I wrote the delivery address as the bunker. Even if someone knew there were supplies here, they wouldn't be able to get in, so I wasn't worried.

After buying all these things, there wasn't much money left.

But I still bought two stun batons, a lot of books paid in weight, and various movies and TV shows to pass the time.

Otherwise, long periods of confinement would drive anyone crazy.

Every day, I was either transporting supplies or organizing and cleaning the bunker.

From the moment I woke up in the morning, I'd be busy until midnight when I finally returned home.

Apart from Cynthia, no one really paid attention to me, especially Audrey. After she noticed that I often came home late at night, she stopped cooking for me altogether.

Every time I came home, only Cynthia would still be waiting for me. She'd bring me the leftovers she had saved for me, and as I looked at the sweat on her face, I silently counted down the days in my mind.

Soon, the day before the extreme heat was due to arrive came.

I waited until Gary and the others were asleep, then took Cynthia and left home. I thought I'd need to spend some time explaining things to Cynthia, but to my surprise, she didn't say anything. She just picked up her only doll and followed me.

It took a long time, but we finally reached the bunker. Once inside, I immediately locked the door behind us. Compared to the outside, it was much cooler inside, and it didn't feel hot even without air conditioning.

Cynthia looked around the clean and tidy bunker and then sat on the bed. "Bella, I thought it was strange when you said you didn't want to go to school. I figured you probably weren't going to work either and that you were hiding something from me. Can you tell me now?"

I nodded and told her everything about my rebirth.

Cynthia was calmer than I expected. Eating her ice cream, she tilted her head and asked, "Bella, why didn't you bring our parents with us?"

After thinking it over for a long time, I decided not to tell Cynthia that I had forced her out of the house. I only mentioned that we had both been thrown out and left to fend for ourselves.

Cynthia's eyes filled with tears, her face full of disbelief. "How could they do this to us? We're their children, too."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just told Cynthia to go wash up and get some sleep.

The next day, I checked my phone, and the weather forecast was the hottest topic. The temperature had skyrocketed to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement.

In the face of such extreme weather, even the authorities couldn't explain it. They could only advise everyone to stay indoors during the day and go out at night if necessary.

Audrey and Gary called me a few times, but when I didn't pick up, they eventually stopped trying.

They probably assumed that Cynthia and I had died out there.

In the days that followed, the temperature continued to rise. Except for the occasional person venturing out at night, the streets were completely deserted during the day. Just as I had guessed, the fallout shelter was warm in winter and cool in summer. We didn't even need ice at night. A fan was enough.

During this time, Cynthia had been eating well and sleeping soundly. She looked much better and more energetic.

Occasionally, people would come by to bother us, trying to get into the shelter to seek refuge. Even the agent who rented the shelter to me showed up, but I wasn't worried. I was confident that no one could get in.

As time went on, fewer and fewer people came by.

One day, Cynthia was eating the instant food I had prepared for her and happily said, "Bella, this place is great, safe and cool."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, as long as we lock the door from the inside, no one can open it from outside."

Cynthia looked a bit wistful. "I wonder how our parents are doing."

I thought, "They?

They're doing just fine."

Half a year passed, and somehow, Gary and Audrey showed up outside the shelter.

They looked haggard, clearly having had a rough time lately. They started by softly calling our names at the door. When there was no response, they tried to push the door open. Finally, I spoke through the camera, "Don't bother trying. The door weighs a few hundred pounds. You won't be able to move it."

That was when they noticed the camera above their heads.

Gary glared into the camera, his face full of anger instead of pleading. "You little brat, I knew you were hiding here. You're living comfortably while you don't even care about your parents and brother?"

Audrey, on the other hand, was more gentle. "Bella, Cynthia, please open the door and let us in. We're starving out here.

"Daniel is sick too. If you can't let us in, at least give us some food. I'll take it back to Daniel."

——

In the last life, Cynthia and I were the ones who went out to get food for them. This time, I guess they would have to fend for themselves.

I looked at the two of them on the monitor and turned to Cynthia. "Cynthia, did you tell them where we are?"

Cynthia shook her head quickly. "No, I haven't contacted them at all. I don't even have a phone."

She glanced worriedly toward our storage room. "Bella, should we let them in? But we don't have much food left. If they come in, we'll run out quickly."

I shook my head. Cynthia didn't understand. If we let Gary and Audrey in, we'd end up being kicked out and left to die. "Cynthia, you have to trust me. If they come in, we'll definitely be thrown out. That's what happened in our past life."

Cynthia couldn't bear to look at them at the door anymore. With tears in her eyes, she walked away from the monitor, hugging her doll as she went to her room.