The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 529

Chapter 529

Nicole felt the same way.

Once the joy of seeing Hughie again faded, a tangle of complicated emotions took its place.

In the past, she probably would’ve gone to see Beatrice immediately.

But she didn’t. Instead, she found herself wondering when she should visit and what she could possibly say when they met.

Those two years changed more than just Hughie. Beatrice endured unimaginable physical and emotional suffering. Was she still the same cheerful, optimistic woman who never worried about what she might gain or lose?

Nicole even worried that seeing Beatrice might only highlight the stark difference between their lives and make Beatrice feel worse.

It had only been two years, but for some people, those years felt longer than a lifetime.

Back when they all lived on the 18th floor, they started out in the same place. Their relationships were much simpler then.

After they turned off the lights that night, Nicole brought it up with Zeph. “I’m going to visit Beatrice tomorrow. Wanna come?”

“Where do they live?”

Nicole gave him the address Hughie had provided.

Zeph thought for a moment. “That’s a rough area. Most of the people there are barely getting by, and it’s practically a slum.”

After living in the new district for several months, Nicole had learned a little about the surrounding neighborhoods. The area was near the edge of the city, and because rent was relatively cheap, the living conditions

were much worse.

“I’ll go with you, but I won’t come upstairs.”

For one thing, he and Hughie’s group were simply working together and weren’t personally close. For another, Zeph wasn’t much of a talker. Beatrice might not be willing to open up to Nicole with him there.

Nicole thought that made sense. “I can go by myself. You stay home and take care of Poppy and Cola.”

“It’s too far. It wouldn’t be safe for you to go there alone.”

The next morning, Nicole selected several medicinal herbs that could help with various complications after a miscarriage.

She didn’t bring anything especially valuable. They were all fast-growing medicinal plants. She could decide what else Beatrice needed once she had a better idea of her condition.

Villa 50 had become so notorious that no one dared provoke them lately. Anyone who crossed paths with them went out of their way to keep their distance.

Zeph brought Poppy and Cola along and drove Nicole to the south side of the city.

Trash covered the ground, sewage ran through the streets, and naked children played beneath the apartment

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buildings.

The moment the Hummer stopped, countless eyes turned toward them.

Nicole deliberately wore old, worn-out clothes, but she still didn’t feel safe getting out of the vehicle. “Come back for me in an hour.”

She pulled a butcher knife from her bag and entered the cramped building.

The apartments were divided into tiny units packed closely together. Broken furniture and piles of junk clogged the hallways and stairwells, forcing people to turn sideways just to squeeze past. The entire building reeked.

Even so, countless pairs of eyes watched her from every floor. Most belonged to children and elderly survivors dressed in rags, their expressions dull and lifeless.

The entire building felt bleak and oppressive, sending a chill down Nicole’s spine.

She cautiously made her way up to the fifth floor and knocked for a long time before a hoarse voice called from inside.

“Who is it?”

Nicole froze for several seconds. “Beatrice?”

After a long pause, the door opened, revealing a thin, exhausted woman.

For a moment, Nicole thought she had the wrong apartment, but the woman standing in front of her really was

Beatrice.

She barely resembled the person Nicole remembered. Her face was sallow and gaunt, and she coughed so violently that she could barely stay on her feet.

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