Chapter 3

A few days later, I drove out to a wild area in the countryside and used my system to shrink a small piece of land.

That way, I could use the soil and seeds to grow my own vegetables and feed myself.

I also shrank a few trees and brought them back with me.

Soon, all the food and furniture I'd ordered arrived.

By then, there was only one day left before the storm hit.

I'd set the delivery address to the old house in the countryside where I used to live. The village had been deserted for years—no one ever went there anymore.

I filled every room of the house with furniture, appliances, food, and all sorts of small things.

When I was sure the coast was clear, I used my system to shrink everything and pack it neatly into a box.

At the very last moment, I hesitated, but then decided to shrink the entire small house too and take it with me.

It was a bit old, but after some fixing up, it would make a good home.

Late that night, when everything was quiet, I drove back home and moved everything into the secret room.

Jessica had been in high spirits these past few days. She thought she was fully prepared, so she didn't pay any attention to where I was going or what I was doing.

Inside the secret room, I had already installed an air filtration system. Even if I stayed there for years, I wouldn't have to worry about running out of air.

I also had five bottles of water that I hadn't shrunk. I poured them into a small tank to serve as my water supply.

Besides, the room had lights that were all controlled from my phone.

After working through the entire night, I finally turned the secret room into a tiny little farm.

The faint chirping of the super-tiny chicks was almost too soft to hear as they pecked for bugs in the hay.

Outside my small farmhouse, I had all sorts of appliances ready to use.

Now, at last, I could relax and quietly wait for the storm to come.

During the second half of the day, Jessica went over to Lawrence's house again.

Lawrence's family didn't seem to like her much, but Jessica didn't care. She just kept trying to get into Lawrence's room.

More than once, I heard Lawrence's mother complaining to the neighbors downstairs.

"That young lady from across the way has no shame at all. Grown as she is, she keeps running into my son's room. She's got no decency," she said.

Someone immediately teased her, "Maybe she's got a crush on your son. Looks like you're getting a daughter-in-law."

Lawrence's mom snapped right back, "No way. You don't know—she didn't even get into college. She's in her twenties with no real job, just lazing around at home while her sister supports her.

"With the way she is, broke and uneducated, she thinks she can marry my son, huh? Not a chance. My son's tall, handsome, and has a steady job. She's not good enough for him."

"Exactly!" the others agreed.

I stayed quiet and pretended I hadn't heard a thing.

When there was only an hour left before the storm, I called Jessica.

"Hey, Diana, what's up?" she asked.

My voice was calm. "Something came up at work. I have to work late tonight, so I won't be coming back."

Jessica paused for a moment, but in the end, she didn't say anything to warn me. She just replied, "Okay, then I'll eat by myself tonight. I'm hanging up."

I sneered. I knew she wouldn't tell me to stay safe.

It didn't matter. The call was just a trick to make her think I had already left.

Then I used my phone to open the secret room in my bedroom. I slipped inside and shut the door.

This time, when I used the shrink system, it wasn't on an object—it was on myself.

The world spun for a moment, and then everything around me grew enormous. I had become tiny, and the small secret room now looked huge.

I dared to take the risk because, before time turned back, I'd noticed that everything enlarged by the system had gone back to its normal size once the storm ended.

So I figured the shrink system would work the same way. After the storm passed, it would stop working, and everything would return to normal.

Looking around at the soil, the green trees, the little chicks, and my house, I felt a deep sense of relief. I didn't have to fear the storm anymore.

While Jessica wasn't home, I had already installed hidden cameras throughout our house and in the hallway outside. That way, I could keep an eye on everything happening inside and out from my phone.

Just in case, I even placed one outside Lawrence's front door.

The camera quality was excellent—clear picture, perfect sound. I could hear even the tiniest noises.

After making sure everything worked, I tucked my phone into my pocket, grabbed a hoe, and walked over to my little field. I started tilling the soil.

Once it was ready, I scattered the seeds, added fertilizer, and watered them lightly.

A bunch of tiny chicks gathered at my feet, pecking curiously. I shooed them away and opened a bag of feed for them instead.

Glancing at my phone, I saw the heavy rain had already begun. People outside didn't know yet that it wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.

Many were still posting online, complaining that the rain was too heavy for them to get to work.

I was now completely cut off from the world. The only connection I had to the outside was through my phone, computer, and tablet.

Days passed. The storm didn't stop—it only got worse. Roads flooded, and traffic in the city was a mess.

Jessica didn't seem surprised that I was gone. She probably thought I had died in the flood.

Over those days, I spent my time working on my little farm—planting vegetables and feeding the chickens. My only problem was that the chicks kept trying to steal and eat my tiny vegetable sprouts.