The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Two days later, the entire first floor was underwater.

Nicole stood on the balcony and watched several people risk swimming out of the complex.

This area sat a bit higher, so the current wasn’t too fierce here. Outside the gates, however, was another story entirely. Whether those who swam out could make it back depended on luck.

Beatrice messaged to say that they had decided to move over immediately. She and Hughie lived in Building 3, ess than 200 feet from Nicole’s building.

Still uneasy, Nicole grabbed her binoculars and kept watch. About half an hour later, an inflatable raft appeared in the water.

The raft was loaded with supplies. Hughie sat on it in a disposable rain poncho, paddling awkwardly. Beatrice was in the water, pulling the raft forward with brute force.

Nicole grabbed a bag of trash and headed downstairs, planning to meet them on the second floor. When she reached the 12th floor, she ran straight into Mary coming out of 1202.

Mary was wearing a polka-dot dress that didn’t suit her at all. When she saw Nicole, her eyes lit up.

“Nicole!”

It had only been five days, but the glow was gone. She had lost weight, and her face looked pale and drained.

Nicole ignored her and kept walking.

“Nicole, are you mad at me?” Mary followed, her voice soft and fragile. “If I did something wrong, you can tell me.

Nicole’s face darkened. “Stay away from me.”

Mary acted like she hadn’t heard. She kept close. “Edward and I aren’t what you think. We’re just close friends. I feel like you and I really click…”

Nicole stopped, turned, and hurled the trash bag straight at her.

“Are you hard of hearing, or is something wrong with your head?”

Mary didn’t dodge in time and got hit square on.

Her perfect image was shattered. She snapped, furious. “What did you do that for?”

“Mary, I don’t care who you’re mooching off,” Nicole said coldly. “Just don’t try anything with me.”

Mary, standing at the door, went pale. Her expression twisted like she was on a roller coaster.

“Who says I’m trying anything?!” Mary finally lost her composure. “We’re from the same college! I was just saying hi.”

“Then why won’t you just leave me alone?” Nicole shot back. “You keep trying to add me on social media. It’s obvious you want something from me.”

Mary flushed bright red, then suddenly raised her voice.

“Your place is stacked with so much food that you can’t finish it. Meanwhile, everyone else is starving. If you have

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supplies, why not help people who need them?”

Nice move. Shifting the blame.

Nicole pulled a kitchen knife from inside her jacket and swung it toward Mary’s face.

“Who says my place is piled with food? Did you see it with your own eyes?” she snarled. “Don’t think I don’t know. You use your body to leech off men, then go hunting for the next. Everyone’s starving. Why should I give up what keeps me alive? Because you think you’re entitled to it?”

During the deep freeze back then, Mary had clung to more than one man. Using Nicole’s stolen storage to steal and hoard supplies, Mary had managed to live an outwardly great life in a filthy apocalypse.

Whether she had done it willingly or Edward had arranged it was anyone’s guess.

When order collapses, trading your body for food isn’t rare at all.

Mary screamed and stumbled back, slamming into the wall. Her face drained white. Her whole body shook.

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