Maddening Storm

Ella watched the stream of servants with a baffled expression. Her brows furrowed deeper as she waited and waited, but the image before her eyes didn't change nor did it vanish. The scene of the streaming servants remained the same. The bright chandelier lights shone above her head, and the man who bought her sat beside her, and stoically received the guests' well-wishes.

'This is not possible...'

Last she recalled, a rank 4 zombie had ripped off her head. So how...?

How was she here? And why did the scene before her coincide with the day of her second marriage?

Ella lowered her head and secretly pinched herself.

'Ouch!'

The pain was sharp and real.

She then pulled out her old and cracked phone to check the date. May 26th, 2024. At the time the rank 4 zombie had ripped off her head, it was 2027, three years after the end of the world.

This was no illusion.

By some freak twist of fate, Elladine Muzhir had been sent back in time!

"What are you zoning out for? Lift your head and properly greet the guests with me!" Jabri Vaahid, her new husband and CEO of Vaahid Corporations, coldly commanded.

"Are you serious? Last I checked, I was your bought bride, wasn't I?" Ella sarcastically asked.

"Not was. You still are. Now show the guests the excellent hospitality of their hosts and give me my money's worth."

"Yes..."

Ella's lips twisted into an ugly sneer as she recalled how she fell into her current predicament.

"Ella, this is Chairman Vaahid. He is the owner of the Vaahid Corporations."

"Oh...? Hello, Chairman..."

Ella felt something off about the entire situation, but since this was the first time her husband took her out after their marriage, she suppressed her unease. "Kuram, why are you introducing me to him?" She turned to her husband and softly whispered.

Kuram Noel was her husband of two years. They grew up together in the same neighborhood and after her adopted parents unexpectedly passed away in a car accident, the elders of the Muzhir family accepted the Noel family's marriage proposal on her behalf.

At that time, Elladine placed her life's decision in her family elders' hands and had no idea that she wasn't entering a sacred bond of a lifetime, but instead signing herself into free servitude.

And as simple as she was, she had failed to see her ba****d husband's true face even when, in the name of pursuing his acting career, he brought her to the bustling Hollywood city on the night of their marriage and had her support him financially. In the following two years of their marriage, Ella tirelessly worked three-part jobs to pay their living expenses and his acting courses.

As they were husband and wife, no matter how exhausted and tired Ella felt, she pushed herself every day to earn money and do the household chores so he could attend his auditions, rehearsals, and acting classes with a peaceful mind.

She did all of that without complaint, so he would take care of her once he achieved success. However, even after two years of working herself to death, the man she called her husband didn't even give her a chocolate bar on the day of her birthday.

At the thought of how he didn't even wish her a happy birthday, Ella's heart felt stifled.

Completely oblivious to her despondent mood, Kuram expectantly looked at the expensively dressed man. "Chairman Vaahid, what do you think?"

"You said she was a virgin. Is that true?"

"Of course, Chairman! I can guarantee I didn't touch her since the day of our marriage. And before me, she never dated anyone else before."

"Did you complete the divorce papers?"

"I already received the approved papers. You can see it for yourself if you like."

"Kuram..." Their topic of conversation, why was it so...strange?

For the first time after their marriage, Ella sensed something wrong with the man she called 'husband'. But before she could make any heads or tails about her situation, Kuram stepped back and the stranger walked up in front of her.

"Kuram?" She stepped back and anxiously turned to him.

"Elladine Muzhir, your husband, Kuram Noel sold you to me to clear off his debt of a million dollars. From now on, you are my property."

"You...what the he** are you talking about? Kuram! What is he saying!?" Ella shrieked, her violet eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.

"Ella, be good. CEO Vaahid wants to borrow you for two years. It's only two years, so go with him. I promise I won't despise you after you come back."

The self-important way he held himself as said this, as if he was doing her a favor by accepting her back, made her feel sick to her stomach.

It was only after he sold her off to another man that she saw the true face of her ba****d husband.

"You can go to hell, Kuram Noel!" She spat in his face.

"Mr. Vaahid, Mrs. Vaahid, congratulations on your marriage." A middle-aged man with graying hair stepped in front of them and bowed with clasped hands.

Ella sighed and shook her head. There was no point in dwelling on past events. From here on out, only her future mattered.

"I wish you a blissful and prosperous married life."

"Thank you, Mr. Tim. Please, make yourself comfortable." Jabri Vaahid amiably smiled at the middle-aged man and gestured towards the crowded hall.

As the number one business tycoon in the middle-east, there were both businessmen and politicians at their wedding reception. Ella inwardly grimaced at the man's address and words as she gently nodded in acknowledgment.

Mr. Tim smiled and congratulated them once more before making his way to the crowded hall. Even if he failed to crack a deal with the CEO of the Vaahid Corporation, the great number of personages present in the large hall was enough for him to rake in millions. So his steps were light and his expression jovial as he entered the VIP hall.

"Mr. Vaahid, I am tired. May I be excused?" Ella rose to her feet before receiving permission.

Reliving this day wasn't something she expected to experience again. Combined with the bright lights and the boisterous crowd, she couldn't help but feel light-headed. As such, with or without his permission, she planned to leave.

Jabri Vaahid's expression turned cold and he swept his eyes over her fair features. "Do you need to leave so early? If you can't even accompany me for a few hours to welcome the guests, then what's the point in marrying you?" He scoffed.

"That I wouldn't know. After all, it's you who bought me." Ella smirked.

"Hmph! Truly a loss of my money. Go, get lost. I can handle the rest on my own." He dismissively waved her away as if he couldn't get rid of her fast enough.

Ella was more than happy to oblige him. She picked up her long train of white silk and directly headed to the elevator. Without turning her head, she knew the man was staring at her. His burning glare seared her back even after she stepped into the little cubicle.

Cling!

"Sigh..." Her tightly strung nerves finally relaxed when the steel doors closed shut behind her.

Ella leaned against the black wall and concentrated on the task at hand.

Today was the day of her second marriage...

This meant there were only 5 days left before the meteor hit the earth.

Since she only had 5 days before the end of the world, why would she waste the precious little time she had to prepare for the descent of the nightmare playing dress-up next to the psycho?

"I need to find a way to store food, weapons, and water...I also need to locate a safe house...and I need to escape from this gold mansion all within five days."

With her hands full and time short, Ella felt anxious to hit the grocery stores.

As the greatest necessity for survival in the apocalypse, food was the number one item on her list.