The temperature plummeted to -148°F in the apocalypse. My best friend, Chloe, wanted to give all our remaining anthracite coal to her cheating ex-boyfriend. "Jake said he's cold. If I bring him this coal, he'll come back to me." I asked, trembling, "Do I have to give mine too?" Chloe nodded righteously. "Of course. What's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine." "But without coal, we'll freeze to death." "So be it! If I freeze to death for him, he'll regret it for the rest of his life!" "Do I have to die too?" "We're besties. We do everything together." In my past life, she gaslighted me, saying we couldn't survive this extreme weather even with coal, eventually dragging me to freeze to death with her as a sacrifice. I opened my eyes, reborn to the moment she wanted to give our resources to that scumbag. Suddenly, a childish but angry voice echoed in my stomach: [Mom! I don't want to die!] Coincidence. Mom doesn't want to either. In this life, one idiot sacrificing herself for love is enough! 1 The digital thermometer froze. Outside temperature: -40°F. The broadcast warned that a polar magnetic storm would hit after dark, dropping temperatures to -148°F. The very air would freeze into powder. All survivors must use government-issued insulation materials to build shelters and use every means to stay warm before sunset! Note: The new insulation material requires a stable, continuous high-heat source to work! In our rental apartment, Chloe was directing me to move supplies. "Move these bags of anthracite coal, and those two boxes of compressed biscuits. We're taking them to Jake." Chloe's cheeks were flushed from the cold and excitement. That coal was our only hope of surviving the night. "Chloe, this is our last stock." I huddled in the corner of the sofa, voice trembling with fear. "Maybe Jake... doesn't need this much..." "What do you know!" Chloe snapped her head back. "Jake just texted me saying he's cold! If I show him I don't care about my life for him, he'll leave that vixen and come back to me!" She rushed over, grabbing my collar and forcing me to look at her. "Ava, aren't we best friends? If you were me, you'd do anything for love too, right?" "If we lose the coal, we'll freeze to death..." I sobbed, tears welling up. "Then we'll die for him to see!" Chloe let go, eyes glazed with fanaticism. "He'll regret it forever and remember me always!" She turned, staring at me dead on. "I saved your life from that sweatshop boss. You owe me." "You have to come with me to win Jake back!" In my previous life, she chanted this endlessly, making me die with her. But I had already repaid her kindness a hundred times over in our daily lives, refusing her moral kidnapping. So she started manipulating me, eventually drugging me and dragging me to freeze. Before I died, I saw Jake hugging a rich girl, pointing at our corpses through the window, laughing about two idiots delivering free coal. The chill seemed to linger on my skin. Looking at Chloe's face, I opened my mouth instinctively. "Do I have to die too?" Before I finished, my abdomen cramped. Then, an angry little voice exploded in my mind: [Mom! Don't be stupid! I don't want to die!] [That bad woman wants to use you as a cushion! I'm not even born yet, you can't take me with you!] I froze. Baby? I'm... pregnant? Memories flashed back to two months ago. I left a breakup letter and disappeared because I felt unworthy of Ethan Sterling. That night of madness... actually... Subconsciously, my fingers touched the necklace around my neck. It was a gift Ethan forced on me, his tone domineering: "Wear it. Don't take it off." [Mom! Toughen up! Don't listen to this bad auntie! She's terminal stage love-brain!] The little voice in my head urged anxiously. Warmth flowed from my belly to my limbs. My life might be cheap. But my child's isn't. This is Ethan Sterling's child. I won't let it become a corpse for some scumbag like Chloe's ex! My cowering eyes suddenly turned cold. Want me to bury my child with you? Dream on! "Ava! Say something! Do you not want to go with me?" Seeing me daze, Chloe pushed me impatiently. I fell back onto the sofa, wrapping the