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Chapter 1 Back to 21 "Janice, it's ten o'clock and you're still in bed?" Linda Lewis's voice came closer as she stormed down the hallway. "Why did my son have to marry someone so lazy? You want the whole neighborhood to gossip? Harry won't be able to show his face." Janice Spencer's eyes flew open. She stared up at the frilly crystal chandelier overhead, and her chest went tight. It was a heavy, hollow ache. This was her home before the apocalypse. She hadn't set foot here in nearly four years. Linda continued, "You're not married to Harry yet, and you're already ignoring me? What's next? Walking all over me after the wedding? Harry's been at work for two hours. You lazy—" Her voice made Janice's skin crawl. It threw Janice straight back to the days before the apocalypse. Harry Lewis was Janice's ex-boyfriend, and Linda was his mother. Janice was an orphan. Her parents were both survey team members and died in a landslide during a fieldwork expedition when she was five. Their colleagues adopted her afterward, but that family was gone too. A plane crash took them when she was sixteen. No one survived. Harry was her college boyfriend. Handsome, gentle, ambitious, and from a poor small town with empty pockets. He had her completely wrapped around his finger, though. She was a hopeless romantic and fell for every bit of it. She moved in with him before graduation and let his whole family take over the house her parents had left her. He was a gold digger scheming to steal everything she owned. If the apocalypse hadn't come, Janice would have stayed under his spell forever, never seeing him for what he really was. At that thought, Janice shot up in bed, her eyes shooting daggers at Linda, who stood in the doorway in a loud floral shirt with that calculating look on her face. Linda's heart skipped a beat under that stare. She clutched her chest and shrieked. "Samuel, Janice's insane. Come see how she's looking at me. How dare she treat me this way? Harry is making the biggest mistake of his life getting tangled up with her." Guilting Janice over her feelings for Harry was Linda's favorite trick. In her previous life, Janice had been so beaten down by it that she never fought back. But the day they threw her out into the blazing hundred-degree heat, she finally saw the Lewis family for what they really were. They were nothing but vultures in human skin. Not giving Linda a chance to whine any longer, Janice threw off the covers, got out of bed, and stood right in front of her. "This is my house. Get out." Linda froze, her eyes wide with disbelief. "What? What did you say?" "Get out," Janice snapped, slamming the door in her face with a loud thud. The bedroom fell silent for a moment. Then Linda snapped out of it and started bawling and screaming all over again. That gave Janice a headache. She grabbed a glass from the nightstand and smashed it against the door. "Make another sound, and you're packing your bags and getting out right now." That shut Linda up. 'The Lewis family are all the same,' Janice thought. 'They only go after people they think are weak and cave the second anyone stands up to them. How could I have been so blind in my previous life, busting my ass for those three?' With the room finally quiet, Janice pushed her thoughts aside and tried to figure out what was going on. She picked up a shard of glass from the floor and sliced it across her fingertip. Then she winced. 'Damn, that hurts. So this isn't a dream. I really come back in time?' A flash of joy crossed her face as she grabbed her phone from the nightstand. It was August 31, 2040. Two weeks before the apocalypse hit. She'd actually been back to two weeks before the apocalypse, back when she was twenty-one. 'Did my Dimensional Space come back with me too?' she wondered. She squeezed a drop of blood from her fingertip and smeared it onto the red birthmark on her left wrist. The next second, the birthmark burst out with a blinding red light so strong that she had to snap her eyes shut. As the light faded, a huge farm spread out before her. With a single thought, she disappeared on the spot and found herself standing in the middle of it. Green grass stretched around her, and off in the distance sat a small bungalow. Her heart pounded like it was about to leap out of her throat. 'Yes. My Dimensional Space comes with me too. I still have a chance to start over.' She opened her eyes again and was back in her bedroom. Looking around at the familiar room, her eyes started to well up. She had let her parents down. Last time, she was so blinded by love that she lost everything they worked so hard to give her. Now that she had another shot, she would rather burn it all to the ground herself than let those leeches get their hands on a single dollar. Her eyes flashed with determination. She tried to get up, but her vision blurred and she dropped back onto the bed. After a moment, she came to. 'Damn, this body is weak.' She was annoyed at herself. 'How did I even manage to scavenge for supplies in over a hundred and twenty-degree heat in my previous life?' She clenched her fists. 'Since fate gave me another chance, I'm going to live for myself this time. No one is walking all over me again.' ***** Janice took all the property deeds, bank cards, and other valuables from the safe and stashed them in her Dimensional Space. Then she closed the safe, pretending everything was normal. She had seen how greedy the Lewis family could be in her previous life. She'd better keep all this herself. This time, she was going to kick them all out before she married Harry. Janice glanced toward the bedroom door, already plotting her next move. Harry and Janice went to the same school, and both were seniors now. While Janice was busy working on her thesis, Harry had landed an internship. That "job" Linda kept bragging about was an internship that paid fifty bucks a day. He was basically running errands and making copies. With less than fifteen hundred dollars a month in Ferndale, he couldn't afford rent for his whole family. They only managed to look decent because Janice was footing the bill for everything. She even gave him a supplementary credit card, and when he played the victim, she ended up buying him a Mercedes-Benz worth over 50 thousand out of her inheritance. Thinking about it now, Janice wanted to smack herself. 