The Foresight That Saved My Life

1
On the third day of the new semester, my desk mate Sally suddenly offered to buy the rundown corner store my grandmother left me. And she was offering a ridiculously high price.
She slid a transfer contract across the desk, right in front of my face.
"Lorene, I know things have been incredibly tough for you. Don't worry. Just sign this contract, and I will wire the money to your account immediately."
I looked at this girl I had only known for three days with genuine gratitude.
I was desperately strapped for cash. My grandmother's medical bills had completely drained our savings, and I even had to borrow money just to cover her funeral expenses. Tomorrow was the absolute final deadline to pay my college tuition.
I picked up the pen, fully intending to sign.
But right at that moment, rows of glowing, ethereal text began floating across my field of vision.
[Hell yes! Our precious Sally is about to secure her Doomsday Cheat Code! The extreme heat apocalypse drops in exactly three days, and her journey as the savior of humanity begins!]
[It is what it is. Sally is the reincarnated leading lady. Only she knows that the crappy little corner store is actually a host for the Doomsday Supply System. She is going to save the world.]
[Too bad Lorene is just cannon fodder. She takes the money, gets robbed that very same night, and drops dead on the third day of the apocalypse.]
My hand jerked violently. The pen clattered onto the desk.
Three days? A heat apocalypse? A system?
I stared into Sally's warm, compassionate smile and slowly pushed the contract back toward her.
"I am sorry. The store is not for sale."
…
Sally reached out and grabbed my hand, her eyes swimming with manufactured sincerity.
"Lorene, are you worried about something?"
"If you think the price is too low, we can absolutely negotiate."
"How about eighty thousand?"
"If eighty is not enough, I can do a hundred thousand."
"I really just want to help you out."
Preston, the class president sitting right behind us, leaned forward to chime in.
"Lorene, that is an astronomical amount of money for a shack."
I pulled my hand out of her grip and looked at her, my voice dead calm.
"It is a crumbling brick building on the absolute edge of town. Why would you sink a hundred grand into that?"
The moment I asked the question, the floating text panicked even harder than Sally did.
[Holy crap, what is wrong with the cannon fodder? Is she suspecting Sally?!]
[This deviates from the plot entirely! Lorene is supposed to hand over the cheat code without a second thought.]
[Wait, did Lorene reincarnate too?!]
Sally's eyes darted around nervously.
"I just always had a childhood dream of running a little corner store."
"Well, that is a real shame."
"My grandmother left that place to me. I plan to keep it for the sentimental value."
Sally clenched her fists, forcing a strained, bitter smile. "It is fine. Just think it over."
By the time the morning period ended, I could hear the whispers echoing behind my back.
"I heard Lorene's grandma left her some trashy bodega. Sally offered her a hundred grand for it, and she actually said no. She is so full of herself."
"Right? Who refuses a hundred grand for a dilapidated shack? She doesn't know a good thing when it hits her in the face."
Sally, however, walked right up to the gossiping students, looking incredibly righteous.
"Guys, please don't speak about Lorene that way. She just lost her grandmother. She is grieving."
"Sally, you seriously have a heart of gold."
The students crowded around her, showering her with praise.
I completely tuned them out, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and walking straight out of the school.
I had to change my fate. I refused to be a nameless casualty three days from now.
My grandmother's store sat in a forgotten, rusting neighborhood on the outskirts of the city.
The rolling metal security gate was eaten alive by rust. The windows were secured with thick iron bars, leaving only a small service hatch for passing goods through.
I pulled out my keys and unlocked the heavy door.
The shelves were practically bare, holding only a scattered assortment of stale snacks and warm sodas. The floor was cracked, unpolished concrete.
My grandmother guarded this little square of the world for her entire life. And I had lived in the back room for eighteen years.
I grabbed a feather duster and started sweeping away the grime. I wiped down the wooden counter, pausing when my hand brushed against the ancient, mechanical cash register she had used for decades.
The moment my skin made contact, a mechanical voice echoed inside my skull.
[Ding. Doomsday Supply System in standby mode.]
[Activation Quest: Achieve $10,000 in sales revenue within 72 hours. Current progress: $0.]
[Failure Penalty: System self-destruction.]
[Countdown: 71:59:58.]
[Friendly Reminder: Upon successful activation, the host will unlock the Climate Control Module, Defense Barrier, and the System Marketplace.]
[Wait, how did Lorene trigger the system quest?!]
[Triggering it is completely useless. Ten grand in three days? Nobody can pull those numbers out of a dying corner store.]
[Exactly. In her past life, Sally literally abandoned all profit margins just to barely scrape by and complete the quest. A background character like Lorene knows absolutely nothing about aggressive marketing!]
