Chapter 1

I had a roommate who was way too friendly for her own good.

She was kind-hearted and loved to share everything―including my stuff.

Later, when the world went to hell and the monsters arrived, I was trapped outside our door.

That cold, locked door taught me that some people's kindness is just a mask for total hypocrisy.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back three days before the apocalypse.

My "kind" roommate was standing there, holding my first-aid kit.

She was getting ready to play the hero for a sick neighbor.

1

I sat on the sofa, feeling completely dazed.

Every time I closed my eyes, those gory images flashed back.

I saw the rotting monsters roaming the streets, looking for their next meal.

The smell of decay was so real I could almost taste it.

In my last life, I didn't survive the slaughter.

After hiding for ten days, a swarm of them finally caught me.

They tore me apart until there was nothing left.

The blood had stained everything red, just like the sunset outside the window right now.

"What's wrong with you? You've been acting like a zombie all afternoon," Sienna Sterling said.

She walked in holding my first-aid kit in one hand and a bag of peaches in the other.

Right then, my phone buzzed with a notification from the building's group chat.

Mrs. Higgins: 【Thanks so much, Sienna! You're such a sweetheart for bringing me medicine when I'm feeling under the weather!】

I stood up and snatched the first-aid kit from Sienna's hand.

It had my favorite cartoon stickers on it. My heart was racing.

"Sienna! Why are you touching my things without asking?" I snapped.

Sienna rolled her eyes and headed toward the kitchen.

"What's your problem? It's just a few pills. Besides, Mrs. Higgins is sick. Can't you show a little compassion?"

I heard the sink running as she continued.

"Stop being so dramatic. Look, I bought these peaches just for you. They're super sweet!"

It was the exact same conversation as before.

In my past life, I found out later those peaches were a thank-you gift from Mrs. Higgins.

Sienna hadn't bought them at all.

I forced myself to calm down and looked around the apartment.

It wasn't just the medicine.

My bags, jewelry, snacks, and drinks―Sienna had used all of them to buy herself a reputation as a saint.

The gifts she got in return were always presented to me as things she "specially" got for me.

All the neighbors loved her, and I was stupid enough to think she was actually selfless.

Then the monsters came, and we were trapped together.

We checked our supplies and realized we only had enough food for a month.

But Sienna was excited. She showed me a text from a guy living upstairs.

He claimed he had some self-defense tools waiting for us by the stairwell.

"What if someone tries to break in and rob us? We should go grab those tools together!" Sienna had urged.

I believed her. I spent hours planning our move, not noticing the weird smirk on her face.

As soon as I stepped out of the door, she shoved me into the hallway and locked it.

I begged and pleaded, but she never opened that door again.

There weren't many monsters in the building yet, so I tried knocking on other neighbors' doors.

No one opened up.

They all said the same thing through the wood.

"Sienna said you already got bitten. It's only a matter of time before you turn. We aren't letting a monster in!"

I found out Sienna had posted a photo of me in the group chat.

It was an old picture from last year when I got nipped by a stray dog.

No matter how much I showed them my arms were clean, no one believed me.

There were no tools in the stairwell, either. The whole thing was a setup.

A three-year friendship wasn't worth a bowl of rice in the apocalypse.

While I was lost in my thoughts, Sienna walked over with a washed peach.

She held it out with a bright smile. "Here."

The sight of her fake smile made me want to throw up.

I shook my head and started packing my things.

In my last life, I was going to surprise her on the day the world ended.

We had met three years ago. We had similar backgrounds and jobs, so we hit it off.

Even after I got a better job further away, I stayed in this apartment just to be near her.

I had used my savings and the money my parents left me to buy a new place near my office.

Today was the day the interior decorating was finally finished.

Standing at the door of my new home, I took a deep breath.

Last time, I stood here too, but I didn't have the keys. The bulletproof glass I'd installed for safety had become the very thing that kept me out.