Chapter 4

The comments exploded.

【There it is. This is what us VIPs paid to see.】

【Nail her. Anything less than eight or ten years behind bars, and it's an insult to everything our girl's been through.】

One of the patrol officers stepped up to Roberta.

"We've already pulled your enrollment records from that year. Multiple pieces of evidence show you impersonated Vivien Harding to get in. You'll need to come with us to the patrol department for questioning."

My mother wasn't having it. She dragged me over in front of the officers.

"You've got this all wrong. Back then she called the admissions office herself and gave up her spot. We couldn't just watch the opportunity go to waste."

"Vivi, tell the officers right now that none of this has anything to do with Bertie. Tell them you did it of your own free will!"

If she hadn't come up with some garbage excuse back then, why would I ever have given up college?

When I said nothing, she pinched me hard, furious.

The officer frowned.

"Ma'am, a college spot isn't something you buy. It's not hers to hand off to someone else just because she doesn't want it anymore."

"She's suspected of identity fraud in college admissions. She has to come with us to the patrol department for questioning."

The officers led Roberta out, and the whole apartment went cold and quiet in an instant.

My mother stared me down.

"You little menace, why did you have to come out? Now that everything's blown up like this, are you satisfied?"

Satisfied with what.

If I'd had any choice, I'd rather none of it had ever happened. All I wanted was to go to college and live in peace.

Not this. Not being treated like a lunatic by them.

She was about to keep going when my father yanked her away.

"Job's dad found Bertie a lawyer. We're heading over now to see if there's any way to turn this around."

"As for you."

His tone went flat.

"Sit here and think long and hard about what you did wrong."

The moment they left, I went straight back to my room to rest and build up my strength.

The scorching apocalypse was only twelve hours away. I had to stay at full strength to face what was coming.

In the middle of the night, someone knocked on my door.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. Five thirty. Half an hour left until the end of the world.

Every nerve in me went alert.

"What do you want?"

There was a long silence outside, and then a voice came, slow and quiet.

"Sis, it's me."

Roberta. How was she out already?

"I know what I did was wrong. Will you forgive me? The patrol officers said if you just write a letter of forgiveness, they won't press charges against me."

"Please, sis. I'm begging you."

I didn't say a word.

The whole apartment sank into dead silence, and my mother was the first to crack.

"Don't you dare press your advantage. Bertie apologized to your face. What more do you want? Get out here and write that letter, now."

I still said nothing, which sent my mother into a rage, kicking at my door again and again.

"Fine. Stay in there for the rest of your life if you've got the nerve."

She cursed and ranted in the living room for a long while before it finally went quiet.

In the dark, my phone lit up. I opened it. A message from Job.

【If you're only doing this to Bertie to get back at me, then all you have to do is write the letter, and I'll take you back.】

【Noon tomorrow. I want that letter of forgiveness at the patrol department. Don't be stupid about this.】

I blocked and deleted him on the spot. Better to spend the time checking the doors and windows than waste any more of it on him.

Once I'd finished checking everything, the comments picked up again.

【Quick, quick, look at the time!】

My head snapped up. The clock pointed dead at six. The apocalypse had begun.