The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 11

Chapter 11

“I won’t tell anyone,” Poppy promised Nicole, covering her mouth. “Only you.”

Nicole didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She accepted the apple and gave Poppy two candies in return.

Her WhatsApp chimed. It was Beatrice Blair.

[Nicole, the first floor is more than halfway underwater. If it reaches the second floor, could Hughie and I stay with you for a bit?]

Beatrice was a competitive athlete, a national collegiate kickboxing champion. Hughie Norman was her live-in boyfriend.

Hughie, Jeremy, and Nicole had all grown up in the orphanage. They had stuck together out of necessity.

Hughie was sickly, while Jeremy was weak. Even so, they had once teamed up to bully her. After getting beaten badly, they learned their lesson.

Jeremy craved affection and tended to pursue older women.

On the other hand, Hughie had always been insecure. He looked delicate, almost fragile, with soft features. Girls had chased him his whole life.

Somehow, he fell hard for the tall and sharp-featured Beatrice. It was love at first sight. He said sleeping next to her made him feel safe.

Beatrice doted on him shamelessly, treated him like glass.

The four of them met up occasionally. The relationship was decent.

In her last life, Nicole’s phone had died early. This time, she had kept her internet on just to wait for Beatrice’s

message.

She wrote back, [The landlord’s stuff takes up one room, so I really can’t fit you here. But 1803 is empty. You and Hughie can move in there. Just be quick. If the water really hits the second floor, I’m worried someone else might grab it first.]

She waited a long time before Beatrice replied.

[Okay. Please keep an eye on it for me.]

With the typhoon and nonstop rain, plus frequent lightning, people only risked moving when they had no other

choice.

Beatrice was asking early. She was naturally optimistic. Half a floor underwater didn’t necessarily mean the

second floor would flood.

In reality, the flood would reach way higher.

But Nicole couldn’t say that. The apartment was empty, either way.

Around dinner time, Zeph came to pick up Poppy.

Poppy refused to leave. “No. Your food makes my stomach hurt.”

Zeph looked awkward “I followed a recipe today.”

1/3

hapter

+15 Bgnus

“You said that yesterday, too,” Poppy said seriously. She had been traumatized. “Nicole’s food is better.”

Now, even Nicole felt embarrassed. “I just boiled noodles in water. What’s good about that?”

Zeph didn’t indulge her. “Poppy.”

His features were sharp and cold. When his face darkened, there was a pressure to him that made people instinctively behave.

Poppy instantly wilted, lowered her head, and followed him obediently.

At the door, Zeph turned back. “The trash in the hallway isn’t getting collected. Wanna figure something out together?”

The garbage had been piling up for days. Even sealed, it stank.

Nicole had been thinking about dealing with it herself. She hadn’t expected him to bring it up first.

Shared spaces weren’t negotiable. They quickly agreed to clear the trash first. From now on, everyone handled their own garbage. No more leaving it in the hallway.

With management shut down, residents on other floors were tossing trash downstairs anyway. Nicole didn’t mind. She pinched her nose and threw bag after bag down.

Since Beatrice might move in, Nicole mentioned it to Zeph as well.

He had no objections. There were only two keys, but that was manageable.

The important thing was that Beatrice could fight. In Nicole’s last life, Beatrice had stepped in for her more than once. Once, Beatrice even gave her two pounds of pasta.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify