Chapter 4.

Clara leaned back in her chair and looked him directly in the eyes.

“You'll have to pay me Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars first.”

The blue screen appeared at the edge of her vision.

[Warning.]

[Mark Thomas does not currently possess $250,000.]

Clara kept her expression calm. She had already suspected as much.

Mark stared at her as though he had misheard.

“Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?” His voice rose sharply. “Where the hell am I supposed to get that kind of money?”

Clara remained seated, watching the frustration spread across his face. “I don't know,” she said calmly. “That's your problem.”

“You can't be serious.” Mark pushed himself away from the table and ran a hand through his hair. “Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars? Do you even know how much money that is?”

Their clothing business had been struggling for months, and Mark knew it. He had never hesitated to take money from the business whenever he wanted something for himself, yet he still acted as though they were doing well. Expensive clothes, dinners, nights out with his friends, he always found a reason to spend money that wasn't his.

"The offer is valid for four hours." She paused, glanced at the clock and added, "After that, the deal is off." 

Mark began pacing beside the table, his frustration growing with every step. “Where am I supposed to get that kind of money today?” he demanded. “Do you expect me to pull it out of thin air?”

Clara leaned back in her chair and watched him. “No. I expect you to find it if you really want the house.”

Mark stopped pacing and looked at her, his breathing heavy and his face tight with anger.

Clara, however, felt strangely relaxed. This was exactly what she wanted. For once, Mark was the one struggling to find a way out.

She slowly rose from her chair and walked toward him.

“You know,” she said, placing her hands lightly on his shoulders, “this could actually work out well for you.”

Mark frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Clara gave him a faint smile. “You can finally be with the woman you really love.”

Mark went completely still. “What?”

Clara let out a quiet chuckle and tilted her head. “Don't pretend you don't understand. I know about you and our neighbor.”

The words were a gamble. Clara had never caught Mark with another woman, but too many things had made her suspicious. The late nights, the secret phone calls, and the sudden excuses to leave the house had never felt right. She had never had proof, but she had carried the suspicion for long enough.

Now, Mark's reaction made her heart skip.

“You don't have to hide it from me anymore,” she continued. “You can have the house, walk away from this marriage, and finally be with her.”

Mark stared at her, clearly struggling to decide what to say.

Clara stepped back and folded her arms. “You should consider yourself lucky. If I take this to court, you know very well that you won't get much. The house is mine, the business is mine, and I'm not giving away everything that belongs to me.”

Mark swallowed as his anger slowly gave way to calculation.

The house, his freedom, and the possibility of starting a new life with the woman he had apparently been hiding from Clara were suddenly within reach. All he needed to do was find fifty thousand dollars.

“So,” Clara said calmly, “what do you say?”

Mark took a slow breath before nodding. “I'll take a loan.”

A small smile touched Clara's lips. “Good.”

She went upstairs and walked straight to her wardrobe, where she reached beneath a pile of clothes and pulled out a brown envelope containing the divorce papers.

She had bought them months ago but had never found the courage to give them to Mark because every time she thought about leaving, his voice echoed in her mind.

Who would want a fat woman like you?

She had believed him for years, allowing his words to convince her that she would never find anyone who could love her.

Her fingers tightened around the envelope as she stared at the papers, remembering how many times she had been too afraid to walk away from Mark.

Clara took a slow breath, held the papers firmly in her hand, and headed back downstairs.

Mark looked up, and the moment he saw them, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

She placed the papers in front of him. “Sign them.”

Mark picked up the pen without hesitation and quickly signed his name. When he finished, he pushed the papers back toward her with a pleased smile.

“There. It's done.”

Clara lowered her eyes to his signature.

“Once you get the money,” Clara said, “I'll transfer the house to you.”

“Don't worry. I'll get it,” he responded.

Clara nodded calmly.

When she looked at Mark again, she fought the urge to smile. He sat there looking pleased with himself, completely unaware of how useless this house would be once the apocalypse began.

The moment Mark walked away, the blue screen appeared before her eyes.

[Secondary Mission: Deposit goods worth $1,000 into the Reclaimer's Vault.]

Clara narrowed her eyes. “One thousand dollars?”

She looked around the room, and her eyes settled on the television before moving to the bed, the cushions, and the refrigerator. If the system accepted physical goods, she could turn almost everything in the house into resources.

Clara walked toward the television and placed both hands against it. A blue glow surrounded the appliance before it disappeared from the room.

[Television accepted.]

[Estimated value: $350.]

Clara's eyes widened as she grabbed the cushions and several other appliances.

[Items accepted.]

[Estimated value: $120.]

[Remaining value: $530.]

A strange warmth spread through Clara's body as her movements became lighter and faster. The exhaustion that had weighed down her limbs seemed to fade, allowing her to move through the house with surprising speed.

She cleared the remaining appliances, furniture, unopened food, bottled drinks, and anything else the system accepted, watching as the kitchen emptied piece by piece and the living room gradually became bare. Even the food Mark had stocked for himself disappeared into the vault.

Clara barely stopped to catch her breath.

When the final item disappeared into the vault, the system chimed.

Ding!

[Secondary Mission Complete.]

[Required goods worth $1,000 deposited.]

[Only items with recognized survival or material value can contribute toward mission requirements.]

Clara released a slow breath and rested one hand against the wall as she looked around the nearly empty room.

[Mission complete.]

[Reward: Physical Enhancement +1.]

She had done it, but before she could enjoy the small victory, another blue screen appeared before her eyes.

This time, the words made her blood run cold.

[MISSION PROGRESS.]

[You have 2 hours to secure a new shelter.]

Clara's eyes widened as she rubbed the back of her neck, her mind racing as she stared at the screen.

She still hadn't heard from Mark.

Her fingers tightened around the phone as worry crept into her chest.

What if he couldn't get the money in time?