'How did I fall for such a jerk?' Harry was still keeping his head down, at least. He hadn't gotten bold enough to flaunt his spending, and with the extra card in his pocket, he still played it cautious. Janice didn't hesitate. She called the bank and canceled the supplementary card. 'Jerk. You think you can spend my money this time? Not a chance.' Chapter 2 Breakup Fee The Lewis family were leeches, plain and simple. During the last apocalypse, the heat climbed to deadly levels. The government issued an emergency warning, telling everyone to stay indoors to avoid heatstroke or worse. At the time, the only food in the house was a bag of pasta and some vegetables, all bought with Janice's money. When the vegetables ran out, Linda sent Janice out into the scorching heat to buy more. The other three stayed inside with the air conditioning. And the worst part? Janice went along with it, like she was doing something noble. Harry's sweet talk kept her running those errands. Every time she went out, she risked dying of heatstroke, and she nearly did more than once. But all that effort never got her anything in return. More than forty days into the heatwave, Harry brought another woman home, claiming she was his cousin. Janice didn't suspect a thing at first. Then one day, she came back early because she wasn't feeling well and walked in on Harry and his so-called cousin in the bedroom. Then she finally realized she'd been played for a fool. Harry broke down sobbing and confessed the truth. Turned out the woman wasn't his cousin. She was his ex-girlfriend. At that time, Janice was so lovesick that she couldn't see straight. Harry made a bunch of grand promises and played the doting boyfriend for a few days. She fell for it and forgave him. After that, she didn't catch him with his ex again, so she assumed it was over. During the heat, between the blazing sun and the harsh UV rays, everyone started living like night owls, Janice included. She still had to go out during the day to scavenge for food, and by the time she finally got to sleep, she was so exhausted she could barely move. One night, she woke up with terrible cramps and stumbled to the bathroom. That was where she found Harry and his ex together again, both completely naked. In that moment, she realized she had been a complete fool all along. She had actually believed that jerk's promise that he would never see his ex again. This time, she wasn't going to back down. But she didn't stand a chance against the whole Lewis family. Linda egged Harry on, and they threw her out without a second thought. It was ridiculous that Janice was kicked out of her own home. She clenched her fists, her eyes blazing with shame and anger as the memories came rushing back. This time, she wouldn't let them walk all over her again. Freezing the secondary card was only the first move. Next, she'd boot them out and reclaim everything that was hers. She wasn't leaving them a thing. She grabbed all of Harry's belongings from the bedroom, stuffed them into a woven bag, and dumped it in the living room. Then she went through the rest of the house, picked out everything that belonged to the Lewises, and tossed it all onto the floor. Linda heard the noise and came out of the guest room to see what Janice was up to. Linda took one look at the disaster and blew up. "Janice, are you crazy? What is your problem with all this? If you've got an issue with me, say it to my face. The Lewis family doesn't need a lazy, useless member hanging around." Then she started picking things up off the floor. Janice ignored her. She'd paid for all of it herself. She'd rather smash it all than let the Lewises get a single thing for free. After wrecking most of it, Janice still wasn't done. She grabbed a pair of scissors from under the coffee table and dumped Harry's clothes out of the woven bag. Linda pointed a finger at her and kept on yelling, "Have you totally lost it? Cutting up your man's clothes? What's next, killing him tomorrow? How dare you. Now you can't take a little criticism? What's gotten into you, anyway? You're like a walking disaster." She wasn't quite wrong. Janice looked up with a cold, mocking smile. "How do you know I don't want to kill him?" 'Not Harry alone,' she sneered inwardly. 'All of them. Linda and Samuel, too.' Linda was startled by the twisted look on Janice's face. But then she remembered how Janice used to swallow every insult without a fight, and her confidence came rushing back. "You bitch. Fine, I can't put you in your place. But Harry sure will." She started yelling toward the guest room, "Samuel? Bring me my phone." She had to call out six times before Samuel Lewis, Harry's father, finally shuffled out. He wore a stained white tank top with his belly hanging over his belt, his gray hair disheveled. In the previous life, Samuel had never laid a hand on Janice. But every time Linda insulted or hit her, Samuel stood there and watched without lifting a finger. To Janice, that made him worse than Linda. None of the whole family were innocent. Janice's eyes burned with hatred. She wanted to end them both right then and there. But the apocalypse hadn't started yet, and killing them now would only send her to prison. She despised them, but she wasn't going to throw her life away for people like them. There was no point wasting this second chance on that. She loved her life. She still had a future to think about. Samuel took in the disaster of a living room, his chubby face darkening. He shot Janice a cold, dismissive look and turned to Linda. "What's wrong with you this time?" That set Linda off. "What is that supposed to mean? Can't you see this little pest is the one causing all the trouble? Where's my phone? I need to call Harry. She needs to be put in her place." Janice didn't have time for their act. She took the scissors and shredded every piece of Harry's clothing, finally releasing some of the anger bottled up inside her. But that was only the start. She glanced at Linda, who was now on the phone with Harry. Janice couldn't hear his side of the conversation, but whatever he said left Linda looking furious. Janice walked straight up to her, pointed at the door, and shouted, "Ten