Chapter 1

When the extreme cold apocalypse came, Faye Tucker, the fake heiress who stole my parents and my brother suddenly left.

She took nothing with her and only left a note. She wrote: [Eileen, I'm giving your family back to you.]

That day was the coldest day in recorded history. Anyone who went outside died.

From that moment on, everyone hated me. They said I drove the daughter they raised for eighteen years to her death.

My parents tore apart my cold-weather clothes. My brother sprinkled almond powder into the relief meals, knowing I was allergic.

I went out to search for supplies in thin clothes and froze to death alive.

Later, the extreme weather ended. Spring came.

That was when they received a wedding invitation from Faye.

*****

A year after Faye left, I was still alive.

The temperature wasn't as low anymore, but supplies were getting harder to find.

Like today, I walked through most of the city and only managed to find half a piece of dry bread.

The wind and snow whipped at my face like tiny knives.

Looking up at the gloomy sky, I didn't dare waste any time and rushed home ahead of schedule.

When I reached the door, I heard my mother's voice. "I heard there's a gang out there snatching supplies lately. Do you think your sister will be in any danger?"

Russel snorted with disdain. "What sister? My only sister is Faye! If anything happens to Eileen, she brought it on herself."

Mom responded, "But I've already lost one daughter. I'm worried..."

Russel snapped, "Mom! It's Faye's birthday today. Can you please stop bringing up Eileen? Let's hurry and celebrate for Faye before Eileen gets back."

My hand slipped off the doorknob, and I quietly made my way around to the side of the house.

Peering through the gap in the curtains, I felt my heart being squeezed tight in my chest.

The dining table was loaded with all of Faye's favorite foods, and right in the middle sat an elaborate cake.

If the icy wind hadn't been sneaking through my clothes, I could almost believe this wasn't the end of the world.

The dry bread in my arms dug painfully into my chest as I listened to Russel talking to Faye's memorial tablet.

"You'll always be the Tucker family's heiress. Eileen owes you, and I'll make her pay it back," Russel said.

My mother wiped her tears and set down plate after plate of lavish dishes in front of Faye's memorial tablet.

My father sat there in silence, calm as ever, not even flinching at the waste of all that food.

Out in the world, forget about meat, even a frozen rat would spark a bloody fight.

I'd gone through a lot of troubles for the half piece of dry bread I had.

I couldn't take it anymore and stormed inside.

The sweet scent of cake and the savory smell of meat filled the air, making my throat tighten. My lips, split and dry, moved unconsciously.

"Where did all the food come from?" I asked.

Russel looked up, didn't even flinch at being caught.

He gave me a once-over, taking in my miserable state, and smirked, clearly pleased with what he saw.

"Obviously, it's all for Faye. Did you seriously think we were relying on the little bits you scrounge up every day?

"The Tucker Group owns the most supermarkets in the country. The stuff in our warehouses could feed us for a century and we'd still have leftovers," Russel sneered.

I stood there, the chill seemed to freeze me to the core.

So we were never short on food.

My mother didn't even look at me, cradling Faye's memorial tablet and carefully wiping it clean.

She said, "Don't blame us for deceiving you. If you hadn't driven Faye to leave, none of this would have happened."

I protested desperately, "I didn't! I swear I didn't say anything that day! It was her..."

Before I could finish, Russel seized my chin in a vice grip.

Russel sneered, "Still so stubborn, huh? Guess you haven't learned your lesson after all the suffering this year.

"From today on, I'm officially declaring you're no longer part of the Tucker family. Let's see how you manage to survive in this apocalypse without the Tucker family's protection."

When the cold snap first hit, I argued with Faye.

Honestly, it wasn't really an argument. She was just making a fuss for no reason.

It was her eighteenth birthday, and my parents threw her a huge party.

When it was time for cake, she purposely handed me a slice loaded with crushed nuts. Since I was allergic, I couldn't eat it.

She started crying, her eyes red, saying I didn't want her around because she was the fake heiress, then stormed out in tears.

My parents and Russel were furious, forcing me to apologize in front of everyone. When I refused, they pushed me out the door, and said I couldn't come back inside until I learned my lesson.

I stayed outside for three days and nights, eventually passing out, only to be slapped awake.

Russel showed up with a note, accusing me of bullying Faye until she ran away, and ordered me to go find her and bring her back.

I stumbled around the city, weak and exhausted, right as the temperature plunged and chaos broke out over supplies. I got knocked down at a street corner and couldn't get up. I only survived because a cop keeping order happened to find me and took me home.

That night, the temperature dropped even further. The world outside was frozen solid, and Faye disappeared for good.

The Tucker family offered a hefty reward for her return, but it was all in vain. Faye was never found.