004

Chapter 4

Thinking back on the past, Elena felt her chest tighten with sadness.

Zara had been such a kind and loyal person, yet just like her, she had fallen for the wrong man and met a tragic end. This time around, Elena was determined to help her.

A notification popped up on her phone—Ryan had just transferred her 50,000 dollars. Right after, a text from him appeared.

“Baby, this is everything I could scrape together by borrowing from friends. You’ll have to pay it back quickly, okay?”

Elena sneered and immediately blocked him.

Ryan owed her far more than that sum.

For now, she would let him live—society still governed with laws, and murder came with consequences.

But when the apocalypse came, she would make sure he paid with his life.

Still, Ryan had reminded her of something. She was short on cash. She could always borrow through online credit apps and payday loan services.

Once the world collapsed, money would be useless anyway. No one would care about credit scores then.

So Elena signed up for every lending platform she could find. By the end, she had cashed out more than 120,000 dollars.

For a college student with low credit limits, it was more than she expected.

After locking up her rented storage warehouse, she drove her van to the University District. First, she stopped at a pasta diner and ordered a huge bowl of arrabbiata pasta for herself.

Then she ordered extras—two portions each of different kinds of noodles: spaghetti arrabbiata, spicy marinara, spaghetti hand-cut pepperoncini, sausage pasta, and garlic chili butter noodles. Altogether, she ordered 30 servings.

Her excuse was simple: a dorm movie night for the girls in her department, and she was bringing dinner.

The restaurant owner grinned ear to ear, and the kitchen rushed to get it all ready.

The place was always busy with students, so 30 servings wasn’t a big deal. By the time Elena finished her meal, most of the order was already done.

She knew this diner well. In her past life, she had eaten here often. The food was hearty, the flavors strong, and the portions big. It was a favorite among college kids.

Thirty meals were too bulky to carry loose, so the staff packed them neatly into two large cardboard boxes. Elena lifted them easily.

Her body, still carrying muscle memories from her past life, felt stronger and quicker than before.

Pretending to load the boxes into her van, she quietly transferred the food into her storage space instead.

Not wanting to look suspicious, she drove a few blocks over and stopped at other restaurants. She ordered 30 servings each of chicken pot pie, Cajun seafood boils, and country-fried pork chops with sides like buffalo chicken bites and chicken-potato casserole.

At the deli she’d visited earlier that day, she ordered 30 servings of gnocchi and mini bagels.

Like a busy bee, she ferried the boxes back and forth, stacking them all into her storage space. Altogether, she spent over 3,600 dollars.

While waiting for the food to be prepared, she also withdrew 5,000 dollars in cash and visited a few grocery stores. She bought 50 pounds of brown sugar and 20 packs of ginger ale, spending another 2,300 dollars.

By then it was past nine in the evening, and she was ready to head home.

But just as she was about to start the engine, two people walked out of a shabby motel next to a karaoke bar.

In the dim light, she saw their faces clearly. Ryan and Lila, the despicable pair, together.

Elena didn’t flinch. She simply gave a cold smile. *So this was when their little affair had begun.*

The darkness and her beat-up van hid her well. Neither of them realized she was sitting there, watching them with icy eyes.

Ryan had one arm slung around Lila’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to her cheek.  

“Lila, you’re so much easier than that prude. Guys love girls like you—soft, sweet, and willing.”

“Oh please!” Lila said with a shy little laugh, her voice full of fake sadness.  

“How could I ever compare to Elena? Her parents spoil her, she spends money like water, and she’s smart. Me? I’m just a poor nobody, a little stray no one cares about.”

“She’s nothing compared to you,” Ryan scoffed. “She’s plain as dirt, and every time I look at her face I feel sick. The only reason I stick around is because her parents spend money on her. Once they buy me that Audi, I’ll dump her for good. Then you can be my girlfriend.”

Lila’s eyes lit up. “Really? That would be amazing!”

Elena’s chest tightened. If she hadn’t heard it with her ears, she never would have believed Ryan thought of her that way—ugly, unwanted…

Lila was the best friend whom she had trusted the most. Lila’s parents had split up when she was little, tossing her back and forth like baggage. She ended up living with her grandmother, who raised her by collecting and selling scrap.

When they both entered college, fate put them in the same dorm room.

Lila had clung to her from the start, looping her arm through Elena’s, calling her bestie in the sweetest tone. They did everything together—classes, meals, shopping, movies.

All her life, Elena had kept to herself. The birthmark on her face made her shy, and she’d never had close friends.

So when someone as beautiful and outgoing as Lila chose her as a friend, Elena had been overwhelmed. She’d believed their friendship was real.

Whenever Lila was short on money, Elena had given her part of her living expenses without hesitation, never once asking to be paid back.

When Lila claimed she liked her skincare, her clothes, or her new bag, Elena gave them to her without a second thought.

Each time, Lila would hug her tight, swearing they would be best friends forever, never parting.

Now, looking back, it all felt like a cruel joke.

In her past life, Elena hadn’t just been blind in her eyes—her heart had been blind too. She could never see through people, which was why Ryan and Lila had played her like a fool.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. She saved the video she had just recorded, then drove the van home.

After washing up, she threw herself onto the soft bed. She was exhausted, but she didn’t dare to fall asleep.

The end of the world was less than two weeks away. Every minute counted if she wanted to stockpile enough supplies.

She opened A****n on her laptop and searched for high-quality winter gear.

Elena found a flagship outdoor brand selling extreme-weather goose down parkas, advertised as tough enough for northreach and southreach expeditions. They claimed the coats could withstand -40°F temperatures. Each jacket cost between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars.

She remembered all too well what was coming. In her last life, the Icebound Age had lasted nearly two years. At its worst, temperatures had plunged to -100°F, and countless people had frozen to death in their beds overnight.

Before the worst hit, she had managed to reach the Survivor Settlement. To earn the right to stay in a heated warehouse there, she had surrendered every bit of supplies she carried.

The warehouse had once been an old factory building, converted to house refugees.

It was divided into four huge sections, each crammed with nearly 5,000 people. Each person was allotted no more than 30 square feet of space. The air was stifling, the noise never stopped, and privacy was impossible.

Still, for someone like Elena, who hadn’t managed to prepare enough warm clothing and supplies, it was the only chance at survival.

She remembered how she hadn’t even owned a proper winter coat back then, and for nearly two years she never once dared step outside.

Just the thought of it made her chest tighten.

This time would be different. She ordered nine adult goose down parkas—three for each person.

She also picked up three more in different sizes for Leo to grow into over the coming years. Then she added 12 pairs of goose down pants. The total came to more than 50,000 dollars.

From a home goods store, she bought four extra-thick down comforters for about 3,200 dollars.

At a sporting goods store, she ordered three tents and six thermal sleeping bags.

She stocked up on survival gear too—mini flashlights, headlamps, ropes, binoculars, windproof lighters, fire starters, utility knives, backpacks, first-aid kits, compasses, whistles, and signal flares—enough for four people. That alone cost about 4,000 dollars.

Finally, she bought 80 packs of disposable heating pads, each with 100 warmers inside, totaling over 8,000 warmers—enough to last four people through two winters. That cost around 5,490 dollars.

She didn’t plan to buy much more for the Icebound. Elena would cover the basics now,

and once the apocalypse arrived, she could scavenge for free. Supplies would be everywhere if you were strong enough to take them.