Reading the floating text, a smirk crept onto my face.
I would gladly steal a page from my predecessor's playbook.
I slashed the prices into the dirt, entirely abandoning the profit margin. Spend twenty bucks, get a free carton of eggs.
The elderly folks in the neighborhood were seasoned bargain hunters. The news of a massive liquidation sale spread like a wildfire.
"The Lorene girl lost her mind! Everything is being sold at wholesale cost!"
"Hurry up and grab a basket! She's giving away free eggs!"
"Are these gallons of water really a dollar? Load ten of them into my trunk!"
"I am taking all the toilet paper!"
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, my inventory was completely decimated.
In just half a day, my revenue hit $2,365.
[You have got to be kidding me. Lorene's clearance sale was way too successful.]
[At this rate, she might actually clear the quest.]
[Relax. This is the leading lady's golden ticket. There is no way a doomed side character can hold onto it.]
As soon as the sky turned a pale gray the next morning, I drove straight to the wholesale distribution center to restock.
Eggs, bottled water, toilet paper, laundry detergent. As long as the price was rock bottom, the locals were more than happy to stockpile.
I was running around the store like a maniac. I was ringing up customers, making change, hauling heavy boxes, and restocking shelves, wishing I could magically sprout six extra arms.
"Hey! Let me help you with that!"
I turned around to see Lily, the teenage girl from the house next door. She was fifteen and incredibly sweet.
Lily rolled up her sleeves and immediately jumped behind the counter to assist me.
[Whoa! Isn't that the little sister of Jaxon, the ultimate villain???]
[He definitely sent her to spy! They want to steal the store!]
[Absolutely. In the novel, Jaxon is a cold-blooded killer. There is no way his sister is just being nice.]
I glanced at the text and rolled my eyes. What kind of ultimate, cold-blooded villain works himself to the bone at a grease-stained garage just to pay for his little sister's high school tuition?
Just then, a gleaming white BMW pulled up to the curb.
Sally stepped out, her designer leather shoes clicking against the cracked pavement.
"Lorene. Business looks booming."
She scanned the empty shelves, her smile completely hollow.
"It looks like you are overwhelmed. If you really don't want to sell, I can come on board as an investor."
"No thanks. I am good." I cut her off without a second of hesitation.
Sally finally dropped the sweet, innocent act.
"Lorene, you are a stubborn piece of work!"
She stepped back onto the sidewalk and pulled out her phone.
A few minutes later, a beat-up cargo van screeched to a halt in front of the store. Four or five heavily tattooed thugs jumped out, swinging aluminum baseball bats.
They formed a blockade right in front of the entrance.
"What are you looking at? The store is closed! Anyone who tries to buy something is getting their legs broken!"
The customers waiting in line screamed and scattered in every direction.
Lily trembled uncontrollably, gripping the fabric of my shirt. "Lorene, what do we do?"
"Call the cops. I will go talk to them."
Society had not collapsed yet. We still lived in a world with laws.
[This side character is openly defying the reincarnated heroine. She is brain-dead!]
[Am I the only one who thinks Sally bringing goons to force a buyout is kinda gross?]
[Wait, why do these thugs look so familiar?]
I marched out the front door, meeting Sally's arrogant glare head-on.
"Sally, we live in a civilized society."
"Blocking my business in broad daylight? Do you really think you are above the law?"
Sally laughed like she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Civilized society?"
"Lorene, it will not be a civilized society for much longer. You suddenly refuse to sell, and now you are liquidating your inventory like a maniac."
"Did you figure something out?"
I stared at her with a blank expression. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
Sally waved her hand at the thugs.
"Since she wants to do this the hard way, smash the place."
I clenched my fists and stood squarely in the doorway.
"This is my property! You have absolutely no right to do this!"
Before the thugs could take a single swing, police sirens wailed down the block. Two patrol cars slammed their brakes at the intersection.
"Drop the weapons! Hands behind your heads! Get on the ground!"
Sally's face drained of all color.
The thugs looked at each other in sheer panic, completely caught off guard by the rapid police response.
I pointed straight at Sally.
"Officers, she brought an armed gang to terrorize my customers and threatened to destroy my business."
Sally instantly shifted into a terrified, weeping victim. "Officers, I didn't do anything, I swear."
"Save it for the precinct."
The cops took one look at the baseball bats and the terrified neighbors peeking out of their windows, and immediately shoved the thugs into the back of the cruisers.
I watched coldly as Sally was forced into the back of a police car. She glared at me through the window, her eyes practically bleeding with pure hatred.
[Holy shit! The protagonist called the cops?! That is so dirty!]
