Chapter 2

Now that I thought about it, I was such a fool in my previous life.

I wiped the blood off my face, ignored the reproach in Susie's eyes, and marched straight out.

The woman on the ground started crying even louder, clutching my leg as she sobbed, "Please, just give me this ticket. Without it, how is my ten-year-old son supposed to survive in this shelter?"

Susie hurriedly said, "Amelia, can't you see how pitiful she is? You have two tickets. Just give her one, please."

Just like in my previous life, Susie stood on her moral high ground, judging me. Even after I gave her one of the tickets, she still acted all generous and insisted on giving it away to someone else.

Even though I hated that she just couldn't toughen up, I still couldn't be ruthless. In the end, I traded my very last ticket just so she could get out.

After that, I went to the shelter's underground casino. Only by risking it all and ending up deaf in one ear did I barely manage to win another ticket to escape.

It suddenly hit me. She was so sure I wouldn't leave her behind, and that was why she could so easily give her ticket to someone else.

People started crowding around, all pointing fingers at me.

"Seriously? You have two tickets and you're just keeping them all to yourself?"

"Yeah, Susie is so much more understanding than you."

Susie's tone grew even sharper, her frustration clear. "Amelia, everyone left here is just down on their luck. Why do you have to be so ruthless?"

Expressionless, I just looked at Susie and asked her in a steady voice, "I risked everything to get this ticket for you. Are you really sure you want me to hand it over to her?"

My question left Susie speechless.

I pulled out the other ticket in my hand. In that instant, I could feel everyone around me eyeing me like wolves, so my voice dropped even lower.

"One ticket for you, one for me. But make no mistake. I'm leaving, no matter what," I said.

Susie looked a little flustered when she heard me, but then her eyes drifted to the woman on the ground, and she hesitated, her voice trembling.

"Amelia, but that woman just looks so miserable," she said softly.

'Pitiful? You think she's the only one?' I thought. 'Is there anyone in this shelter who isn't pitiful? Everyone here is someone's wife, someone's husband, someone's child.'

"Miss, please, help me. You're so kind. You'll be rewarded for your kindness," the woman on the ground begged.

Seeing Susie's hesitation, she quickly sized up the situation, crawled over to Susie's feet, and clung to her leg, pleading even more pitifully.

Sure enough, Susie looked at me with even more grievance and helplessness in her eyes.

"Amelia, there are two tickets. Good things happen to kind people, right? No, I can't just stand by. I will give her my ticket instead," she said.

I let out a cold chuckle and shoved one of the tickets into her hand.

"This ticket was always meant for you. It's up to you, but if you give it to her, or anyone else here, you can kiss your chance of getting out goodbye," I said, my tone icy. I was dead serious.

Our so-called shelter was really just a big supermarket that had been turned into a refuge.

In my previous life, not long after we left, the shelter was overrun by the infected; everyone inside was wiped out.

Susie stared blankly as she took the ticket from my hand, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face.

Maybe it was the icy look in my eyes that intimidated her, and she instinctively clutched the ticket tighter.

I could feel the stares around me growing even hotter.

But I ignored them and asked her again, my voice steady and serious, "Think it through. Are you really going to give up your ticket?"

Susie was clearly flustered, just staring blankly at the ticket in her hand. But the woman on the ground started wailing again, and her cries dragged Susie right back to the present.

Susie looked around at everyone, then at the woman on the ground. When her eyes met mine again, there was a new determination in her gaze.

"Amelia, now more than ever, we have to look out for each other; we can't just be heartless. This ticket should go to someone who needs it more than we do," she said.

Susie bent down and pressed the ticket into the woman's hand.

The woman kept thanking her nonstop, finally let go of Susie's leg, jumped to her feet, and dashed off without looking back.

Thunderous applause broke out all around.

"Oh my God, she's still so kind even in such a harsh environment. That's honestly amazing," someone exclaimed.

"Seriously, her sister is so heartless in comparison. That madam said it was for her kid, not even ten years old, and she still refused to give it up," another person chimed in.

"She's got a black heart. I hope the infected eats her the moment she steps outside," someone else spat.