minutes. Grab your stuff and get out." "What?" Linda's eyes went wide, like she couldn't believe what she'd heard. Janice raised the scissors, not about to waste time on her. "Can't you hear me? This is my house. Out. Now." Linda tried to argue, but Janice didn't hesitate. She swung the scissors close to Linda's throat and stabbed the air behind her neck. Linda didn't get hurt, but her knees buckled. She sank to the floor, pointing a shaking finger at Janice. "A-Are you insane?" Janice rolled her eyes. If she had a dollar for every time she heard that, she'd be rich. Samuel, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally realized how serious this was. For once, he spoke up, "Janice, we can talk—" "Shut up," Janice snapped, pointing the scissors at him. "I broke up with Harry. All of you, get out of my house. Now." "Broke up?" Samuel looked at Linda, confused. Linda had no answer. She was still in shock from Janice's attack moments earlier. Janice was drained. "If you're still here in ten minutes, I'm calling the cops." She headed back to her bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar. Against a family with no morals, she had to watch her back every second. It didn't take long before Linda and Samuel started arguing again. Linda was as shrill as ever, yelling through the living room, "Does she think we're doormats? She decides we're out, so we're out? She wants to end it with Harry? Fine. But she doesn't get to walk away without paying him a breakup fee." Janice sat on the bed, almost laughing in disbelief. 'A breakup fee? Nice try. They've been mooching off me, living off my money, and now this? Fine. I wasn't planning to let them off easy anyway. Thanks for always being this shameless.' Chapter 3 Selling the House After that blowup in the living room, Janice was completely drained. By the time her alarm went off, she'd finally caught her breath. Eyes blazing, she grabbed a knife and stormed out. Linda opened her mouth to bargain, but she stopped cold. Janice stood there with her hair a tangled mess and pure hatred burning in her eyes. One look, and Linda thought better of it. "Why aren't you still here? Get lost," Janice screamed, her voice raw and ragged. To Linda and Samuel, Janice seemed to have turned into a completely different person, like another identity had taken control. Linda's nerves were frayed, fear and confusion tangling in her chest. She was terrified that Janice had truly lost her mind and might lunge at them with that knife. "Janice, calm down. Linda and I are leaving right now. Don't get worked up," Samuel said, quickly reading the room and tugging Linda toward the door. "There must be some misunderstanding between you and Harry. When he gets home from work, you two should talk—" "Get out," Janice cut him off, not wanting to hear Harry's name. Her eyes were red, the knife aimed straight at them, her body hunched forward like she was ready to strike. Samuel didn't dare say another word. He grabbed Linda, and without bothering with their luggage, they snatched up their phones and bolted. But Janice wasn't about to give them any excuse to come back. She stormed into their rooms, yanked out all their clothes and bedding, dragged it outside, and threw it on the ground. "Take your stuff and get lost." With that, she slammed the door shut, cutting those two off for good. Turning back to the chaos inside, Janice was still fuming. During her relationship with Harry, she'd bought him all sorts of things. Now she was determined to take back every last thing she'd ever given him. But first, she needed to get her thoughts straight. The apocalypse was only two weeks away. While she plotted her revenge, she also had to gather supplies and tuck everything away in her Dimensional Space. That way, she would have everything she needed to get by, no matter what came. First things first: she needed to take stock of her assets. Janice stepped over the mess on the floor and went straight to her bedroom. She pulled out all her bank cards and spread them across the bed, then sat down to think. Because she had two sets of parents, she'd inherited two houses. One was downtown in Ferndale, the one her real parents bought. The other was the place she lived in now, a little outside the city center but close enough to walk to school. She ran the numbers in her head. She could sell the downtown house and take out a mortgage on this one. That way, she'd have cash in hand and still have a place to live. It was a clean deal. No downside. After all, this place was on the twenty-fourth floor with a balcony. It would be perfect for riding out the heavy rain season during the apocalypse. She had 860 thousand dollars sitting in her bank account. And that was after everything she'd poured into the Lewis family over the years. Then she thought about Harry, her gaze turning cold. She was going to claw back every dollar she'd spent on him, no matter what. She glanced at the clock. After all that mess, it was already noon. Her stomach was growling like crazy. Janice was so used to starving in her previous life that she rubbed her belly out of habit. 'First things first,' she thought. 'Time to eat.' She pulled out her phone and ordered a pizza, following the steps from memory. While she waited, she cleaned up her bedroom, sweeping the glass shards off the floor so she would not step on them later. When the delivery arrived, Janice stared at the greasy pizza in front of her. Her mouth was practically watering. In her previous life, she would have turned her nose up at food this greasy and salty. But the apocalypse had changed her. An empty stomach didn't care about quality. Having anything to fill it was a luxury. She had learned to eat spoiled food without flinching, because nothing was worse than going hungry. Janice tore through the pizza. By the time she finished, there wasn't a single crumb left. With food in her system, her next move was obvious. She needed to get to a real estate agent right away. She grabbed a random summer outfit from her closet, changed quickly, and headed out the door. ***** Ferndale was a town in Northreach, tucked into the northeastern corner of Hearthland. Late August there meant the peak of summer, with afternoon highs that could easily reach the mid-eighties. Janice didn't