[Are you kidding me? That is a normal human reaction. If a gang blocks your door, calling the cops is the only logical move.]
[Oh my god, I just remembered! In the original timeline, Lorene agreed to sell the store, and these were the exact same thugs who robbed her of the cash that night!]
My hands curled into tight fists.
Sally never intended to buy my store. She planned to forcefully take it and steal her own money back on the very same night.
Because I had to go to the station to give a statement, I asked Lily to watch the store for me.
By the time I walked out of the precinct, the sky was pitch black.
I sprinted back to the neighborhood.
From a block away, I could see the warm fluorescent lights glowing from the store. A line of customers was still waiting at the service window.
A tall, lean figure stood behind the counter, reaching down to hand a customer a case of water. Lily was standing right beside him, managing the cash register with a bright smile.
I stopped on the sidewalk, completely stunned.
"Lorene!" Lily spotted me and came running. "Is everything sorted out?!"
I nodded. Sally and her hired muscle were going to be sitting in a holding cell for at least a few days.
Jaxon looked up from the counter, his voice gruff and quiet. "You're back."
"Yeah, I'm back."
"Thank you guys for holding down the fort."
I walked behind the counter, grabbed a massive plastic bag, and stuffed it full of bottled water, bread, and non-perishable snacks. I shoved it directly into Jaxon's chest.
Jaxon recoiled like he had been struck by lightning, aggressively refusing to take the bag.
I grabbed him by the collar of his worn-out shirt and forcefully looped the bag's handles over his neck.
"It's for Lily! Stop arguing with me!"
Jaxon froze. He didn't push it back this time. He just gave a stiff nod, grabbed Lily's hand, and practically fled the store in embarrassed silence.
The floating chat went absolutely nuclear.
[What the hell am I watching?! The ultimate villain was covering a retail shift for the protagonist?!]
[Did you see him?! He was blushing! His ears were bright red! Tell me I'm not crazy!]
[What is going on with the villain? I thought he was a ruthless killer! He acts like a shy golden retriever!]
I read the text and couldn't help but smile. These comments were getting more ridiculous by the minute.
I kept the store open until past ten o'clock.
After washing up and lying in bed, I ran the numbers in my head.
Five thousand, three hundred dollars.
I only had a day and a half left. I was short by four thousand, seven hundred.
If my luck held out, I could hit the goal tomorrow.
The next morning, I woke up suffocating.
I checked my phone. It was exactly 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
And it was only six in the morning.
The oppressive heat did have one massive advantage. Bags of ice and cold drinks were flying off the shelves faster than I could stock them.
Right in the middle of the morning rush, a sleek government vehicle parked outside.
Two men in crisp uniforms stepped out.
"Hello. We received a tip that you are operating a commercial business without a valid license."
My stomach dropped. I quickly dug out my grandmother's heavily stamped business permits and handed them over.
The inspectors scrutinized the papers, confirmed everything was legal, and left.
I let out a heavy breath and went right back to selling.
By mid-afternoon, the temperature had violently spiked to 104 degrees.
This time, a car from the Department of Health and Safety pulled up.
"We received a severe complaint that you are selling dangerously expired food products. We need to conduct a comprehensive sweep of your inventory."
I stepped aside, letting them tear through the store.
I had sold off all the ancient inventory days ago. Everything on the shelves was fresh off the wholesale trucks.
[Business permits, health inspectors. Sally is trying to bury Lorene alive!]
[Isn't the leading lady being a bit too evil?]
[Shut up! The era of the morally perfect heroine is over! The cheat code rightfully belongs to Sally. Lorene has no right to hijack it.]
I knew Sally was pulling strings from her holding cell, but I didn't have the luxury of fighting back right now. My only priority was pushing the revenue over the finish line.
I closed the shutters that night and counted the cash.
Because of the two forced closures for the inspections, my revenue stalled at $8,516.
I was $1,484 short. And I only had twelve hours left.
Before the sun even rose the next morning, I took every last dollar to my name and made one final wholesale run.
By the time I got back, the sun was radiating a toxic, lethal heat.
I didn't even pause to drink water. I threw the shutters open and started selling.
[Countdown: 04:32:18]
Mornings were never a peak time for sales, and the abnormal, terrifying heat kept the streets entirely deserted.
I had no choice. I stood on the blistering sidewalk, waving down the few cars that drove past. Sweat poured down my chin in thick drops, plastering my shirt to my back.
Three agonizing hours dragged by. The revenue crawled to $9,500.
I needed five hundred dollars.
Just then, a small, fragile silhouette stumbled down the pavement.
"Lorene... I..."
