Share

Chapter 3

Author: Margot
No one had ever used the word "surprise" to describe me. My husband in my past life, Oliver, would always look irritated the moment he saw me, as if he were a stick of dynamite and I was the match poised to ignite him.

One night, Oliver had come home drunk, reeking of alcohol, muttering Lina's name under his breath.

Worried that he'd feel awful in the morning, I used the rare honey I'd been saving to sober him up. But he shoved me away without a second thought.

The glass of honey water shattered against the floor. I fell hard, shards of glass piercing my skin, carving countless wounds into my flesh.

Blood pooled beneath me. I groaned in pain, but Oliver just crossed his arms and watched, cold and satisfied.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, voice devoid of sympathy. "But no matter how much pain you're in, it's not even a fraction of what Lina felt when she died."

I stared up at him, stunned, my heart aching far worse than my torn skin.

When our eyes met, he didn't flinch. Instead, he sneered.

Slowly, I pushed myself off the ground, standing in silence before saying, "But Lina was killed by zombies, not me. And it was you who pulled me into that truck, not me. And yet, all you do is blame me. Don't you think that's unfair?"

"No," he said. "This is your fault. If you hadn't said you loved me, I never would have been forced into this marriage."

The alcohol was wearing off by then. Oliver's accusations came quick and precise, like a seasoned debater delivering a final, decisive blow.

I let out a bitter laugh. "Forced? Oliver, you always act like you have no choice. Are you incapable of saying no? You didn't have the strength to kill all the zombies, nor the courage to refuse my family's power. So instead, you turn your blade on me—your wife. If there were a competition for cowardice, you'd win first place."

I staggered outside to find a healer. Behind me, I heard the sound of Oliver smashing things in rage.

From that night on, our relationship froze over completely. He began treating me as his sworn enemy, and I no longer wasted a shred of warmth on him.

Yet now, something even Oliver had never done for me, a stranger had.

Ace worried if I had the strength to keep going. He worried if I was cold.

He was strong, but not cruel. It had been so long since I'd felt the warmth of someone's care.

"Thank you," I said again, deliberately.

"Don't mention it," Ace replied with a smile in his voice. "Though, if you're really grateful, maybe you should think about how to repay me."

When we reached the survivors' base, I was taken in for an infection screening. Once cleared, I was led to a temporary rest area.

"Commander, you called for me?"

I looked up to see a man standing a short distance away, carrying a medical kit. The doctor.

His gaze swept over us like an X-ray before locking onto my scraped hands.

"Looks like she's the one who needs treatment. Am I right?"

Ace nodded and turned to me. "This is Jamir, head of our medical division. If you ever have an emergency, he's the one to contact."

Jamir examined me, his eyebrows lifting higher the longer he worked. After bandaging my fingers, he turned to Ace with an unimpressed look.

"You called me in such a hurry, I thought I'd be dealing with a patient on their last breath. And yet, here we have a perfectly healthy woman—well-nourished, just a bit overtired and scraped up. This was your 'urgent case'?"

Ace avoided his gaze, muttering, "Zayla nearly fell off a cliff. That's urgent."

Jamir froze. "Wait. Zayla? Which Zayla? You mean the Zayla—the double PhD in virology and pharmacology, the one who won a national research award?"

I nodded. "That's me."

Jamir's eyes widened in shock before his expression morphed into something akin to reverence. He fished a business card from his pocket and pressed it into my hand.

"I mean it—please take care of yourself. If you need anything, anything at all, call me. I'd be honored to help."

He wanted to say more, but Ace promptly dragged him out of the room, medical supplies and all.

Clinging to the doorframe, Jamir hissed at him, "Take good care of her! You have no idea how valuable Dr. Zayla is in a world like this!"

"I know," Ace shot back, slamming the door shut. "She'd be valuable even without the apocalypse."

The bluntness of his words seemed to embarrass him. A faint flush crept up his face.

Curled up in a chair, wrapped in a warm blanket, I looked at him and said, "I don't even know how to repay you." He had done too much.

Ace shook his head and pulled out a ledger. "What you should focus on is recovering. Do you have any family? Maybe I can help find them."

I gave him my parents' names. As it turned out, they had learned about the zombie outbreak early on, gathered an enormous stockpile of supplies, and joined the base's upper ranks. They were thriving, busy consolidating their power in this new world—too busy to care about whether I was alive or dead.

As for Oliver… I had a sneaking suspicion he, too, had been reborn and remembered his past life.

Given a second chance, he was probably basking in Lina's presence, cherishing every moment with her.

We had been married for five years in our past life. He never once shared a bed with me. Never protected me from zombies. Instead, he had preemptively arranged with the base leaders to seize my supply rations for himself.

Whenever someone asked about his wife, he would sneer and say I was nothing more than a plaything for him to toy with.

