Chapter 2

Brian left early, practically buzzing with excitement.

The moment he was gone, I checked our accounts.

Turns out, he had already beaten me to it.

He'd cleaned out every last cent from our accounts.

So that was his plan all along—leave me with nothing and run off with Sandra, living it up with all our money.

My plans got messed up, but I got my head back in the game fast.

I rushed to put the house and car up as collateral and borrowed 1.5 million dollars from some loan sharks.

In my previous life, after the heatwave hit, the earthquakes just kept coming.

This house made it through the first one, but who could guarantee it would survive the next?

Besides, with the world ending, who knew if that loan shark would even be around to collect?

So I wasn't worried about loan sharks breathing down my neck. My priority was to grab the cash while I could.

Cash would be worthless soon enough.

But right now, I needed every dollar of it to build something that would keep me alive—a shelter.

It had to lock out the heat and stand strong through the quakes.

That left me with only one real choice—a fortified basement bunker, built like a bomb shelter.

And the best part? I'd get a perfect view from inside, watching those two cheating backstabbers crash and burn.

My basement was just as big as the main floor above, over 1000 square feet. More than enough room for me to kick back and live easy.

By afternoon, the ground started to tremble.

This earthquake hit a huge 7.2 on the Richter scale, and my house was on the edge of the affected area.

Brian and Sandra's rental, though, was right in the middle of the worst of it.

With everyone focused on the disaster in the next city, I saw my chance.

I hit up a construction company, telling them I needed a secure, earthquake-proof room for my valuables.

I also laid out a bunch of detailed requirements.

The basement's outer layer had to be blast-proof and super insulated, with its own power and drainage system capable of running for at least six months. The air inside had to stay clean, and the temperature stayed locked at a comfy 68°F.

Most importantly, the whole job had to stay completely quiet. I couldn't let the neighbors find out.

The contractor cut me off, scowling. "Ma'am, I'm a contractor, not some secret agent. Even if this crazy plan is possible—keeping the neighbors from noticing? That's a miracle on its own. I can't take this job."

I opened the safe, pulled out 150,000 dollars in cash, and pushed the bundles into his arms.

"Here's the deposit. Does that make it possible now?" I asked.

Then I threw another 150,000 dollars his way.

His face lit up instantly. "Absolutely! Consider it done. You want a whole building underground? I'll make it happen. Whatever you need, just say the word."

He couldn't help but ask, "Why do you need a basement like this?"

I tucked 3,000 dollars into his pocket and flashed some bills right by his ear. "Don't ask. Just build. And one more thing—the sooner it's done, the bigger your bonus."

He nodded eagerly, called over his crew, and looked ready to break ground right this second.

Right on time—just as I finished talking to the contractor, Brian called.

"Honey, what a nightmare. I was on a business trip and got caught in an earthquake. We almost got crushed by a beam, but lucky for me, I made it out alive!" he said, playing it off like it was no big deal.

Getting crushed would have been the least he deserved. It would've solved all my problems.

Then I paused. Letting them die quickly? No. That was far too kind.

Dragging out their suffering—that was where the real fun began.