Chapter 3

Leora’s POV 

My phone rang just as I finished reviewing the list of supplies I needed to survive the apocalypse.

‘Ken’s mother’ flashed across the screen. I almost laughed.

Word travels fast in that family. Ken had probably spent the entire morning complaining about his blocked cards and the divorce papers I had thrown at him. Now his mother was calling to do what she had always done best— remind me of my supposed obligations to her precious son.

I answered.

“Leota, what exactly are you trying to prove?” She demanded without greeting me.

I leaned back in my chair. “Good morning to you too, Mrs Sander,” I answered.

“Don’t call me that with your current attitude! Ken told me everything, how could you humiliate your husband by blocking his cards and throwing divorce papers at him? Have you completely lost your mind?” She fired.

“No, as a matter of fact, I have never been sane.” I retorted.

“Stop acting like a spoiled brat! Whatever happened between you and Ken is a private matter, you don’t throw away your marriage because of a little misunderstanding.”

“A little misunderstanding?” I repeated, amused. “Is that what he called sleeping with my sister? Embezzling funds in the name of investing? Taking money and channeling it to various nonsense?”

There was a brief silence.

“Whatever you saw, I’m sure there is an explanation, my sim would never deliberately hurt you.”

I closed my eyes. Of course, Ken could rob a bank and his mother would blame the bank for leaving the money where he could reach it.

“Your sim had been stealing from me for years,” I said. “He had used my money to maintain another woman and now wants to go on vacation with that woman using my money, tell me Mrs Sanders, what exactly am I supposed to forgive?”

“You’re his wife! You have an obligation to this family!”

I sat up. “An obligation? Let me remind you that your family was struggling financially when I married Ken. My father's company helped keep your husband’s business afloat, I’ve paid your bills, financed your family gatherings, and given you gifts worth more than some people earn in a lifetime. What have I received in return?”

“You ungrateful—“

I cut in. ” No, you listen to me, your sim betrayed me and instead of talking some sense into him, you called to demand that I stop funding your lifestyle… It’s high time you started a job.”

She gasped. “How dare you speak to me like that?”

“How dare you call me to defend a man who had been cheating on me with my sister?” My jaw clenched. “You knew about the affair from the start, didn’t you?”

It went silent for a few seconds.

“You’ll regret this Leora! I promise you, this won’t end well.”

I smiled coldly. “Wonderful, when you decide what your next move is, let me know, I’ll be happy to disappoint you again.” I ended the call before she could sprout nonsense from her mouth.

I had spent years trying to earn the approval of people who saw my kindness as an unlimited source of money. I had mistaken their greed for family loyalty and their demands for obligations.

Never again!

[Ding! Survival system notification.]

I stiffened as the translucent screen appeared before my eyes.

[Host, your immediate priority should be securing essential supplies. The approaching catastrophe will disrupt transportation, manufacturing, and distribution networks.]

I stared at the list spread across my desk.

Food. Drinking water. Medicine. Batteries. Fuel. Hygiene products. Warm clothing.

Thirty days.

That was all I had.

Once the outbreak began, supermarkets would be stripped bare, roads would become death traps, and people would kill for things they currently took for granted.

I couldn’t afford to waste time shopping carelessly.

I picked up my phone and called the owner of a noodle manufacturing company I’d researched the previous evening.

After a brief introduction, I explained that I wanted to place a large order.

“How large are we talking about, ma’am?” he asked.

“Several thousand cartons to start with. Different flavours, preferably with a long shelf life. I may increase the quantity depending on availability.”

There was a pause.

“Several thousand?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask what you intend to do with them?”

“My family is planning a large gathering,” I replied smoothly. “I’d rather buy directly from the manufacturer than purchase everything from different stores.”

It was a terrible lie, but I wasn’t about to explain that I was preparing for the end of the world.

“Very well. I’ll have my team prepare an invoice.”

“Send it to me today. I want the first shipment delivered as soon as possible.”

After ending the call, I forwarded the details to my lawyer for verification.

I wasn’t going to repeat my old mistake of trusting people simply because they sounded convincing.

I had already lost one life to stupidity.

I wasn’t losing this one.

[Ding!]

Another notification appeared.

[Warning: An unexpected deviation has been detected in the projected sequence of events.]

My smile vanished.

“What does that mean?”

[Certain future outcomes may differ from the host’s previous memories. Exercise caution.]

I stared at the screen.

“Are you saying the future is changing?”

[The system cannot guarantee that all events will occur as previously experienced.]

I pressed my lips together.

Wonderful.

I had less than a month to prepare, and even my knowledge of the future might not be reliable.

I closed my notebook and grabbed my keys.

If I wanted to survive, I needed to stop relying on what I remembered and start preparing for what I couldn’t predict.

[Proceed with storage plans]

[Goal: set up storage room with needed supplies in seven days]

[Penalty: Restricted system activities for one month]

[Caution: Previous knowledge may no longer guarantee survival.]