In this life, Oliver would undoubtedly end up marrying Lina. Would he finally get the life he wanted?

I looked up at Ace, voice soft with a quiet plea. "I don't have anyone I can trust anymore. Can you arrange for my living quarters to be near yours?"

He didn't answer right away. I reached out, lightly tugging at the hem of his jacket, gazing up at him with a trace of vulnerability.

That was when I remembered who Ace was.

Right now, he was just the head of the rescue division. But in the future, he would lead this entire base. In my past life, he was also the one who publicly supported my divorce from Oliver.

He had already saved me twice.

Ace wasn't like Oliver. He wouldn't hurt me.

He crouched down so our eyes were level, the distance between us shrinking in an instant. I could smell the faint scent of mint on him.

"You shouldn't trust me so easily," he murmured. "I'm not a good person. My help comes with a price."

"I don't mind," I said firmly. "What do you want? I'll do anything."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

Ace chuckled, pressing a key into my palm. "This is for the safe house next to mine. Also, your temperature's high. Are you feeling feverish?"

I touched my forehead, realizing he was right. He had noticed before I had—a realization that both touched and embarrassed me.

As Ace guided me toward my new residence, a familiar voice rang out.

"Zayla? Is that you?"

Oliver was here, arguing with the rescue team, demanding they go back for a third attempt at saving someone.

The moment he saw me, he rushed forward, reaching out with wide, desperate eyes.

"You passed the survivor test! You're not infected!"

I stepped back, glaring at him. "That's right. I didn't die in a zombie's jaws. Disappointed?"
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Comments (2)
goodnovel comment avatar
Sandra Sevor
very interesting and intriguing so far.
goodnovel comment avatar
Patricia Definis
So far very good!
VIEW ALL COMMENTS

Related chapters

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 4

    Oliver's lips trembled twice, but no words came out.Lina, who had been with him, stepped forward. Her gaze flicked between Ace, who was standing behind me, and me. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Zayla, he's the one who saved you? But I heard that after the first rescue team left Zone A, the zombies went into a frenzy. By the time the second team arrived, no one who had been left behind in Zone A had survived. How did you make it out?"I wasn't entirely sure what she was getting at. Shrugging, I said, "Does it matter? I'm alive. That's enough.""Of course it matters. The virus wasn't even in Zone A before, and then suddenly, right after you announced your engagement, the outbreak started? A little too convenient, don't you think?"She let the implication hang in the air before adding, "The apocalypse is beyond our control, but we can't rule out the possibility that there could be people who can still use the virus to do terrible things. For instance… killing a fiancé to inherit a

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 5

    My family has been around for over a century. A prestigious lineage, as they say. But growing up, my parents were always busy.They never celebrated my birthday. Never showed up for parent-teacher conferences.For a while, I thought if I made trouble, they'd have no choice but to notice me. So I flunked tests on purpose, skipped class, picked fights—anything that would force the teachers to call them in. It worked. For a few fleeting moments, I got to see them.But as I got older, I stopped expecting their love. I learned to celebrate my birthdays alone. I had the housekeeper attend the parent-teacher conferences.It made me independent, but also unbearably lonely.I did everything by myself. Over time, rumors spread around school—whispers that I was some kind of wild child, a girl without parental discipline. Because of that, a gang of delinquents cornered me after school one day, demanding all my valuables. If I didn't comply, they'd beat me up.That's when I met Oliver.He stepped i

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 6

    My parents were waiting for me in their safe house. Their table was piled high with food. They seemed to be doing just fine.Before I could say anything, they launched straight into their accusations."Zayla, you really need to reflect on your decisions," my father said. "Why would you give up your rescue spot for Lina? That place was crawling with the infected. You could've been killed at any moment, and yet you threw away your chance at survival.""This isn't the time to be selfless," my mother added. "You're not a child anymore. You need to start acting like an adult. As things stand, we can't trust your judgment."Not mature enough? Is that why they constantly went behind my back to talk to Oliver, ignoring my pain, pushing me to the brink? Did they think Oliver was mature? That had to be the biggest joke I'd ever heard.Not once did they ask me why I had chosen to give up my rescue spot."We don't have time for your nonsense," they continued. "Marry Oliver as soon as possibl

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 7

    I saw Ace waiting for me in the car outside the safe house. Just as I was about to head over, Oliver suddenly caught up with me from behind.I had no intention of wasting any more time on him. "Stop pestering me. I'm going to see my boyfriend.""You're calling him your boyfriend?" Oliver's eyes burned with anger. "What does he have that I don't?"I let out a cold laugh. "For one, he's better than someone who shirks responsibility and regrets his own choices."I wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible, but unlike in my past life—where he had treated me as if I were invisible—Oliver now seemed to have endless things to say."Zayla, it's not what you think—"He grabbed my arm, his grip so tight it hurt.Ace, seeing our confrontation from the car, got out immediately. Without hesitation, he twisted Oliver's arm behind his back. Oliver's face contorted in pain, and he was forced to let go of me."Get lost. Don't touch her."Ace shielded me, leading me into the car. This one wasn'

