Chapter 4Trapped in a Fake Apocalypse

With that, all the actors left the shelter through the back door, leaving me alone inside.

-

I used to curl up in a corner of the shelter, trembling from hunger and eating rats just to survive.

Naturally, I was still bony, but everyone else kept the act going to convince me that it was an apocalypse.

After the video was over, Hal's eyes were wide with feigned surprise and concern. "Neil was eating rats? Poor Neil… Those three years must have been hard on him."

Lisa, however, simply locked the tablet screen and said coolly, "It's what he deserved for always bullying you. If he was suffering, it's only right. At worst, I'll just tell him and throw him a homecoming party—he's always loved parties, and it's more than enough to make it up to him."

So she did remember that I loved parties.

When we were kids, she'd throw surprise parties if she got me upset.

It was such a shame that I couldn't attend this party.

With that, my body stayed tied to the pole, baking under the sun for an entire day.

Early next morning, the villa was decorated grandly.

Lisa whipped out her phone and called Jimmy on video, smiling as she said, "Set him free. Put him on the call."

At the shelter, Jimmy freed my rigid body, which collapsed limply on the ground.

It was already rotting and stinking, with flies crawling all over my purpled skin.

Jimmy pinched his nose in disdain, holding his camera at me. "How long has it been since you last cleaned yourself? You stink."

On the other end, Lisa was frowning.

Before she could speak, Hal pushed his way before the camera, laughing smugly. "Good news, Neil! There was never an apocalypse—those three years were just your punishment! It's over now, and you can come home! How about that? Aren't you happy?"

However, they could only hear buzzing flies, leaving Lisa glowering and snapping, "Enough is enough, Neil! You pushed Hal! We're already letting you off easy by teaching you manners at the shelter for three years!

"Now what—you're giving us the silent treatment?! Giving us hell?! Are you still not going to stop?!"

Jimmy, reading his cue, kicked my body. "Neil Crawford! Your sister is talking to you, do you hear?!"

Naturally, my body remained motionless and silent.

Lisa's expression darkened further, and she snapped, "Fine! You have thirty minutes—come home on your own! You're never coming back after that!"

I remained floating in the air, thinking to myself that she already had her wish as she furiously turned off the monitor.

I was never coming home ever again.

-

Thirty minutes passed in no time at all, and the homecoming party at the villa was lively, with all the actors at the shelter present.

Standing on the balcony, Lisa spoke into her microphone, "Thank you everyone for teaching my unruly brother a lesson over the last three years! I'll have him thank you all personally when he's here!"

Hal was laughing as he stood nearby. "Thanks everyone! It must've been hard dealing with my brother's silly temper!"

The claps, laughs, and cheers were endless and sycophantic.

"You're too kind, Ms. Crawford! Neil will definitely be very grateful!"

"Hal is so kind and understanding. He's so much better than Neil!"

"It's an honor to help you, Ms. Crawford!"

However, thirty minutes had passed, but I remained dead at the shelter.

Not seeing me naturally made Lisa furious, and she was squeezing her microphone as she hollered, "Fine! Since Neil isn't going to change, then I'll only have one brother from now on! Neil doesn't matter anymore!"

She had barely finished when patrol car sirens blared outside the villa, and soon, several cops rushed inside, their looks grim as they turned to a shocked Lisa standing on stage.

"Ms. Crawford, we just found a male corpse at your private shelter. We need you to come with us to identify it."