blanket tight, protecting my belly. When I looked up, my expression was fanatical. "Give! Of course we give!" "Chloe, you're right. Jake is true love. How can true love care about life and death? What's a little coal?" Chloe paused, then smiled. "That's right! I knew you were loyal." I stood up, grabbing the old blankets used to seal the windows, stuffing them into Chloe's bag. "If we're going to move him, we need to be thorough. Take these blankets too. Since we're dying for love anyway, keeping them is a waste." "And these down jackets. Isn't Jake cold? Give them all to him! Show him your determination!" I stuffed every warm item in the house into the woven bag. Chloe was moved to tears. "Ava... I didn't expect you to understand Jake better than me! You're right, give it all!" "As long as Jake is warm, my heart is hot!" I sneered internally. I glanced at the clock. Less than three hours until the freeze hits. If I don't trick her into leaving, I can't keep my supplies either. Better to let her go and clear the survival space for me. 2 The card Ethan gave me had plenty of money. Before the apocalypse, my cravings led me to stock up on snacks in the basement storage. As long as I survive tonight... [Mom, good job! That's it! Trick that bad woman to death!] The baby kicked me. "Ew, why does this room smell moldy?" Chloe was packing, waving her hand in front of her nose. "No, Jake likes clean, fresh scents. If I go to him smelling like mold, he'll reject me." Chloe scratched her hair, eyes landing on the window and the stove. "Put out the fire." "And open the windows. Air it out. Also helps us adapt to the outside temperature in advance." "That way we won't look too pathetic when we deliver the coal." My heart jumped. Crazy. It's -40°F outside. "Chloe, that's not a good idea..." "The extreme cold is coming. If we open the windows now, the heat will be gone in seconds." "Ava! Being a bitch again?" Chloe glared, banging the fire tongs against the stove, making a harsh sound. "Didn't you just say you support me? What's wrong with airing out the room? You want me to go to Jake smelling bad?" "So he hates me more, and you can laugh at me, right?" "I knew you had bad intentions! Do you like Jake too? You're just jealous!" Facing her accusation, I took a deep breath. [Mom, ignore her! If this idiot wants to die, let her! Quick! Put on those heat patches! Under the sofa cushion!] The little guy reminded urgently. I suddenly remembered sticking a few heat patches in the cracks while cleaning days ago. "Fine, I listen to you." "You're doing this for love, how dare I stop you. I'll open the window." I turned my back to her, reaching into the sofa crack, finding the patches. Pretending to grab a coat, I quickly ripped them open and stuck them on my lower back, abdomen, and chest. "That's more like it." Chloe snorted, pouring a bucket of water onto the stove. Hiss— White smoke rose, light extinguished. Then, she tore the tape and pushed open the window. Whoosh— The cold wind rushed in instantly. Water in the cup froze. Frost formed on eyelashes. "Hiss... so cold..." Chloe shivered, face turning blue. But she stubbornly refused to close the window, closing her eyes to inhale deeply. "Is this the cold Jake feels? It hurts... but my heart feels great!" "As long as I feel his cold, our souls are together." She looked back, annoyed seeing me huddled in a quilt in the corner. "Ava, why are you hiding so far? Come here! Feel it with me!" 3 [Sick! This woman has ice cubes for brains!] Baby roasted. In my last life, I froze my legs trying to empathize with her. Not this time. "Chloe, I'm physically weak. I can't compare to your deep love for Jake." My voice was calm. "You feel it more. I'm not worthy of participating in such a great moment." "Hmph, at least you know your place." Chloe lifted her chin, continuing to stand in the wind. As the clock ticked closer to death, the sky darkened. The real freeze was coming to swallow everything. Chloe finally couldn't take it. After ten minutes at the window, shaking violently, lips purple. "O... okay... smell is gone..." She shivered and closed the window. The room was no different from an ice