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 8

    When I snapped back to reality, the source of my past life's tragedy stood right in front of me.Lina's eyes brimmed with tears as she dropped to her knees, pleading, "Please, Zayla, you can't take his mission. His family will punish him."The mission was always meant for the most capable. Oliver and I had competed fairly. The decision-makers chose me, not him. That was all there was to it.Lina spoke as if I had deliberately gone against Oliver, but I wasn't about to let her twist the truth.I looked down at her coldly. "Then hire him a professional research team. If the base leader thinks they're better than me, fine. It won't be easy, but good luck."Lina and Oliver were truly alike—both selfish to the core.Not wasting another second on this nonsense, I turned and walked away.For the next few days, I buried myself in mission preparations, so much so that I didn't realize I hadn't left my safe house until someone came knocking.When I opened the door, I found Ace standing t

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 1

    When I opened my eyes again, I didn't immediately realize I had been reborn. I only noticed that the pain was gone."Quit spacing out!" A sharp voice snapped me back. A rescue worker leaned out from the vehicle, looking impatient. "We can fit one more! Get in or die out there!"Closest to the door was my fiancé, Oliver. His gaze flickered between me and his first love, Lina. After a long, agonizing moment, he finally reached out a hand toward me.Oh. His expression looked as if he were choosing which limb to amputate—left or right. Was the decision really that hard? Let me help you, then.I took a step back and smiled, rejecting the unspoken price behind his so-called kindness."Save Lina first. I think she's the better choice."I was never going to let history repeat itself. Never again would I be called a "life-stealing coward," a "shameless woman doomed to a lifetime of guilt," or a "plague unworthy of even hellhole."I much preferred "vengeful goddess."Relief washed over O

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 2

    As the rescue convoy disappeared into the distance, I scanned my surroundings, searching for anything that could help me survive.I couldn't be sure that once Oliver and Lina were safe, he would still remember I was left behind, trapped between life and death.In my past life, he had pressured the rescue team for Lina's sake. I had no reason to believe he would do the same for me this time.In a world teetering on the edge of collapse, I wasn't about to stake my life on his sense of morality.Perhaps when I tried hard to get back to him, he was already wearing a mask of sadness, telling everyone that I was dead.After all, Lina was his first love, his soulmate, the one he would never forget, no matter what.The distant howls of the undead grew louder, yet a strange calm settled over me.I had already been forged in fire.The relentless cruelty of my past life had stripped me of illusions and honed my survival instincts to the extreme.I knew how to protect myself. I knew how to find hi

Latest chapter

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 8

    When I snapped back to reality, the source of my past life's tragedy stood right in front of me.Lina's eyes brimmed with tears as she dropped to her knees, pleading, "Please, Zayla, you can't take his mission. His family will punish him."The mission was always meant for the most capable. Oliver and I had competed fairly. The decision-makers chose me, not him. That was all there was to it.Lina spoke as if I had deliberately gone against Oliver, but I wasn't about to let her twist the truth.I looked down at her coldly. "Then hire him a professional research team. If the base leader thinks they're better than me, fine. It won't be easy, but good luck."Lina and Oliver were truly alike—both selfish to the core.Not wasting another second on this nonsense, I turned and walked away.For the next few days, I buried myself in mission preparations, so much so that I didn't realize I hadn't left my safe house until someone came knocking.When I opened the door, I found Ace standing t

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 7

    I saw Ace waiting for me in the car outside the safe house. Just as I was about to head over, Oliver suddenly caught up with me from behind.I had no intention of wasting any more time on him. "Stop pestering me. I'm going to see my boyfriend.""You're calling him your boyfriend?" Oliver's eyes burned with anger. "What does he have that I don't?"I let out a cold laugh. "For one, he's better than someone who shirks responsibility and regrets his own choices."I wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible, but unlike in my past life—where he had treated me as if I were invisible—Oliver now seemed to have endless things to say."Zayla, it's not what you think—"He grabbed my arm, his grip so tight it hurt.Ace, seeing our confrontation from the car, got out immediately. Without hesitation, he twisted Oliver's arm behind his back. Oliver's face contorted in pain, and he was forced to let go of me."Get lost. Don't touch her."Ace shielded me, leading me into the car. This one wasn'

