The torrential rain came.

My parents dropped their facade and forced me to go out and search for supplies.

Because I couldn't swim, I ended up drowning.

Meanwhile, they stayed at home, smugly enjoying the food they had stashed away.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself two weeks before the end of the world.

This time, it was my turn to enjoy food while watching them struggle to survive.

***

"Alicia, I'm talking to you. Why aren't you responding?"

My mother's voice through the phone snapped me back to reality.

I glanced at the steam coming from the kitchen and finally realized that I had been reborn.

I was reborn two weeks before the apocalypse of torrential rain, right when my mom suggested staying with me for a while.

I had always thought I was born into a happy family.

I had a harmonious family with loving parents, and they always treated me and my younger brother equally.

In my past life, when my parents suggested staying at my place with my brother for a while, I happily agreed.

Little did I know that before the apocalypse even arrived, they would reveal the true faces they had hidden for twenty-seven years.

"Alicia, are you listening?"

My mother's impatient voice came from the phone.

"I'm listening." My voice was hoarse as I leaned against the stove, turning off the faucet.

She didn't notice the change in my tone.

"I said your brother just graduated, and we've both been missing you. We were thinking of staying at your place for a couple of days to keep you company."

"Okay. How about you come over after two weeks? I'm on a business trip right now, and there's no one at home."

After a bit more small talk, I hung up.

I rushed to the balcony, greedily soaking in the sunlight.

It wasn't until I checked my phone and saw the exact date that the reality of my rebirth truly sank in.

In my past life, my mother had said the same thing.

Naively, I thought they missed me.

I had cleaned every nook and cranny of the house in preparation for their arrival.

Even when the apocalypse arrived as expected, I still believed that dying together with my family wouldn't be the worst thing.

But my parents didn't think that way.

They shamelessly enjoyed the food I had bought.

They were gaslighting me, claiming that as the elder sister, I should take on more responsibilities. All the while, they schemed to have me transfer ownership of the house to my brother.

But two months later, the torrential rain didn't stop. It only got worse.

The food supplies at home were nearly gone.

Dad dismantled the bedroom door and turned it into a makeshift raft.

I never would have guessed that the task of going out to search for supplies would fall on me.

After all, I was the only one in the house who couldn't swim.

Terrified, I refused to go out. But it was as if my mom didn't see the fear on my face and kept pushing me.

"Alicia, your dad and I are getting older. It'd be too risky for us to go out.

"And your brother is still young. What would he know about finding supplies?"

I kept shaking my head, backing away.

She continued, "You're the elder sister. You have to take responsibility for this family."

Tears streamed down my face as I screamed, "He's twenty-four! What could he not do?

"I'm the only one here who can't swim. Do you want me to risk my life?"

My brother chimed in defensively, "You're so paranoid! How could such a small thing make you think we're trying to kill you? You're the eldest; can't you show a little responsibility?"

Ignoring my breakdown, my mom glanced back at my brother, stopping his accusations.

Her expression was calm as she said, "How can you say that? Your father and I love you deeply.

"But I already explained it to you. If you don't go, we'll all starve to death.

"You wouldn't want to see that happen, would you?"

I bit my lip, unable to believe that the woman speaking with such righteousness was my mother.

I looked to my father, who had been standing silently to the side, hoping for help.

But the compassion and kindness he used to show were gone. He stood there, stern-faced, with no intention of defending me.

Even my brother, who I had doted on endlessly, was standing there impatiently, waiting for me to leave.

I crouched on the floor, covering my ears, and shaking my head frantically.

Dad, seemingly out of patience, took two steps forward, grabbed my wrist, and yanked me up.

"You brat, this isn't up to you anymore.

"You really thought you were something just because we humored you all this time?

"We only have one son in the Duarte family. He can't bear any risks. Now get out there and find some supplies."

Clinging stubbornly to the door frame, I refused to let go.

He lost his patience and slapped me across the face. "I'm only going to say this once more. Get out there and find supplies."

He had exerted all his strength.

Blood instantly trickled from the corner of my mouth, and a ringing filled my ears.

I collapsed on the floor, feeling utterly hopeless. It wasn't until that moment that I finally accepted the truth that the family I had always revered, the parents I had loved, and the brother I had cherished so much weren't my safe haven.

I wiped away my tears with my sleeve.

I pulled on my rain jacket, shouldered my waterproof backpack, and walked out the door without hesitation.

I carefully paddled out in the makeshift raft Dad had built, silently swearing I would never come back.

But luck was not on my side.

The raft was too crudely made.

After just twenty minutes, water started seeping in, causing it to lose balance.

I watched in panic as the raft slowly sank, eventually slipping below the surface of the water.

And just like that, I died, two and a half months after the apocalypse began.

My heart was full of regret.

When I opened my eyes, I was back at home.

This time, I swore to take back what was rightfully mine.

There were only two weeks left until the apocalypse of torrential rain, and time was running out. I had no time to wallow in self-pity.

In this building, units 3001 and 3101 were both vacant.

3001 was a bare-bones unit with nothing inside.

I quickly contacted the owner of 3101, which was fully furnished. It was not just because it had furniture, but because it was higher up, and that made me feel safer.

I bought apartment 502 in this building.

In my last life, just two and a half months into the torrential rain, the water level had already reached the third floor.

