Chapter 2

Hannah watched the couple put on their little performance and sneered inwardly.

How foolish had she been to fall for such poor acting?

She glanced at Jeremy as he approached, then quickly looked away before he could see how badly she wanted to kill him.

She treated him as though he were nothing but empty air.

Hannah rolled her eyes, walked around him, and went straight into her room.

She wanted Jeremy dead more than anyone else in the family.

There he stood, looking every bit the respectable man.

After the apocalypse, he sexually harassed her again and again.

When Hannah refused him and May found out, he turned around and claimed Hannah tried to seduce him.

That was when May first thought of selling Hannah.

Hannah would never let this family get away with what they did in this life!

But there was no rush.

The apocalypse had not begun yet, and murder was still a crime!

"What kind of attitude is that?"

Jeremy grew angry when Hannah ignored him completely.

He turned to follow her and demand an answer, but May caught his arm at the kitchen door and whispered, "Leave it. Don’t forget about Miles."

May glanced at Hannah’s closed bedroom door, then deliberately raised her voice.

"What do you know? Hannah and I are close. She wouldn’t believe gossip about me. I love her like my own daughter, and no one can come between us."

Behind the closed door, Hannah rolled her eyes and shut out the noise.

They were all alike.

Only the foolish person she used to be would believe words they deliberately said loud enough for her to hear.

Hannah sat at her vanity and studied every corner of the room.

She would never come back after today. She was going to sell the apartment.

The thought pained her.

This was the home she shared with her parents.

She and her parents chose almost everything in her room together when they moved in.

Her vanity meant the most to her.

Her father was an artist, and he drew the plans himself before having someone build it.

She couldn’t move it out now without revealing her storage space.

She would have to wait until she sold the apartment and made the family leave.

Hannah stood, pulled two empty suitcases from under the bed, and opened them.

She packed everything she could take.

Some things would not fit, but the family outside would not notice if they disappeared. One was the box beneath her bed that held her parents’ keepsakes.

She quietly put it straight into her storage space.

She left a few old outfits in the closet for appearances.

Hannah took one last look around the room, then opened the door and walked out.

"Hannah, what are the suitcases for? Are you going away on business too? Wait, you’re still in college, aren’t you?"

Miles wanted something from Hannah today, so he paid close attention to her.

As soon as he saw her come out with two suitcases, he ran over to ask.

"Hannah, what’s all this?"

May hurried out of the kitchen with a dish in her hands when she heard her son.

She arrived just as Hannah set the suitcases by the front door.

"Oh, I found a part-time job. They provide a place to stay, so I’ll probably be busy working during school breaks and won’t come home much. I thought I should bring more of my things."

Hannah knew exactly what this family wanted to hear.

She could let them enjoy the news for now.

Sure enough, when they heard she would not be coming home during breaks, May and Sherry could barely hide their delight.

Sherry wanted Hannah’s room for a long time. If Hannah no longer lived there, the room would be hers.

Perhaps it began when May questioned Hannah’s choice of college.

After that, Hannah rarely told May or her family anything about her life at school.

They never asked, either. They simply did not care.

That was why Hannah moved out of the dorm during the second semester of her freshman year and rented a place of her own.

May’s family did not even know she opened a juice bar.

"What kind of part-time job? Is it reliable?"

May set a dish on the table and asked with apparent concern.

"I’ll be teaching at a dance studio with a classmate. It seems fine."

Hannah saw that dinner was ready.

She took a plate and utensils, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

May was a terrible person, but Hannah had to admit she was a good cook.

Her home cooking always tasted delicious.

Hannah was leaving, but she could at least eat her fill before she went.

The food on the table made her mouth water.

She sat down and started eating without waiting for anyone else.

The table was covered with meat and seafood dishes, vegetables, and soup.

It looked like a holiday feast, with all Hannah’s favorites.

May must have spent a fair bit on dinner to persuade Hannah to buy her son a tablet.

But they were in for a disappointment today.

It was Hannah’s third day back after her rebirth.

She could control her hunger a little better now.

Yet she still wanted to eat every bit of food she saw. The urge felt carved into her soul.

Hannah put a rib in her mouth and reached for a shrimp before she even spat out the bone.

She spat out the bone, bit off the shrimp’s head, then ate the rest, shell and all.

"Hannah, how is it? Do you like it?"

May pulled out a chair and sat beside her.

"It’s good."

Hannah’s utensils moved so fast they almost blurred. She finished a chicken wing before she found a moment to answer.

Sherry was annoyed that Hannah started eating before the rest of them sat down.

When she saw Hannah eat so messily, she leaned toward May and whispered with disgust, "Mom, has she gone days without food? She’s literally pigging out."

May nudged her daughter with an elbow to make her stop.

She smiled at Hannah, though her eyes held a trace of confusion.

May had not noticed at first, but when did Hannah start eating with so little care for appearances?

She even swallowed the shrimp shells!

And why was she eating so much?

Usually, she watched her figure so closely that she barely allowed herself an extra bite.

What had gotten into her today?

May thought Hannah’s dance studies were useless.

Still, she had to admit Hannah was usually graceful and poised.

Why did she eat like she was starving today?

She devoured half the food on the table in just a few minutes!

May finally realized what was happening.

She stopped worrying about Hannah’s table manners and called the rest of the family to dinner.

At this rate, Hannah would leave them nothing but scraps.