The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 781

Chapter 281

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Chapter 781

Nicole’s blunt remark left Arthur at a loss for words.

The world wouldn’t end if he took a break, but the earth’s crust could shift and fracture at any moment. If he could do a little more, maybe a few more people would survive.

Humanity had never faced anything like this before. If no one stepped up, they could all die.

With no family, no children, and nothing to hold him back, Arthur accepted the mission his country entrusted to him. Even after he learned he had a daughter, his responsibility to everyone else still came first.

He couldn’t pretend he had no regrets, but life had a cruel way of making those choices for him.

His missions cost him the woman he loved when he was young. Now, he didn’t even have a chance to make up for all the years he missed with his daughter.

“Nicole, I’m sorry.”

He wanted to step down someday, too. Right now, however, there just wasn’t time.

Everyone made their own choices. Nicole couldn’t make the same choice as Arthur, but that didn’t mean he was

wrong.

Countless others chose the same path. Without them, far fewer people would still be alive.

Arthur suddenly doubled over, coughing hard. Nicole reached for the cup on the table, but it was empty.

“I’ll get you some water.”

She never really had a parent growing up and didn’t know how to act around Arthur. Getting him water gave her

an excuse to step out.

The line at the water dispenser barely moved, so Nicole went to the restroom first.

She finished and reached for the stall door just as several women walked in, whispering excitedly.

“Erin, I just saw a young woman go into Commander Hunt’s room. She looks a lot like Ms. Wallace. Sophia brought her in herself.”

“I saw her, too, but she didn’t look like Camila. Since when does Commander Hunt have another daughter?”

“Quit gossiping about your superiors,” Erin Warner said, sounding fed up.

“We just feel bad for Sophia. She waited over ten years for Commander Hunt, and now she’s somehow the other woman.”

“What are you talking about?” Erin snapped.

She refused to let them speak about Sophia that way.

“Irene’s the one who should be ashamed. She dated Commander Hunt when they were young, then dumped him for someone with more money. He took her in because of their history, and she went around acting like she was his wife. Please!”

“Seriously?” The younger women sounded stunned. “And she still had the nerve to hassle Sophia?”

They crowded around Erin, eager to hear more.

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Years of hostility from Irene hurt Sophia’s reputation, but Sophia kept quiet to protect Arthur. She never tried to tell her side of the story.

Erin sighed.

“Sophia and I started at the military hospital around the same time. She was barely in her twenties when he came in with an injury, and she fell for him almost right away. He wasn’t the commander then, but he was already a senior officer…”

Arthur was only in his thirties then, mature, steady, and sure of himself.

Sophia fell hard, even though he was more than ten years older. As soon as she found out he was single, she made it clear she was interested.

Arthur didn’t know how to handle her persistence and avoided her whenever he could. But Sophia kept trying, from the time he was in his mid-thirties until he reached his early forties.

Everyone in the district knew about them. Even senior officers tried to set them up, urging Arthur to make room for a relationship.

Maybe she finally won him over. They dated for more than six months, and despite the age gap, they seemed happy together.

Arthur even filed the paperwork to get married.

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