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 6

    My parents were waiting for me in their safe house. Their table was piled high with food. They seemed to be doing just fine.Before I could say anything, they launched straight into their accusations."Zayla, you really need to reflect on your decisions," my father said. "Why would you give up your rescue spot for Lina? That place was crawling with the infected. You could've been killed at any moment, and yet you threw away your chance at survival.""This isn't the time to be selfless," my mother added. "You're not a child anymore. You need to start acting like an adult. As things stand, we can't trust your judgment."Not mature enough? Is that why they constantly went behind my back to talk to Oliver, ignoring my pain, pushing me to the brink? Did they think Oliver was mature? That had to be the biggest joke I'd ever heard.Not once did they ask me why I had chosen to give up my rescue spot."We don't have time for your nonsense," they continued. "Marry Oliver as soon as possibl

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 5

    My family has been around for over a century. A prestigious lineage, as they say. But growing up, my parents were always busy.They never celebrated my birthday. Never showed up for parent-teacher conferences.For a while, I thought if I made trouble, they'd have no choice but to notice me. So I flunked tests on purpose, skipped class, picked fights—anything that would force the teachers to call them in. It worked. For a few fleeting moments, I got to see them.But as I got older, I stopped expecting their love. I learned to celebrate my birthdays alone. I had the housekeeper attend the parent-teacher conferences.It made me independent, but also unbearably lonely.I did everything by myself. Over time, rumors spread around school—whispers that I was some kind of wild child, a girl without parental discipline. Because of that, a gang of delinquents cornered me after school one day, demanding all my valuables. If I didn't comply, they'd beat me up.That's when I met Oliver.He stepped i

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 4

    Oliver's lips trembled twice, but no words came out.Lina, who had been with him, stepped forward. Her gaze flicked between Ace, who was standing behind me, and me. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Zayla, he's the one who saved you? But I heard that after the first rescue team left Zone A, the zombies went into a frenzy. By the time the second team arrived, no one who had been left behind in Zone A had survived. How did you make it out?"I wasn't entirely sure what she was getting at. Shrugging, I said, "Does it matter? I'm alive. That's enough.""Of course it matters. The virus wasn't even in Zone A before, and then suddenly, right after you announced your engagement, the outbreak started? A little too convenient, don't you think?"She let the implication hang in the air before adding, "The apocalypse is beyond our control, but we can't rule out the possibility that there could be people who can still use the virus to do terrible things. For instance… killing a fiancé to inherit a

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 3

    No one had ever used the word "surprise" to describe me. My husband in my past life, Oliver, would always look irritated the moment he saw me, as if he were a stick of dynamite and I was the match poised to ignite him.One night, Oliver had come home drunk, reeking of alcohol, muttering Lina's name under his breath.Worried that he'd feel awful in the morning, I used the rare honey I'd been saving to sober him up. But he shoved me away without a second thought.The glass of honey water shattered against the floor. I fell hard, shards of glass piercing my skin, carving countless wounds into my flesh.Blood pooled beneath me. I groaned in pain, but Oliver just crossed his arms and watched, cold and satisfied."Does it hurt?" he asked, voice devoid of sympathy. "But no matter how much pain you're in, it's not even a fraction of what Lina felt when she died."I stared up at him, stunned, my heart aching far worse than my torn skin.When our eyes met, he didn't flinch. Instead, he sn

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 2

    As the rescue convoy disappeared into the distance, I scanned my surroundings, searching for anything that could help me survive.I couldn't be sure that once Oliver and Lina were safe, he would still remember I was left behind, trapped between life and death.In my past life, he had pressured the rescue team for Lina's sake. I had no reason to believe he would do the same for me this time.In a world teetering on the edge of collapse, I wasn't about to stake my life on his sense of morality.Perhaps when I tried hard to get back to him, he was already wearing a mask of sadness, telling everyone that I was dead.After all, Lina was his first love, his soulmate, the one he would never forget, no matter what.The distant howls of the undead grew louder, yet a strange calm settled over me.I had already been forged in fire.The relentless cruelty of my past life had stripped me of illusions and honed my survival instincts to the extreme.I knew how to protect myself. I knew how to find hi

  • Reborn: Romance in the Apocalypse   Chapter 1

    When I opened my eyes again, I didn't immediately realize I had been reborn. I only noticed that the pain was gone."Quit spacing out!" A sharp voice snapped me back. A rescue worker leaned out from the vehicle, looking impatient. "We can fit one more! Get in or die out there!"Closest to the door was my fiancé, Oliver. His gaze flickered between me and his first love, Lina. After a long, agonizing moment, he finally reached out a hand toward me.Oh. His expression looked as if he were choosing which limb to amputate—left or right. Was the decision really that hard? Let me help you, then.I took a step back and smiled, rejecting the unspoken price behind his so-called kindness."Save Lina first. I think she's the better choice."I was never going to let history repeat itself. Never again would I be called a "life-stealing coward," a "shameless woman doomed to a lifetime of guilt," or a "plague unworthy of even hellhole."I much preferred "vengeful goddess."Relief washed over O

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status