Lily's face was flushed a dangerous, bright red. Her lips were bone white, and her eyes were rolling back into her head as she swayed dangerously.
I rushed forward and caught her just as her knees gave out. "Lily?!"
"I feel so dizzy..."
Her skin was burning like a furnace. She was suffering from severe heatstroke.
[Why did she have to show up now! Lorene only needs five hundred dollars!]
[Ignore her! There is only an hour left! If she doesn't hustle, the system self-destructs!]
[Are you guys psychotic? It's a human life. If Lorene leaves her on the concrete, the kid will literally die.]
I hauled Lily into the back room of the store. I dunked a towel into a bucket of ice water and pressed it to her forehead. I dug through my emergency kit, forcing her to swallow an electrolyte solution.
Lily finally stopped trembling and regained a sliver of consciousness.
I asked for Jaxon's number and called him, telling him to get here immediately.
By the time I stood up and checked the system clock, there were only forty minutes left.
That was when the overwhelming stench of gasoline flooded my nostrils.
Sally was standing on the sidewalk, holding a massive red plastic jug. A twisted, psychotic grin stretched across her face as she splashed fuel against the brick walls of the store.
[Oh my god! If Sally can't have the store, she is going to burn it to the ground!]
[Lorene is finished! Even if she doesn't burn to death, she fails the quest!]
[Jaxon is rushing back right now. Is he going to ruin Sally's master plan?]
I rushed to the front door, only to find a heavy steel padlock clamped over the outside handles. I was caged in.
Sally walked up to the iron bars of the service window, holding a silver lighter.
"You are running out of time, Lorene."
"Transfer the deed to my name right now, or I will turn you and this shack into ashes."
My brain was running at a million miles an hour. My palms were slick with cold sweat.
I opened my mouth, intending to verbally agree just to stall for time, but a blaring red warning flashed across my vision.
[Warning! The Host is strictly forbidden from transferring ownership of the system host structure in any capacity. Violation will result in immediate revenue reset.]
I snapped my mouth shut. I couldn't even lie to her.
"I am not selling."
"This store belongs to me. You have tried to destroy me over and over again. Do you really think I am just going to roll over?"
I spun around, grabbing the heavy compound hunting bow I had hidden beneath the counter yesterday. I aimed the steel-tipped arrow right through the service hatch, pointing it directly at her chest.
"If you spark that lighter, I will put an arrow through your heart."
Sally took a hesitant step back.
"Lorene, do you have any idea what you are doing?"
"If you don't give me this store, the extreme heat apocalypse will arrive, and millions of people will die because of your greed!"
I stared down the shaft of the arrow, my eyes locked on hers.
"Whatever you think you can do, I can do just as well."
[She is right! If Sally hadn't sabotaged her all week, Lorene would have crushed the goal days ago!]
[What the hell are you talking about?! This system belongs to Sally! She is the chosen one!]
[Exactly. The plot is totally broken! Lorene is a virus in the timeline!]
"Fine! You brought this on yourself, Lorene!"
Sally's face contorted into a mask of pure malice. She flicked the lighter and tossed it straight into the puddle of gasoline at the base of the wall.
The fuel ignited with a deafening whoosh.
A wall of orange flames rapidly scaled the brick exterior. The temperature inside the cramped store instantly spiked to suffocating levels.
"Lorene! It's on fire! What do we do!" Lily grabbed my hand, sobbing in sheer terror.
I pulled out my phone, dialing the fire department.
Just then, the roaring engine of a motorcycle tore down the street.
Jaxon threw his bike to the asphalt, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the flames.
I glanced at the system clock. Ten minutes left. A crazy, desperate idea flashed through my mind.
I grabbed the laminated QR code for my digital storefront, reared back, and hurled it through the iron bars of the service window.
"Jaxon! Scan the code and buy five hundred dollars worth of inventory! Do it right now!"
He froze, staring at me through the flames. "What?"
"There is no time to explain! Just send me five hundred dollars! Hurry!"
The reflection of the fire danced in Jaxon's dark eyes. He didn't ask another question. He pulled out his phone.
Sally shrieked like a banshee and threw herself at Jaxon. "Don't you dare scan that!"
"Back off!"
I released the bowstring. The arrow tore through the air, slicing deeply into Sally's shoulder before she could reach him. She collapsed to the pavement with a scream.
Jaxon's phone screen lit up bright green.
Payment Received: $500.00.
A cascade of beautiful, crystalline chimes rang through my head.
[Ding! Revenue Goal Achieved!]
[Doomsday Supply System officially activated.]
[Booting core mechanics...]
[Defense Matrix initialized.]
[Climate Control initialized.]
[System Marketplace initialized.]