right. We still have relatives."

Without missing a beat, she began pressuring Mom and Dad to borrow from extended family. Most relatives assumed something urgent had happened and sent tens of thousands, but it barely made a difference.

Giselle called Mom's eldest sister, Aunt Ella Stone. "Aunt Ella, I heard Ronnie got more than a million in wedding gifts. Don't be stingy. One day, you'll need me. Send me a million dollars now, and maybe I'll look out for you."

On the other end, Aunt Ella erupted into a string of curses before hanging up.

Giselle gritted her teeth and hurled a string of insults. "When the apocalypse comes, the zombies will bite you to death," she snarled.

Furious, Aunt Ella called my parents back. Dad explained the whole zombie apocalypse story to her.

"Giselle's lost it, and so have you! I can't believe you're taking this seriously. Don't ever call me again!"

Although Mom and Dad hesitated, they ultimately trusted the daughter they had raised. Through a series of loans, they pulled together nearly eight million dollars, bought a self-built house in a secluded rural area, and set about fortifying it.

Eight million dollars sounded like a lot, but for a house that big, it barely went far. Time was tight, supplies were needed in massive quantities, and the money burned through quickly. They even managed to secure a gun.

With everything in place, Giselle's mood lifted noticeably. She mocked me every day, taunting that I wouldn't even know how I'd die and insisting I could never match her.

When Shawn's message arrived confirming the zombie lab had been destroyed and I was safe, I gave a small, knowing smile at the ridiculous Giselle in front of me.

"Yeah, Giselle," I said softly. "Maybe one day, you won't even know how you die."