cellar. She turned, scanning the room, locking onto the old thermos in my arms. "What's that?" Chloe's eyes lit up, lunging over. "Ava! You're hiding hot water?" "Give it to me! Jake has a bad stomach. In this cold, he definitely wants a hot drink!" She reached to grab it. I turned sideways, hugging the thermos tight. "No!" "This is my water. If Jake wants to drink, let him boil it himself!" Chloe froze, staring at me in disbelief. "Ava, are you rebelling?" Chloe screeched, voice piercing. "You dare hide things from me? Dare refuse Jake?" "Do you know how much Jake is suffering? You'd watch him suffer for a sip of water?" "How can you be so selfish! So cold-blooded!" I sneered internally. "I'm selfish?" I looked up, eyes cold. "Chloe, you sold the house your parents left you to pay Jake's gambling debts. You stole your sister's tuition to buy Jake sneakers." "Now you want to give him our last coal." "You're generous. You're great." "But don't use my life to fulfill your greatness!" "I won't give a drop of this water!" [Mom is mighty! Scold her to death! She deserves it!] Baby cheered. Chloe was shocked, then furious. "Fine... Ava, you finally show your true colors!" "Since you won't give it, don't blame me!" She lunged, hands grabbing my shoulders. Nails digging deep into my flesh. "Give it! Hand it over!" She roared. I desperately protected my belly, curling up. "Get off!" In the struggle, I bit her wrist. "Ah—!" Chloe screamed and let go, retreating while holding her wrist. Seeing the deep bite mark, her eyes turned venomous. "You dare bite me? You ungrateful wolf dare bite me?" "Ava, I saved your life! Your life is mine!" "You should listen to me like a dog! If I say die, you die!" I panted heavily, wiping blood from my mouth. "You saved my life, but I've paid it back." 4 "These years, I worked like a horse for you, helped you support your man. Enough." "Now, no one touches me or... my child." "Good, good, good..." Chloe laughed in anger, face twisted. She glanced at the darkening sky outside, then at the packed supplies. "Since you're heartless, don't blame me for being unjust." "Ava, since you won't sacrifice for Jake, you don't deserve to stay in this house." "Every inch of air here exists for Jake!" "What are you doing?" I backed away warily. Chloe didn't speak, picking up the fire axe by the door. The basement entrance was under the rug by the door. "Ava, didn't you want to keep the coal?" Chloe approached, smiling. "Then I'll deliver it myself. But this bag is too heavy for me alone." "Since you won't help, take off your clothes and give them to me." "I'll use them to wrap the coal so it doesn't get damp." "In your dreams." I gritted my teeth. "Not up to you!" Chloe exploded, swinging the axe at the sofa. Bam! Wood chips flew. I dodged instinctively. Chloe rushed over, kicking me hard in the stomach! Pain surged. [Ah! Bad woman kicked me! Mom!] "Go to hell!" Chloe grabbed my hair, dragging me to the door. I struggled, but my resistance was weak. "Chloe! You're crazy! The temperature is dropping! I'll die!" "Best if you die!" Chloe grinned savagely, opening the door. Cold fog poured in instantly. "Since you won't dedicate yourself to Jake, go outside and reflect on what loyalty means!" She ripped off my down jacket, leaving me in just a sweater. The cold stabbed into my pores instantly. "No! Give me my clothes!" I reached out. "Give you? Do you deserve it?" Chloe kicked me out the door. Bang! The security door locked. Wind and snow howled. I lay in the hallway, temperature critically low. My whole body felt only one word: Cold. Blood seemed to stop flowing, heart struggling to beat. Consciousness began to fade, fingers stiff. Am I dying? [Mom... don't sleep...] Baby's voice was weak. [Dad... Dad is coming...] [I sense it... strong heat source... it's Dad...] Ethan Sterling? Vision blurred, eyelashes freezing, I struggled to look up at the window. Suddenly, two beams of light tore through the cold night and snow. Rumble— Engine roar shook the building. A modified armored vehicle covered in special alloy crushed the snow, roaring to a stop downstairs.
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