Chapter 3
Days bled into weeks as the onset of the apocalypse drew closer.
The oppressive heat in the air became increasingly noticeable. The afternoon sun already carried a searing prickle.
A few days later, the central AC unit died. Its cooling power had plummeted. The repairman said the compressor was shot; a full replacement would cost over three thousand.
“Replace it! We have to replace it! It’s scorching hot! We’ll die without AC!” Robert frantically fanned himself in the living room.
Brenda was sweating profusely. “He’s right, we need a new one. Asher, for this money…”
“Mom, I told you before, not a single penny of the fund can be touched,” I calmly repeated.
Seeing Brenda’s temper about to flare, I quickly added, “However, since everyone’s struggling, I do have a compromise.”
“What is it?” they immediately pressed.
“A colleague of mine has a rental property out in the suburbs, with a basement. His family is moving overseas, and he’s looking to unload it quickly.”
“The area is nice, and most importantly, it’s cool. We can stay there for a while until our shelter is completed, then move in.”
Their eyes lit up. Robert eagerly asked, “Really? How much does it cost? Asher, you’re close with them, can’t you get them to let us stay for free?”
I smiled faintly. “It’s free, don’t worry. We’re family, after all.”
Robert immediately broke into a delighted grin. Then Brenda looked at me awkwardly. “Asher, this shelter project is huge. Someone needs to supervise it every day, right?”
“Your father and I are getting old. And Leo doesn’t know anything…”
I sneered inwardly, but feigned confusion. “Mom, what are you suggesting?”
Brenda slapped her thigh. “The rental house, the three of us will go stay there.”
“You stay here at home. It’ll be convenient for you to keep an eye on the construction site and oversee the progress.”
Robert cleared his throat, puffing out his chest, asserting his position as the man of the house. “Your mother makes a good point.”
“Alright…” I plastered a look of reluctance and mild grievance on my face.
The next day, Brenda called.
“Asher Smith! Where the hell are you?!”
The moment I answered, Brenda’s hysterical shriek exploded through the line, mixed with Leo and Robert’s high-pitched wails in the background.
“What kind of dump did you rent us?! It’s right next to an abandoned pig farm!”
“And there’s no AC!!”
“Is the shelter finished? Take us there! We’re burning up!!”
She screamed, her voice filled with frantic rage and impatience.
“Oh, the shelter?” I drew out my words, a hint of malice in my voice. “I’m already inside.”
A deathly silence on the other end lasted for about three seconds.
Then, an even more violent roar, this time from Robert.
“Asher Smith, you goddamn ingrate! You ran off into the shelter to enjoy yourself alone?!”
“You left us out here to die? Do you even have a conscience?! We’re your own flesh and blood!”
“Yeah, Bro!” Leo’s cries interjected. “How could you be so selfish! That shelter was built with our money too!”
“What gives you the right to hog it all to yourself?! Come out and get us! Now!”
I chuckled softly. “What’s the rush? The safe key and the shelter address are all right here.”
“The password, you all know it, don’t you?”
On the other end, I heard a frantic scrambling sound, followed by uncontrollable, ecstatic shouts.
“Found it! We found it!”
I settled back comfortably on the sofa, switching to the security camera feed of the vault.
I watched as the three of them gathered around the safe, inputting the password and opening it.
A wave of ecstatic relief washed over their faces.
Then, their smiles froze.
The safe was empty. Utterly empty.
“The gold?! Where’s our gold?!”
I hung up the phone and opened our family group chat.
It was already blowing up, hundreds of unread messages flickering wildly.