think about grabbing an umbrella for sun protection. In her previous life, she'd survived days over 104 degrees while scavenging for food. But she hadn't realized that her heat-resistant body hadn't come back with her. Time had rewound to four years ago, and now her skin was sensitive. A few minutes in the sun and it stung painfully. After about five minutes outside, Janice's arms felt like they were on fire. She rushed to the curb, didn't care about the fare, and hailed a cab straight to the nearest real estate office. It was one of those scorching afternoons that made everyone feel half-asleep. When Janice walked into the real estate office, the receptionist looked like she couldn't care less. Janice had to go up and ask, "Hi, where do I go to sell a house?" The receptionist shot her a lazy glance and pointed toward a room in the back. "It's pretty dead right now. No waiting. Go right in." Janice walked in, and a young guy who was about to grab some water from the cooler spotted her. He gave her a quick once-over, and when his eyes landed on the Chanel bag in her hand, his whole attitude changed. "Miss, are you here to sell a house?" After four years surviving the apocalypse, Janice had seen the worst of people. A snobby real estate agent didn't register on her radar. All she wanted was to sell the house as fast as possible, get her hands on the cash, and start stocking up. "Yeah." Janice nodded. "A 1,360-square-foot place in Westview Estate." At that, the agent's smile turned a lot more genuine. He immediately led her into a private meeting room. It was the two of them in the room. The agent introduced himself. "I'm Ben Hughes. You can call me Ben. Can you give me a bit more detail about the house?" Janice pulled up photos of the house and showed it to him, getting straight to the point. "I need cash fast. The quicker you sell it, the better. I'm planning to move abroad." Ben nodded. "What's your timeline? And what's your asking price?" "Sell it within this week and I'll throw in an extra 30 thousand for you," Janice said bluntly. "I want the full amount upfront, in cash. I can handle the title transfer immediately, but the price can't go below 750 thousand dollars." 'Sure, it isn't exactly by the book,' Ben thought to himself. 'But who doesn't want to make some easy money?' He crunched the numbers. Westview Estate had some age on it, but the amenities were decent, and its location near a good school made it a hot ticket. Prices had climbed a lot in recent years. If Janice wasn't in a rush, he could sell her place for 830 thousand dollars. So he offered, "Getting the full amount in cash might be tricky. How about I list it for 765 thousand, and you—" "No way," Janice interrupted, firm as ever. "One week. I want the money in my account. I'll pay you 50 grand." Anything over 750 thousand was Ben's to keep. That was the cut Janice was letting him have. Only cash in hand was real. She didn't care how much the place was worth on paper. If she couldn't get paid today, it was meaningless. When the apocalypse hit, that building would be nothing but a pile of ruins. Ben had been in real estate for over three years, and he'd never come across a client this generous with commission. Once the high faded, he decided to go for broke. Pull this off, and fifty grand was his. Chapter 4 Breaking Up "Send me the documents. I'll start looking for buyers in the next few days," Ben said, getting straight to the point. Janice wasn't about to put all her eggs in one basket. After leaving, she headed to another real estate agency, offered the same terms, and commissioned a second agent. Now it was a race to see who could move faster. She didn't spend much time at the agency. It was still before 4 PM when she walked out, so she hurried into the nearest bank. Getting a home loan turned out to be far more complicated than she'd expected. With all the paperwork and procedures involved, it would take at least two weeks, even in the best-case scenario. But the apocalypse was only two weeks away. By then, cash would be worthless paper, and stepping outside would be a death sentence. The official route was a dead end. Janice had no choice but to look for other options. Janice sat in the bank lobby, letting the air conditioning wash over her while she scrolled through online lending apps. After a few minutes of digging, she closed each one without applying. About half an hour later, her phone rang. The screen showed an unfamiliar virtual number. She looked at it and smiled. Big data platforms automatically harvest user information the moment someone logs in, so she had been expecting the call. The apps themselves would never approve a large enough loan anyway. What she really needed was to mortgage her house for a few million dollars. That would get her cash the fastest. When she picked up, a sweet female voice came through the line. "Hello, is this Ms. Spencer?" Janice raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that's me." "Hi, sorry to bother you. I'm calling from SafeTrust Finance. Are you looking for a loan or need some extra funds lately?" "Yeah, I do." "Great, Ms. Spencer. We've launched a new unsecured personal loan—" "I need 1 million dollars," Janice cut her off, getting straight to the point. Janice had never used online lending companies herself, but she'd heard more than enough stories. Female students forced to send compromising photos, some driven to suicide. Male students taking out gambling loans and draining their families dry. The interest piled up fast, and these companies would find any way to bleed anyone dry. Her college professors had warned them over and over to stay away from online loans. If she hadn't known for certain that the apocalypse was coming, she never would have chosen this. The agent's voice faltered for a few seconds before she switched to a more professional tone. "Do you have any collateral?" "Yes." "What is it?" "A 1,600-square-foot apartment in Golden Gardens, Ferndale." Compared to a traditional bank loan, these online lenders moved much faster. The agent, afraid Janice would change her mind, immediately sent someone over to have her sign the contract. But it was already after 4 PM, and the County Recorder's Office had closed for the day. Janice refused to sign anything before she saw the money, so they scheduled the meeting for the next morning. ***** Before heading home, Janice grabbed a bunch of fresh vegetables, planning to cook herself a proper meal. She hadn't seen real leafy greens in four years. Standing in the market, she was so happy that she nearly teared up. Carrying her groceries, she stepped out of the elevator and heard voices coming from the hallway. She frowned and walked out. Sure enough, the Lewis family had come back. Harry was there too. The three of them were standing at her door, looking furious, like they were about to pick a fight. 