I didn't know how long the rain would last.

But living higher up seemed like the safest option.

I quickly negotiated the price and rented it for a year.

The building had four apartments on each floor, and both the layout and direction made it secure. There was no risk of anyone climbing over from a neighboring balcony.

The units in the middle, 02 and 03, were a bit more dangerous.

In my last life, I hadn't lived long enough to see through human nature, but I wasn't willing to take any chances.

After taking a taxi to collect the keys from the landlord, I started contacting a renovation company to make some modifications.

I had all the windows resealed and installed security bars. I also had three different models of security doors installed.

Even the walls inside were reinforced a little.

Next came the supply runs.

I needed bottled water, instant noodles, compressed biscuits, ready-to-eat food, various canned foods, and cooking oil.

I bought every non-perishable food item I could think of.

Then there were the medicines.

Cold medicine, fever reducers, antibiotics, anti-diarrheal meds... Every household remedy I could think of, I stocked up on.

For extra safety, I rented an abandoned warehouse near the house.

I paid extra to have all the items repackaged and delivered directly to the warehouse.

I paced back and forth inside, waiting to sign off on each batch of deliveries.

The cold breeze inside the warehouse cooled the heat off my body.

It was already 106°F outside.

No one would have guessed that in a week, the world would become a stage for torrential rain.

The apartment renovations were now finished.

After tidying up the place, I went to an outdoor equipment store and bought two inflatable rafts,

And I also bought a few knives, several sets of rain jackets, gloves, lighters, portable heaters, candles, flashlights, power banks, and a small generator.

Once all of that was done, I spent my days shopping at supermarkets, buying items like sanitary pads and toilet paper, and my nights hauling load after load of supplies up to the thirty-first floor.

Two weeks passed in no time.

Tomorrow was the day my parents and brother were supposed to visit.

As I pushed the final cart of fruit into the elevator from the basement, the lift stopped on the first floor.

And there, I saw my parents and brother.

In that instant, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

Weren't they supposed to come tomorrow?

"Alicia, what are you doing moving things around in the middle of the night?"

I calmly canceled the button for the thirty-first floor and pressed the fifth floor instead.

"I'm just preparing since you're coming over."

I stepped forward, linking my arm with Mom's, and smiled brightly, trying to sound casual, "There's nothing to eat at home. I didn't have time to tidy up, so I went out to buy some goodies to treat you."

When my parents heard that, the smiles on their faces grew even bigger.

If it weren't for what I had gone through in my last life, I would have believed they were truly happy to see me.

They didn't notice anything unusual.

They just grumbled about how I was wasting money again as they followed me inside.

Last time, when they came over...

I thought I was the host and they were the guests.

So I willingly gave them the master bedroom and let my brother have the second bedroom.

I made my bed out on the balcony.

And I was quite pleased with myself, thinking I was being a dutiful daughter.

I completely ignored the fact that if they cared about me, they would have considered whether it was appropriate for their daughter to sleep on a balcony.

The balcony wasn't well insulated, and the blanket I slept under always felt damp.

Even though it was June, every night felt bitterly cold to me.

Within just two months, I felt uncomfortable all over.

Once we were inside, I warmly invited them to sit wherever they liked.

After that, I stopped talking, quietly packing up the fruit I had intended to take up to the thirty-first floor.

My brother, Randy Duarte, dropped his stuff and began wandering around the house, critiquing my decoration as he went.

I pretended not to notice their subtle moves.

Once I was finished, I yawned and said, "Mom, Dad, I've been working overtime, and I'm exhausted. Just feel yourself at home."

Standing by the master bedroom door, I pointed to the side.

"The second bedroom is over there. You can decide how you want to sleep. There are blankets in the closet. I'm going to take a shower and head to bed."

Mom opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but I lowered my eyes and shut the door.

The next day, I deliberately stayed in bed until late morning.

Back at home, I had never realized that my mom was always gaslighting me.

She used to say that girls should learn to do more, to be more responsible, so that one day when they married, their in-laws would respect them.

Because I had grown up with that kind of teaching, I never thought there was anything wrong with it.

So, at home, I was always willing to take on all the chores, taking care of everyone while doting on my brother as well.

By the time I finished washing up and came out, they were already sitting at the table, eating breakfast.

As soon as she saw me, Mom enthusiastically waved me over.

"Alicia, come eat! I made your favorite food.

"And look, I brought this sausage from back home just for you."

I glanced at the table, which was filled with dishes that Randy liked, and said nothing.

I picked up my knife and fork and started devouring the food.

A flicker of surprise crossed my Mom's face.

I laughed coldly to myself. So, she knew all along that I didn't like this food.

She had always known.

But people could change.

In the last life, when food became scarce...

Mom secretly rationed my meals, while I worried they wouldn't have enough to eat.

Every time I barely ate, I would say I was full.

They never bothered to check if I was full. As long as her precious son was well-fed, everything was just fine.

This time, I wasn't going to burn myself out just to keep others warm.

After nearly two months of going hungry, everything tasted good.

And it had been a long time since I had eaten such delicious home-cooked food.

These past two weeks had been so hectic. Whenever I got hungry, I would just grab a piece of bread to get by.

I had only just finished all the work late last night.

Thinking about everything I had stashed away upstairs...

I felt more secure than I ever had before.