I stocked up on large quantities of frozen food. I even went as far as to buy a diesel generator and several tons of heating coal.

This way, I could still cook.

I also bought massive rolls of insulation foam and hired contractors to retrofit the house and seal it up tightly.

I also had multiple heavy-duty security bars installed on every door and window.

If anyone ever discovered my stockpile, these precautions would save my life.

During the frozen apocalypse, the rule of law vanished completely.

There were even desperate stories of people trading their own children for food.

I had to be my own first and last line of defense.

I also stockpiled knives and other blades, just in case things got that desperate.

My preparations were finally complete.

I was fully ready to face the imminent frozen apocalypse.

Lately, I never returned home early because I was busy building an apocalypse bunker.

My mother looked at me with pure disdain the second I got home.

“Where do you keep running off to all day? You could at least stay home and help Athena with the baby.”

I looked at them with an apologetic expression. “Mom, I’ve been trying to look for a job.

“Now that you and Athena are living here, I can’t let James shoulder the burden for all of us.”

I knew this was the only excuse they would believe even if it provoked my mother’s fury.

Sure enough, the next moment, my mother flew into a rage. She slapped me hard across the face.

“Amelia! You are so ungrateful!

“I spent all these years raising you, but you keep score of everything just because James has to support me and Athena for a few days!

“Looking for a job? Who are you trying to fool with that act? You just want to kick us out, don’t you?”

Athena stood in a corner and chimed in with her own snide remarks.

“Amelia, how do you know if James actually minds spending money on us?

“You’re just jealous that he took Mom and me shopping and left you out.”

I knew Athena and James had already begun an affair at this time.

James was blinded by lust.

He would do almost anything for Athena.

I heard they spent tens of thousands of dollars on that one shopping trip.

James had never been that generous with me.

As soon as he returned from work, Athena complained to him about my plans to find a job.

James pulled me into a room to talk it out. He was clearly upset.

“You should just stay home. It’s my money they’re spending, not yours. If I’m not complaining, why should you?”

He looked at me indifferently.

It was a world away from the raw desire and affection he showed Athena.

This was the man I had loved for years.

“Alright. Whatever you say.”

I pretended to be compliant, but inwardly, I felt nothing but disgust.

The frozen apocalypse would begin in two days, and they would get exactly what they deserved.

Soon enough, the apocalypse began.

At first, the temperature dropped to 14 °F.

At first, no one paid it any mind.

They thought it was just an unusually cold winter that year.

But when the temperature fell to –4 °F, people finally began to realize something was wrong.

[This is an emergency alert. A catastrophic global temperature drop is triggering a massive blizzard. All residents must take shelter immediately and stockpile emergency supplies.

[There are now confirmed reports from around the world of multiple fatalities resulting from hypothermia and starvation due to extreme conditions.]