'Perfect timing,' Janice thought. 'I was wondering when I'd get the chance to settle the score with Harry. Looks like they're asking for it.' Linda spotted Janice first. Seeing the groceries in her hands, she snapped like crazy, "So you kicked us out so you could eat well? Weren't you always saying you couldn't cook? Was that all fake?" In her previous life, Janice really hadn't known how to cook. But after they threw her out, she had to learn. Otherwise, she would have starved. "Mom, don't go off on Janice like that." Harry stepped in, holding Linda back. Back in her previous life, Janice had actually believed Harry loved her. Now she could only scoff at how naive she'd been. Harry was playing the nice guy as always, but it was all an act. "What do you want?" Janice asked, her voice laced with impatience. Harry hadn't expected this reaction. When he got Linda's call at noon, he'd been puzzled, thinking, 'Janice's seemed completely normal before bed last night, so why has her attitude changed so drastically today?' He'd assumed Linda had picked another fight with Janice and was exaggerating as usual. But when he got home from work, he found his parents really had been kicked out. And now, with Janice acting so distant and cold, Harry found her impossible to read. "Janice, did I do something to upset you? Why did you kick my parents out? It's so hot outside. What if they get heatstroke?" He frowned, shooting her that familiar guilt-tripping look, using that accusing tone she knew all too well. That look always got to her in her previous life, because Harry used to say he respected women who were devoted to family. But looking back, Janice could see it for what it was. She had no family of her own to be devoted to. The whole thing was only Harry laying the groundwork to dump his own family duties on her. Janice stared at him like he was already dead. "Who do you think you are?" Harry blinked, caught off guard. "What?" "Answer my question." Janice's words came fast and sharp, leaving Harry no room to respond. His patience had run out. The frown on his face said it all. He was done with her dodging the question. "Hey, I'm the one asking—" But Janice talked right over him. "This is my place. I decide who stays and who goes. Your whole family has been living off me. "And then you have the nerve to call me lazy and say I'm embarrassing your family? How shameless. I'm done taking care of all of you. We're finished." In Harry's memory, Janice had always been soft-spoken and easy to please. But now she had blown up at him out of nowhere and dumped him on the spot. So he panicked. "Janice, did I mess up? Are you mad about something I did?" He shot Linda a desperate look, urging her to apologize. Linda stared at Janice, stunned. 'Janice's always been a pushover, bending over backward for Harry like she'll fall apart without him. When has she grown a backbone and decided to dump him?' Then it hit her. If Harry and Janice really broke up, their family would have to move back home. That meant bland food, barely scraping by, and those nosy neighbors sticking their noses into everything. Linda forced a bitter smile and shuffled over, hoping to smooth things over. "Look. I've gone too far this morning. But I was trying to look out for you. If you two are going to get married, you have to know how to cook—" Janice snapped, "Are you deaf? I told you we are done. Harry, we are over. Give me back every cent you took from me. Hand over my car. And get out of my life for good." Chapter 5 Fifteen Days Until the Apocalypse Harry thought his ears were playing tricks on him again. 'Break up? Give back the car?' He was completely lost. He couldn't make sense of how she'd changed that much in the few hours he'd been at work. That morning, she'd been all over him, loyal to the core. Now she wanted to end things completely. It was like she wasn't the same person. Harry winced. "Janice, is it because you don't feel comfortable living with my parents? I can rent them a place outside, or have them move into your other apartment. Would that work?" Angrily, Janice let out a cold laugh. "Do you have no shame, Harry? All these years and I never realized how shameless you really are. You're eyeing my other place too? Where do you get the nerve?" "No, I—" Harry's face flushed with embarrassment. He tried to come up with an excuse. Janice waved him off. "Save it. Your whole family's like vultures, always circling for scraps. I'm done talking. Listen. We're over. Give me back my car, pay back every dollar you took from me, and for old times' sake, throw in thirty thousand." "Thirty thousand? That's robbery." Linda slapped her thigh and cut in. "Harry, how did you end up with someone like her? Pathetic." Samuel sat there frowning, silent as a stone. Janice thought, 'How could Harry not be messed up, growing up in a family like this? I should have seen it sooner.' She sneered, "Your whole family's been mooching off me. My food, my clothes, and my place. Thirty thousand is me being generous. "If you can't scrape that together, Harry, I'll show up at your office and your school. Let's see if they fire you or strip you of that scholarship and top graduate title." Janice knew Harry was obsessed with keeping up appearances. He'd never let anyone know he was mooching off his girlfriend. Every time they went out to eat, she had to send him money ahead of time so he could pay the bill and look like the big man. 'Seriously, what was wrong with me back then?' Janice thought. 