Chapter 3
Sophie was pregnant. The baby was Alex's.
"So?" I asked. "What does that have to do with me?"
Alex was silent on the other end of the line.
After a few seconds, he finally spoke, sounding almost desperate. "Evelyn, I know I messed up. Sophie and I lost our heads for a moment.
"Now she's pregnant, and we want to get married, but... I don't have any money."
I had to hold back a laugh. "You're broke, so you come to me?"
"My parents cut off all my credit cards ever since we broke up," Alex said, sounding resentful. "They were really fond of you. Now they're pressuring me—either I get you back, or I don't get a single dime from them."
Ah, so that was what this was about.
Alex's parents only cared about my family's status and how well I was at making money.
Without me, Alex was a nobody.
"Evelyn, please, help me out. We were in love once, weren't we?" Alex pleaded.
"We were never in love," I said. "I was the only one being foolish.
"So now you want money? You want me to buy you and Sophie a house, pay for your wedding, and raise your kid?"
Alex had the nerve to say, "Just think of it as a loan. I'll pay you back, I swear."
"Alex," I cut him off. "Do you really take me for a fool?"
Without another word, I hung up on him and blocked his number.
Alex's call changed nothing.
All the supplies were already in place.
I started putting the finishing touches on the villa.
I directed the workers myself as they boarded up every window with steel plates from the inside.
Not a single ray of light could get in.
I designed the ventilation system really cleverly.
The air intake and exhaust vents were hidden in the most secret spots, with S-shaped twists and layers of filters, so nothing could get inside and not even a sliver of light could leak out.
At the basement entrance, I installed three security doors—each as tough as a bank vault.
I transformed the entire villa into a fortress that no one could ever break into.
There were only three days left until the eternal night arrived.
I dismissed all the workers and settled their payments.
The villa was empty now—just me, all alone.
I stood in the empty living room, watching the news on TV.
The host reported, "Astronomers have recently spotted a rare cosmic dust cloud heading for the solar system. It's expected to reach Earth's orbit in three days.
"Experts say it might mess with communications for a bit, but it won't really affect daily life, so there's no need to panic..."
I turned off the TV.
No need to panic?
They had no idea what was coming.
I stepped into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower.
Afterward, I changed into clean, comfortable loungewear.
I made my way down to the basement.
I'd turned it into a private luxury suite with plush carpets, a sink-in couch, and a wall-sized projector screen.
The double-door fridge in the kitchen was stuffed full.
The storage room had rows of shelves, all loaded up with my supplies.
I popped open a bottle of 1982 Château Lafite Rothschild and cooked up a top-grade steak for myself.
Then I settled onto the couch, enjoying my meal while watching a movie on the big screen.
This is my last bit of peace.
I started the countdown, synced to world time.
There were only ten minutes left before sunset.
Nine minutes.
Eight minutes.
The countdown continued.
Three minutes.
I put my wine glass down and walked over to my surveillance room.
Dozens of high-def cameras streamed a full 360-degree view of the villa's perimeter across the monitors.
The sun was setting, slipping below the horizon.
The sky glowed with a strange, almost unsettling orange-red.
On the streets, people and cars moved as usual.
None of them knew they were watching the world's final sunset.
One minute left.
I stared at the screen, my heart racing uncontrollably.
Even after getting another chance, I couldn't help but feel anxious as the end of the world crept closer.
Countdown.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
The minutes ticked by.
Three.
Two.
One.
The last sliver of sunlight vanished below the horizon.
The world plunged into darkness.