Chapter 1
The last thing Mona Wade felt before she died was pain—pain that cut right through her bones.
The brother she was so proud of, Baldwin, was holding a knife, nervously tracing the blade along her thigh, his hands trembling.
Her mother, Astrid, who always said Mona was the backbone of the family, was pinning her hands down, her voice rough as she said, "Mona, just hold on. Baldwin hasn't eaten in three days. Just slice off a bit of your flesh. You're tough, you'll survive."
Mona wanted to scream, but her throat was parched.
Outside, the world was frozen, haunted by the howls of zombies, while inside, her loved ones had become monsters, whispering like devils.
The blade came down, blood sprayed everywhere, and as Mona watched Baldwin greedily swallow her flesh, the light in her eyes slowly dimmed.
When she opened her eyes again, the world outside was alive with the deafening chirping of cicadas, the sun blazing overhead.
Astrid walked in, carrying a plate of sliced watermelon, her face beaming with a smile. "Mona, about the down payment for Baldwin's wedding house—shouldn't you withdraw your savings for that?"
Mona looked at that familiar face, a cold, mocking smile slowly curling at her lips.
This time, there was no more flesh to give. All she had left was a one-way ticket to hell for them.
*****
Mona shot up from the bed, her back slamming hard against the cold, unyielding headboard.
It felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. She gasped for breath, her fingers digging so hard into the cotton sheets that her knuckles turned white.
The phantom pain of having flesh carved from her thigh still haunted her nerves, her body twitching involuntarily.
The cicadas outside sounded like an endless drill, mercilessly drilling into her head.
The midday sun pierced through the gaps in the beige curtains like a blade, slicing the dim bedroom in two, dust motes drifting lazily in the light.
The door creaked open with a soft, almost eerie sound.
Astrid walked in, carrying a stainless steel tray piled high with slices of watermelon, the red flesh glistening with juice.
The serrated fruit knife clinked softly against the edge of the tray with every step, the metallic sound sharp and distinct.
Mona's eyes narrowed in an instant, her eyes glued to the knife—the exact same blade Baldwin had used to cut open her thigh artery in her previous life.
"Mona, you're up?" Astrid didn't even notice how ghostly pale her daughter was. She dropped herself onto the edge of the bed, her weight making the mattress sink almost painfully deep.
"Did you catch what I said earlier? Baldwin's girlfriend's family is rushing things, and we're still short 150 thousand dollars for the house down payment. I figured, since you work at a big company and your housing fund's just been sitting there, you should withdraw it and cover your brother's share first."
A wave of sour, acidic nausea surged up Mona's throat.
She stared at her mother's beaming, slobbering smile, and suddenly felt the iron grip from her previous life clamping down on her wrists all over again.
Mona turned her head, gagging, forcing herself to choke the sick feeling back down.
She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, but this time, she didn't stand her ground or protest in silence like she used to.
She looked up, and the eyes that once held exhaustion and compromise were now cold and empty, like stagnant water with no end in sight.
"Mom, 150 thousand dollars isn't nearly enough," Mona said, her voice rough and scratchy, like sandpaper scraping against a table.
"Girls these days are all about money. Who'd want to marry Baldwin if all he can offer is a small two-bedroom out in the suburbs?"
Astrid froze, the slice of watermelon hovering in midair. Juice dripped down her wrist and onto Mona's blanket, looking just like a drop of blood. "Then... what are we supposed to do? This is all we've got to our name."
Mona blinked slowly, a classic, ice-cold smile curling at her lips.
She reached out her cold hand and gently took her mother's sweaty wrist, her voice soft and soothing, as if she were comforting someone on their deathbed.
"Let's sell the apartment we're living in now. It's right in the city center, top school district, and the market's at its peak. The money from the sale will be enough to buy a standalone villa outright, and we can even get Baldwin a luxury car.
"Put the villa in Baldwin's name, drive up in a Porsche to propose, and even an angel couldn't refuse."
Astrid's eyes went wide, her breath coming in short, rapid bursts. The fleshy folds of her face trembled with excitement.
The city's neon lights trailed colorful streaks outside the car window, turning the night into a blur of dazzling colors.
Mona was in the driver's seat, and in the rearview mirror, Baldwin's face was lit up with greed and excitement.
"Mona! Is this really a Rolex Green Submariner? Damn, this thing is bling!" he shouted.
He held his wrist under the streetlights, admiring the 40-thousand-dollar mechanical watch over and over, his eyes shining brighter than the luminous dial.
In his other hand, he gripped two keys to the Maseratis they'd just brought home, so excited he was practically wriggling in the leather seat.