Chilling Revenge 3 Chapter 4 We left early Saturday morning . No surprise - fifteen minutes after we were out , camera feed showed Brittany at our door like a bright moth , dragging her kid into David's arms . " Babe - two days of fun ! I missed you so much , " she cooed , all sticky sweetness . In public , Brittany always acted like she didn't need a man - too cool for that , " girls before guys " and all that . Behind my back she could vomit sweetness . She moved into my walk - in like she'd been adopted , rooting around for jewelry and loungewear I hadn't bothered to grab . She slipped into my silk pajama top , yanked the neckline low , turned to David and purred , " Do I look good ? " He pulled her in . She toyed with a gold bracelet I'd bought myself that he'd once complimented . " Where'd you even get this ? " she asked . " He bought it for her , " Brittany said , and I watched David pick her up like a prize . I saved everything the cameras picked up - every look , every touch . I was compiling evidence for an avalanche . Then Lily and I hit the city's biggest wholesale market . " Pick whatever you want today , " I told her , shoving the cart like a woman with nothing to lose . Her eyes lit up . She grabbed toys and snacks she'd only ever pointed at before . Seeing her laugh warmed something hollow in my chest . - After we checked out , I handed a long list to a logistics worker : canned goods , paper products , ready - meals , bottled water , toiletries , protein bars , batteries ten boxes minimum of everything . The house my parents left ine wasn't huge on the main floor , but it had a basement - the kind of underground space Dad had filled with tools and empty square footage because he'd once dreamed of being a racer , and needed a garage . That basement would be our lifeline . I also bought the thickest down coats , insulated pants , winter boots , several of those heated rugs . Then I called an old college buddy , Kyle - the survivalist . He's obsessed with prepping and sketched out makeshift bunkers for fun . I offered him $ 20,000 to come that night and install basic security and solar gear . I had cash to burn now ; selling the house wasn't an option anymore and I wasn't going down without a fight . He agreed immediately , excited in a way that made my skin prickle . That was good - if anyone was going to gear up my house right , it'd be him . He wasn't the type to covet my stash . By the afternoon I'd bought a pile of tablets and had the store load them with offline books and videos for Lily . I bought boxes of power banks and called a van to get everything home . When we pulled into the drive at five , the movers were there to unload . Kyle showed up not long after with four burly guys , all carrying gear . Chapter 5 He gave me that half - smile of " I told you so . " " You're into the end times now ? " he teased , but his voice was all adrenaline . I'd picked Kyle for a reason : his prep setup was a fortress , and he doesn't steal from friends . I pulled him aside and told him everything - every detail of that last life and the Freeze that was coming . He listened , then knuckled his jaw . " This is serious , " he said . " Your place as - is won't cut it . " I'd expected that . That's why I'd called him . " Don't worry , I'll rework this place . " He sounded like a man who loves a project . " Will it slow down the restocking ? " I asked . - " Nope . I'm ready . My rig can do solar , heating , insulation - you'll be ahead of the curve . " He grinned like an engineer who's obsessed with perfection . He wasn't kidding . By nightfall they'd reinforced the outer walls with shards of tempered glass on the fence , strung a low - voltage deterrent grid , swapped the doors for reinforced security models , and installed two solar generators with an array of batteries I didn't even know existed . He put insulation panels in the basement and hooked up extra vents . He brought radios , hand tools , inflatable rafts , fire axes , flashlights , compasses , a stack of antibiotics , basic OTC meds , hand - crank chargers , masks- everything I'd forgotten to buy in my panic before . He even taught me how to fly small drones he'd brought . " These might be our only lines to the outside , " he said , handing me a controller . When the last box was stacked and a neat inventory list taped to the shelf , the house felt like a room that could breathe through winter . I exhaled for the first time in a long while . " Live , " Kyle said , looking at me and Lily with a tone that had nothing but steel and warmth . Then he climbed into his armored RV and drove off . " Is he a superhero , Mommy ? " Lily asked , squeezing my hand . I smiled and kissed the top of her head . " Yeah . Something like that . " And then the first flakes began to fall tiny , white , brilliant in the sunlight . By the time we closed the door , the world outside was getting soft with snow . I checked my phone . No missed calls . Just one message from Brittany : a photo with the caption , " Sunny day !! " Her skirt edge was conspicuously in frame . I didn't reply . I shut the door and locked it hard . " Mommy , want hotpot tonight ? " Lily asked . " Yes ! " she squealed . We ate until our cheeks were flushed , the house warm . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!