Chapter 1

Day 60 of the apocalypse, I watched my husband get his throat torn out by a zombie.

I sobbed like an idiot until bullet screen started popping up.

[Poor male lead, even faked his own death just to ditch his deadweight wife.]

[And he left her two bodyguards? If it were me, I'd just off her right there, no messy loose ends.]

[Later this city slicker clung to him anyway, almost making the real female lead lose it. Thank god the male lead dumped his wife out of the safe zone himself later, and the zombies tore her to pieces. Chef's kiss.]

I froze, realizing my husband wasn't dead at all. He'd just faked his death to ditch his deadweight wife.

I wiped my tears and stuffed the half-burned letters back into my pocket. I ordered my two guards to tend fields and fight zombies by day, and see to my baths, massages, and bed at night.

Occasionally, when I thought of my "dead" husband, I'd put on a little show of crying at his memorial tomb.

"Don't you worry, babe. I'll be just fine. Your bodyguards are hot, capable, and even fun to be around. They'll take good care of me too.

"We're gonna have a great life together."

But two days later, my supposedly dead husband kicked down the door of my cabin.

*****

Tears stung my eyes as I jolted awake from another nightmare. Charles Goodman's death haunted me. He'd stepped between me and the zombie, its jaws tearing his throat, blood burning my face.

I reached out desperately, but only watched him collapse. His eyes locked on mine, lips mouthing, "Run."

I scrubbed my face hard, trying to toughen up, but the tears wouldn't quit.

Then a flood of tiny, jumbled text scrolled across my vision.

[LOL, the male lead's out here playing hero, and Isabelle Frost's ability is already hit Level 3.]

[Poor dude. Faked his whole death just to dump this dead weight. Total dedication.]

[This chick still has no clue he faked his death, and she's still sobbing her heart out!]

[Who cares if she knows? She's just some nobody, useless to the male lead, and a total dead weight. Anyone with a brain knows who he should pick.]

[And hello? He even left her with a mountain of supplies and gear.]

I froze, tears still clinging to my cheeks, my brain short-circuiting.

Faking his death? Isabelle Frost? The intended female lead?

I stared at those glowing golden words for ages. It finally clicked. Charles wasn't dead. He'd faked his death to ditch me, and go after his unattainable love, Isabelle.

I was in a daze, remembering how Charles had always treated me well. After my parents were killed by zombies, he stuck by me nonstop. He kept promising to protect me, no matter what.

So when he died for me, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and regret. I hated being such a dead weight to him.

But... he'd faked his death?

I shook my head, dizzy from crying, and snuck a look at the two bodyguards. They were the last people Charles had left me. His final words were to make sure they kept me safe.

Back then, I'd sobbed my eyes out, thinking it was his last act of kindness.

Now, I could tell they were both keeping watch. Each guarded a window, but most of their focus was on me. Like they were scared I'd learn the truth and go after Charles.

So, did he leave them out of guilt? Or was he just keeping tabs on me?

I had to laugh at the irony. Since the apocalypse began, I had seen too many people die. I knew a regular nobody like me wouldn't last long out here.

If Charles had told me the truth, I never would've had the heart to drag him down.

The bullet screen kept scrolling by.

[Honestly, it's totally normal for the supporting girl to go after the male lead. Charles died for her. She should check on him if she hears anything, even if it's just gratitude. Besides, he promised to love and protect her forever. Why make a promise you can't keep?]

[But he left her two bodyguards. They were the best, trained under their family rules, even better than mercenaries! And all those supplies? The three could eat and sleep all day, lasting ten years easily.]

[The supporting girl is just a regular person, not even in the same world as an ability user like the male lead. She's a pampered city girl, doesn't know the first thing about survival.

[Even if the male lead got her into the upper district, what would she do besides eat? Just make herself a laughingstock?]

[The female lead is the male lead's endgame. Don't even think about splitting them up!]

I blinked in surprise, then stood up and headed for the villa's basement. The house looked tiny from the outside, but the basement was huge, like two football fields. It had everything I could need. Food, water, toiletries, weapons, gear, even crop seeds.

I grabbed the lightest gun to test it, nearly dropping it on my foot. I was totally useless, too weak to hurt a fly.

I stared at the gun for ages. Relying on others wasn't an option anymore.

Hauling the gun upstairs with effort, I plopped down in the living room. As I messed with it, something felt off.

An ugly head popped over the villa's courtyard wall. I screamed, "Zombie!"

The bullet screen blew up instantly.