'How did I put up with all this and still fall for him so hard? Anyway, at least I know exactly how to hit him where it hurts.' Harry stared at her, eyes wide in shock. He never expected her to say something like that. For once, the panic on his face was real. "Janice, come on, is this really necessary?" "You've got three days. I want my thirty thousand, and I want the car keys right now. If you don't, let's see what I could do," Janice snapped. While Harry was still reeling, Janice reached into his pocket, snatched the car keys, and slammed the door behind her, not giving them a chance to throw a tantrum. Standing in the entryway, Janice listened to the commotion outside, then suddenly realized she'd forgotten to ask for the keys to her apartment back. Annoyance flashed in her eyes. 'Whatever,' she thought. 'I'll call a locksmith to change the locks later. Harry probably wouldn't have the guts to come in now anyway.' Harry was so out of it that he didn't dare step inside. He'd left that morning with everything perfectly normal, but after one shift at work, all hell had broken loose. Linda shrieked, "Look at the woman you picked. She's already stepping all over you now. She'll be abusing us. Harry, go teach her a lesson and make sure she knows who's really in charge." Harry was already stressed out, and Linda's yelling made his headache worse. "Mom, what are you talking about? Leave me alone for a bit. Let me figure things out." This building was full of important people, and he had been hoping to build his network here. He couldn't let Linda make a scene and ruin his reputation in front of everyone. Linda's face still soured with reluctance after Harry told her off. She was about to protest, but Samuel stepped in. "Do as Harry said." Through the peephole, Janice watched the three of them leave. She didn't waste a second, grabbed her phone and called the locksmith. While Janice stood outside watching the locksmith work, the door across the hall suddenly opened. A woman in silk pajamas, a bit on the curvy side, set a bag of trash by her door. She glanced at Janice, then expressionlessly closed it again. It all happened so fast that without the trash bag sitting there, the door might as well have never opened at all. Janice wasn't surprised. In her previous life, this woman had moved in two years before the apocalypse. Rumor had it she was some powerful official's kept mistress, tucked away here and rarely seen. Before the Lewis family threw her out, Janice had only crossed paths with her a handful of times. Janice then looked away. Right then, the locksmith finished his job. "Done. That'll be 150 dollars," he said, handing her the keys. Janice paid him and then closed the door. She frowned at the extra deadbolt now installed inside. It still wasn't enough. Even with all these locks, this simple door wouldn't keep out the looters once the apocalypse hit. 'Forget it, food comes first,' she thought. She carried the groceries into the kitchen, washed the veggies, and started cooking. Her movements were smooth and practiced, as if she'd done this a thousand times. Her cooking skills from her previous life were still intact. She stared at the mouthwatering spread in front of her and swallowed hard. Back then, she couldn't cook at all. But after the apocalypse, with the Lewis family all sick and depending on her, she was forced to pick it up to keep everyone fed. The fear of starvation still haunted her this time around. Driven by that lingering anxiety, she devoured every last bite on her plate before finally setting down her fork. As she washed the dishes, Janice thought about her finances. She had over 1.6 million dollars stashed away, but that wasn't a fortune when she had to stock up for at least sixty years after the apocalypse. Buying all ready-made meals would cost too much, so she'd have to cook some herself. The good news was that time inside the cabin in her Dimensional Space was completely frozen. She could leave something in there for two hundred years, and it would still be as fresh as the day she put it in. The temperature, the look, and the freshness wouldn't change. She could stash all her food in there and never worry about spoilage. Janice closed her eyes and willed herself away. When she opened them again, she was standing on the grass inside her Dimensional Space. The cabin sat nearby, its door left slightly open. She walked over and pushed it the rest of the way. The place looked as run-down and battered as she remembered. That settled her nerves. It was exactly the same as it had been in her previous life. 'It's tight, maybe 800 square feet at most. How am I supposed to cram sixty years' worth of food in here?' she thought, already feeling a headache coming on. 'Well, at least it's something. Filling up this tight place is the first thing to do.' Janice stepped out of the Dimensional Space, finished washing the dishes, and hurried to her study to start making a list of supplies. With only half a month left before the apocalypse, she didn't have much time. It was already five in the afternoon, but summer nights dragged on, and it was still bright outside. Janice wasn't about to waste a second. She hopped in her car and headed straight for the nearest produce market. The market was about to close, and everything was on sale. Janice stood at the entrance, rubbing her hands together, ready to go all out. "Normally, these tomatoes go for 0.7 dollars a pound, but if you take the whole lot, I'll let you have them for 0.5 dollars," the vendor offered. "5 dollars for the whole box," Janice said firmly. Chapter 6 It's Not Too Late The vendor locked eyes with Janice. She didn't flinch. He caved. "Alright, I'm about to close up anyway. You can have 'em all." A box of tomatoes ran fifteen pounds and cost 5 dollars. She worked the same angle at the other stalls, scooping up their wilted produce. Summer in Northreach meant cheap vegetables, which was lucky. Otherwise, she'd have burned through her cash in no time. By the time she finished, the Mercedes was packed. Trunk stuffed, back seat piled high, dirt grinding into the upholstery. She didn't care. The car would be useless once the apocalypse hit anyway. She planned to sell it in a few days. Partly so Harry wouldn't recognize it later, and partly because she didn't want anything that felt tainted by him. She scored over a hundred pounds of vegetables for only 70 dollars. But the real prize wasn't the produce. It was the vendors. She added every single one to WhatsApp