Chapter 1

I was an employee at a secretive research lab located overseas, and I accidentally discovered an impending apocalypse known as the pyro-calypse, so I resigned from my job immediately.

But before I left, I signed an NDA with the research lab that stated I must never leak any details about the apocalypse to other people to prevent mass panic on a global scale.

After getting off the plane, I went home with my luggage in town. I hoped to convince my mom, Dorothy Locke, and my younger brother, Nicholas Kennedy, to head to the mountains, where we could stock up on supplies and tough out the apocalypse there.

My mom, Nicholas, and my brother's wife, Millie Sanders, were quite shocked to see me returning home.

While living overseas, I often wired money to my mom's account so I could pay for my family's living expenses. She also managed all three housing properties I had bought in Chernia.

Mom, Nicholas, and Millie lived in a duplex apartment. The other two properties were rented out to others. All these years, those three had been living relaxing lives. Obviously, it was difficult for them to accept the fact that I had returned.

One glance at my room told me that it was completely filled with junk.

My mom's expression darkened when she saw me. "Why did you come home all of a sudden?"

Millie looked down and began scrolling through her phone. When she looked at me again, she decided to probe me for answers.

"Tamara, I saw the news saying something about your research lab going through a global mass firing phase. Did you get fired, by any chance?"

Upon hearing Millie's words, Nicholas stopped playing his phone game and turned to look at me as well.

News of widespread layoffs at the research lab I worked for had recently made its way online. Clearly, Millie and the others had seen the news.

Since I had already signed an NDA, I didn't want to explain the actual reason behind my return. So, I went along with the flow by claiming that I got fired and wouldn't leave Chernia anymore now that I was back.

My mom's expression completely faltered this time. Still, she pretended to be elated about my return by whipping up a few dishes to welcome me home.

I was pretty dense, so I couldn't tell that my mom was just putting on a façade for me. Moreover, I was exhausted due to jet lag. Believing I still had a week to stock up on my supplies, I figured I should just rest for the time being. After dinner, I retired to a guest room and slept the night away.

But when I woke up, I discovered I was all tied up. The one who tied me up was my neighbor of many years, Brandon Welkin.

Shocked, I was about to cry for help when he stuffed a rag into my mouth.

My mom glared at me coldly before she began threatening me. "You brat! I can't believe you're shameless enough to come running back here now that you've lost your job! You don't have a place in this family at all!

"I want you to go to the Department of Housing and Urban Development with me later to transfer all your property deeds to me! We'll only let you go once all three properties are listed under my name!"

A trace of hope flared up in my heart. I wasn't able to speak at that time, so I could only stare at Mom pleadingly. It was my way of telling her that I'd agree to all her conditions as long as I could escape from the family as soon as possible.

But those bastards ditched me at home and went on a vacation instead. They were away for five days before finally returning home. By then, I was already on the brink of death.

At that time, there was already news about the upcoming heat wave. The temperature was already hitting 104 degrees Fahrenheit. The scientists predicted that the temperature would soon soar to 113 degrees Fahrenheit, the maximum heat humans could endure.

My family received the vital supplies I had already ordered via the Internet, but they chose to leave me gagged and bound on the balcony on the first day of the pyro-calypse.