Chapter 3The Hated Ex-Boyfriend

To vent my bitter frustration, I waited until Kieran was sound asleep in the middle of the night. Then, I planted my foot firmly against his sculpted abs and kicked him right off the bed.

While he was still inhaling sharply on the floor, trying to process the pain, I moved like lightning. I grabbed the heavy quilt, threw it entirely over his head, and delivered several blind punches to his skull.

Finally, I bolted out of the bedroom like a frightened rabbit, locked the door from the outside, and casually made myself comfortable on the living room sofa.

Kieran violently twisted the doorknob a few times. He started pounding on the wood. His hoarse, deeply agitated voice seeped through the door. "Felix, what the hell are you throwing a tantrum over now?"

I completely ignored him.

A few minutes later, his voice dropped into a terrifying, bone-chilling octave. "Fine, Felix. If you have any guts at all, do not ever come back into this room."

I curled up tighter on the sofa and sniffled. Why should I listen to you? I will go wherever I please!

When daylight finally broke, the harsh sunlight pierced my eyes, making me scowl. After the apocalypse, the flora, fauna, and even the sun's rays had mutated to become incredibly harsh and burning.

If Kieran did not specifically hunt down high-grade sunscreen for me during his supply runs, my skin would have peeled off a long time ago.

I pulled the soft blanket up to my chin, happily dozing off again before my brain caught up with reality.

Wait, a blanket?

I snapped my eyes open, a smug grin spreading across my face.

Oh, Kieran. Even when we are in a bitter cold war, you still obediently sneak out to tuck me in.

Feeling like I had finally scored a victory, my mood skyrocketed. I decided I might actually give him a decent smile when he came back.

Kieran had specifically warned me to never leave our housing sector.

I did not have any friends in the base anyway, so I usually spent my entire day locked safely indoors.

But I never expected trouble to come knocking directly on my front door.

Looking at the fierce, vicious men blocking my entryway, my stomach dropped.

Usually, when Kieran was around, I would confidently hurl insults right back at them. But when he was gone, I absolutely never dared to provoke them.

These men chopped off zombie heads without blinking. My neck was significantly softer than a rotting corpse's.

The burly man in the front crossed his arms. "Felix, we are not trying to make things difficult for you. But lounging around being utterly useless every single day is getting a bit ridiculous, do you not think?"

I swallowed hard, desperately trying to maintain my usual arrogant, superior facade. "Did Kieran not make it clear to you? I belong to him. He contributes more than enough for the both of us. Do you really dare go against his orders?"

The men erupted into cruel, mocking laughter.

"You really still think you are some precious treasure? Commander Kieran already has a new lover. A smart person would take the hint, pack up quietly, and leave with some shred of dignity. You better start thinking about your own survival."

I felt like I had been struck by lightning. I stood completely frozen.

A new lover?

Kieran found someone else? Why did I not know about this?

A tidal wave of absolute terror consumed me. In that moment of panic, I did not even stop to question if their words were true.

The thugs kept talking. "Honestly, you are the most pathetic waste of space in this entire base. Even the street walkers know how to use their bodies to please a man and earn their keep. But you? You hide behind the Commander's protection, parading around like you own the place. A whore should at least have the self-awareness of a whore. Since you clearly do not know how to serve a man, you are coming outside the walls to scavenge with us."

My eyes widened in sheer horror. I had spent all this time perfectly sheltered under Kieran's wings, completely oblivious to the real, lethal dangers of the apocalypse. I was still acting like the spoiled rich kid I used to be.

I fought tooth and nail, refusing to go with them. But my scrawny arms were no match for grown, battle-hardened men. I was brutally dragged and tossed into the back of their armored truck.

The vehicle violently rumbled out of my familiar, safe haven.

Separated by a single concrete wall, one side was humanity, and the other was absolute hell.

I finally witnessed the true, unfiltered apocalypse. The putrid, rotting stench in the air was so thick I could barely breathe.

In that moment of nausea, I finally understood why Kieran always scrubbed himself raw in the shower before he even tried to touch me.

The last time I had faced a zombie up close was at the very beginning of the outbreak.

Back then, the infection rate was low, and society was still desperately holding onto a shred of order.

Kieran had grabbed my hand and fought his way out of our university campus, dragging me through unspeakable horrors until we reached this city and built the survivor base.

Sitting in the truck, I desperately missed his warmth. He loved me so deeply back then. Could he really betray me for someone else?

Or perhaps he truly did love me once, but my terrible behavior finally pushed him past his breaking point, and he simply decided I was not worth loving anymore?