before she drove off. Back at the garage, she pulled down the roller door and transferred everything into her Dimensional Space. No point drawing attention by doing it out in the open. She slipped out through the gap underneath, made sure the door was secure, and headed upstairs. ***** Half a month was all she had before the temperature shot to 122 degrees overnight. After that, going outside during the day would be suicide. Time was money, and Janice didn't have a second to waste. In her study, she grabbed a pen and paper and started making calls. The first vendor sold fresh vegetables. She ordered two hundred pounds of every variety he carried. "I'll send you the address. Can you deliver straight to my warehouse?" He agreed without hesitation. Janice then scrolled through rental platforms online, but nothing clicked. Then she remembered Ben. She called him, not caring if it was after hours. Ben picked up right away. "I need a warehouse," she said, getting straight to the point. "About two thousand square feet. Under 1,300 a month. Location doesn't matter. Somewhere remote will do." Ben specialized in home sales, but Janice was one of his best clients. He wasn't about to turn her down. "I know a guy who handles rentals," he said. "I'll reach out. When do you need it?" "Tonight, if possible." Ben hesitated. "It's already dark. Not exactly the best time to view a place." She said bluntly, "Skip the viewing. Send photos. We'll do it online." Ben was reminded again what a spender she was and how little she cared for the usual rules. Ten minutes later, the photos and location came through. The space was big enough. The price was 2,400 dollars including deposit and first month's rent. She thought about it. She'd probably never see that deposit again. After the apocalypse, cash would be worthless. But before the apocalypse, cash bought supplies. And the more supplies, the better. So she didn't want to pay the deposit now. So she messaged Ben: [Can we lower the deposit?] Ben stared at his screen in disbelief. 'How does that add up? She threw down fifty thousand in commission on a house like it was nothing. Yet she's picking a fight over a twelve-hundred-dollar deposit, and she gets that money back anyway.' But he knew better than to question a client. He asked: [How about 800? I'll waive the agency fee.] '800? Fine. Every little bit helps,' she thought. Then she wired him 2,000 dollars on the spot. She replied: [Send me the address. I'll have someone pick up the keys.] With the warehouse secured, she kept working through her list. What she had so far wasn't nearly enough. Vegetables weren't going to stay this cheap forever, so she needed to load up while she could. She placed orders with five more vendors, two hundred pounds of vegetables from each, and talked them all down to wholesale rates. By the end, she'd locked in nearly twenty thousand pounds of fresh produce. That ought to last her a good long while. She put down a fifteen-hundred-dollar deposit and grabbed a quick shower. The air was thick and heavy. The bathroom felt suffocating. She barely rinsed off before tugging on her nightgown and crashing onto the bed. It was a little before nine PM. Too early to sleep, so she opened ShopEasy and started shopping again. She'd already mapped out the disasters she remembered from her previous life: a heatwave, endless rain, two years of brutal cold, and finally another heatwave that killed her. She had no idea what came after. Her memory only covered the first four years. So better to be overprepared than caught off guard. She remembered how it played out last time. At first, the government kept the power and water running. But once the temperature hit 140 degrees, nobody could go outside during the day. That was when the utilities failed and chaos erupted. She ordered fifty-five yards of thick blackout fabric for 150 dollars. Pre-made curtains were expensive, and cutting her own fabric was way cheaper. It wouldn't look pretty, but in the apocalypse, blending in mattered more than appearances. She spent 90 dollars on twenty tarps. Fifty boxes of water purification tablets cost her 700. She picked up thirty handheld fans for 200, splitting the order evenly between battery-powered and rechargeable models. Twenty cooling vests with ice packs added another 200 to the tab. For the water operations, she bought ten solid kayaks for fifteen hundred dollars, fifty life jackets for five hundred, and five inflatable boats that set her back four thousand. The biggest expense was three sets of diving gear, which ran fifty-five hundred. She routed all the deliveries to the warehouse instead of her apartment. That kept her neighbors from noticing a steady stream of packages showing up at her door. Before bed, she tallied everything up. The grand total came to 12,690 dollars. It was a hefty sum. But she knew that amount would barely make a dent in what she ultimately needed. She'd have to keep buying, and time was running out. She put down her phone and, for the first time since coming back, slept soundly. She was in her own home, the AC humming in the background, and the Lewis family hadn't done anything to her yet. The world was still peaceful and ordinary. It wasn't too late. She could change everything. Chapter 7 Fourteen Days Until the Apocalypse Janice's alarm went off at 7:30 AM. She could have slept in, but peaceful mornings like this were becoming rare. But she had promised the vendors she'd accept the vegetable delivery this morning. The key came last night, and she needed to get to the warehouse and open up. She quickly washed up, threw on some clothes, and headed out the door. Her car still reeked of vegetables from previous trips, so she rolled down the window to air it out as she drove. The warehouse was in another district, a good distance away, and morning rush hour traffic meant she didn't arrive until 8:30. All the vendors were already there. Six box trucks sat parked outside, and their crews were milling around. Janice had told them yesterday to bring their own people to unload, and they'd all followed through. She parked and walked over. "Sorry for the wait. Traffic was a nightmare." "Open the door already," one of the vendors called out. "We need to get this done and get back to the market." The warehouse interior