Changed

“Morning,” Stephen said casually when he noticed her. “You're finally awake.”

Lucy stared at him.

He turned back to his breakfast.

“You were sleeping so deeply that I didn't want to disturb you. I had to prepare something for myself before leaving.”

She struggled to find her voice. “You made breakfast?”

Stephen glanced at her. “Is that so surprising?”

“No. I just...” She stopped herself. “I didn't expect it.”

He gave a small laugh. “Don't worry. I haven't suddenly become a chef. I have an important meeting today, and I can't afford to be late.”

Lucy looked at him carefully. An important meeting. “What meeting?” she asked.

“Investors.” He picked up his cup. “Some people are interested in putting money into my company, Blackroom Productions. If everything goes well, we could finally expand into bigger productions.”

Blackroom Productions.

The name of the movie production company he had struggled to establish when they were younger.Lucy remembered those years clearly. Back then, Stephen had little money and even fewer connections. She had supported him however she could, sometimes sacrificing her own needs to help him keep his business running.

She had believed they were building their future together. But after his company became successful, Stephen had slowly changed. His late nights became more frequent, his conversations with her shorter, and his patience almost nonexistent.

She had spent months wondering what she had done wrong.

Now she knows. “That's good news,” she said carefully. “I hope the meeting goes well.”

Stephen nodded, already checking his phone. Lucy watched him for another moment. “Stephen, can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you still enjoy spending time with Bryan?”

He looked up. “What kind of question is that?”

“Just answer me.”

Stephen frowned slightly. “Of course he's my son.”

“That's not what I asked.” Lucy kept her voice calm. “Do you enjoy being with him? Spending time with him? Taking him out? Being involved in his life?”

Stephen placed his cup on the counter. “Lucy, I'm working hard to provide for this family. You should understand that instead of asking unnecessary questions.”

She swallowed. “So you think providing money is enough?”

“What else do you expect from me? I pay the bills. I take care of the house. I make sure you and Bryan have everything you need.”

Lucy lowered her eyes. Everything they needed. She remembered begging him to turn back for Bryan while zombies chased them through the streets. She remembered the look on his face when he chose to leave.

She wondered how a man could stand before his family in the morning and later abandon them without hesitation. “Stephen,” she tried again, “if something happened to us, would you do everything possible to protect us?”

He stared at her. “What is wrong with you this morning?”

“I'm asking a simple question.”

“And I'm telling you that I work hard for this family. What more do you want me to say?”

Lucy studied his face, searching for the slightest sign of the man she had loved. She found impatience. Nothing more. Perhaps she should have been surprised. Perhaps she should have been heartbroken all over again but something inside her had changed. She had already seen what he was capable of doing when his own survival was at stake. She would never forget it.

“Never mind,” she said quietly.

Stephen returned to his phone. Lucy turned toward the living room, where Bryan was sitting on the sofa. He looked up and smiled at her, completely unaware of the thoughts racing through his mother's mind.

She smiled back, though her heart ached.

Six months. She had six months to prepare for the end of the world. Six months to protect her son and make sure they would never again depend on a man who could abandon them.

But first, she needed to understand how much of their money she could access and what resources she could gather without raising suspicion.

“Stephen,” she called as he picked up his car keys. “I need some money for Bryan.”

He stopped near the doorway and turned around.

“Money for what?”

“His school expenses. I also want to buy him some things he needs.”

“Didn't I give you money recently?”

“That was for the household expenses. Bryan needs a few things, and I don't have enough left.”

Stephen's expression hardened.

“Lucy, why are you always disturbing me for money?”

She stared at him, stunned by the sudden change in his voice.

“I'm asking for money for your son.”

“And I'm telling you that you should learn to manage what you have. You are becoming too materialistic.”

The word hung between them.

Materialistic.

Lucy almost laughed. She had stood beside him when he could barely afford to pay his workers. She had sacrificed her comfort to help him build Blackroom Production, never asking for expensive gifts or a luxurious lifestyle.

Now he was accusing her of being materialistic for asking him to provide for their child.

“Stephen, I haven't asked you for anything unreasonable,” she said quietly.

“I'm not discussing this again.” He opened the door. “I have a meeting to attend.”

“Stephen—”

He walked out and slammed the door behind him. Lucy stood motionless, staring at the closed door.

Then she looked toward Bryan. Her son was watching her, his small face filled with questions he was too afraid to ask. Lucy walked over and sat beside him, drawing him into her arms.

“Don't worry, baby,” she whispered. “Everything will be different this time.”

She pressed a kiss against his hair and stared toward the door through which Stephen had disappeared. The man who had abandoned them was still living his comfortable life, completely unaware of what awaited him. Lucy had returned six months before the Zombie breakout, but she had not returned to be the same helpless woman.

This time, she would prepare. This time, she would protect Bryan and when the world finally fell apart, Stephen Anderson would discover exactly what it meant to lose the woman he had once considered worthless.