was as empty as the photos had shown. This whole vegetable shipment wouldn't come close to filling it. They'd be lucky to take up a third of the floor. While the crews unloaded, a man walked over and offered Janice a cigarette. She waved it off. "Thanks, I don't smoke." He pocketed it and gave her a curious look. "Buying this many veggies, from multiple vendors? You running a cafeteria or something?" Janice had purchased nearly 20,000 pounds of vegetables in total and stored them, so his question made sense. It also gave her an idea. She said, "Something like that. My dad runs a construction site. These are for the workers' meals." Right then, her phone rang. An unknown number, but the digits looked familiar. "Is this Ms. Spencer?" a man asked. "Yeah, that's me." "This is SafeTrust Finance. You requested a loan yesterday and scheduled an in-person appointment today to discuss collateral. Do you recall?" She remembered now. This was important. "Yeah, I do." "Great. Will you be available later this morning? We should arrive at your place around ten." "I'll be free," she said, glancing at the time. It was already nine, and the unloading was almost done. If traffic stayed light, she could make it home before ten. They set the time and hung up. The vegetables were nearly all unloaded, so Janice went around paying each vendor. "Hey, add me on WhatsApp, sis," one of them said. She paid quickly and didn't haggle. None of the vendors wanted to lose a customer like her. Janice didn't turn them down. If she needed more later, it'd be easier to reach out again. After the trucks drove off, Janice closed the warehouse door and stashed the neatly stacked vegetables in her Dimensional Space. Twenty thousand pounds. That would keep her going for fifty years. People got sick at the drop of a hat. Their bodies gave out fast, and they didn't need a major injury to go downhill. Life expectancy would crater. Seventy would be a stretch. So these vegetables were more than enough. The clock was ticking. She locked up and made her way home, ducking into a breakfast shop just long enough to grab some bread. ***** At 9:50, the SafeTrust Finance representatives arrived outside the neighborhood. Janice called the security guard to let them in. A man and a woman walked in, both in sharp suits, carrying themselves with polish. To anyone watching, they could have passed for employees of a reputable firm. But SafeTrust was anything but legitimate. The company was an online loan shark operation in disguise. They scoped out the place, gave Janice's property papers a quick look, and pulled out the contract. "Sign here. Once we head to the County Recorder's Office to get the mortgage registered, we'll release the funds to you," the man in glasses said in a soft, reassuring tone. 'These loan companies are something else,' Janice thought. When they were handing out money, everything went smooth and the staff couldn't have been friendlier. But when collection day came, they turned into total sharks. They would track down any relatives or friends the debtor had and start calling them up. Sure, the debt was real, but the way they switched gears was something else. Janice would never have to deal with that side, anyway. The repayment date was three months out, and by then the apocalypse would have already hit. The whole city would be in chaos. No one would risk their life chasing after 1 million dollars. She signed, grabbed her ID and paperwork, hopped in her car, and followed their car to the County Recorder's Office. The mortgage process went smoothly. With all the documents ready, they were done in less than two hours. The man handed her a business card. "If you have any questions about the loan or repayment, call the number here. Feel free to add me on WhatsApp too." Five minutes later, Janice got a bank notification. One million dollars had hit her account. With that money in hand, she finally felt like she could breathe easy. She said goodbye to the two staff members and headed straight for the nearest mall. ***** At the electronics store, the salesperson greeted her with a big smile. "Welcome. What can I help you with? Check out our latest air conditioner—" "Give me five of the most cost-effective air conditioners you've got, and five standing fans," Janice said, cutting to the chase. This was a big order, and the salesperson's smile turned genuine. "Sure thing. I'll get the invoice ready. Do you want delivery? We also offer free installation." In less than ten minutes, Janice had spent $5,800. She told them to install one air conditioner at Lakeside Residences, where she currently lived, and deliver the rest to the warehouse. Next, she stopped at a small appliance shop and picked up an induction cooker, an oven, a microwave, and a kettle. They were all plug-and-play with no complicated setup, which made them ideal for a single woman living alone. Of course, once the apocalypse came and the power grid failed, most people wouldn't be able to use these things. But Janice had a plan. With solar panels and two generators, she would have no trouble keeping everything up and running. 'If I'm going to suffer like I did in my previous life, what's the point of coming back?' she thought. All she needed now was to spend her money wisely and make sure she lived comfortably when everything fell apart. She dropped another 3 thousand on small appliances after a discount. Then she headed to the massive supermarket on the ground floor. Since she was already there, she figured she might as well pick up the rest of her supplies. She went straight to the manager and handed over her shopping list. The manager, Howard, read it out loud. "Five thousand cases of bottled water. A thousand cases of canned soup, every kind you stock. Ten thousand bags of beef jerky. Two thousand jars of peanut butter. And two thousand boxes of mac and cheese." He stared at the list, his eyes growing wider with every line. Orders this big were rare. He probably wouldn't see another one all year. He couldn't help but size her up, taking in her plain clothes and how young she looked. Janice met his gaze calmly. "Can I get a discount?" He flashed his standard customer service smile. "Of course. You're a big client." ========= 👉 (When you open the App, it will automatically jump to the book.)