Apocalypse Fighter

Chapter 18 Affairs In Disorder

The mere thought of approaching doomsday made Richard sick to his stomach. Nobody could imagine the death, destruction, and pure anarchy that lay ahead. He felt cold and disgusted with himself. 

As he recalled, Richard had not been able to get the activation potion in time. As a result, he was affected by mysterious radiation. Richard’s right arm, afflicted by the strange and toxic waves of radiation in the air, transformed into a slimy, slippery octopus tentacle-like appendage that hung limply from the socket. When other people noticed, he was driven away from the survivors’ main base and was forced to rove around the country looking for shelter. In the end, he had become bait. He was asked to lure the mutant creatures out of darkness so that the rest could kill them. In other words, he was turned into a sacrificial goat.

Day after day, Richard realized that he was no more than bait. He was akin to the miserable worm used to fish for creatures higher up in the food chain. Once he could no longer help the other survivors, they would discard him like rubbish.

And now, Richard had gotten a second chance– an opportunity to change his fate. Until he got the activation potion, the mutant creatures were still dangerous to him. And that was why Richard needed more bait to help him. Richard knew that it was an immoral thing to do. But he would do anything to save his family from danger. 

Even if he changed his mind, there would be plenty of bait. Only a few people would manage to acquire the activation portion in time. As for the rest of them, to survive in the hardships, they must be useful. If you were chosen to be bait, you still had a chance to survive. The others would simply starve to death– quickly forgotten, lost to the fantastic barbarism of doomsday writ large.  

“Richard… Richard! Did you hear what I said? Are you going to the party with me or not? They all want to meet you.” Mary looked at Richard, and waved her hands in front of Richard’s eyes. He looked like he was in a daze. 

Mary found that Richard had been quite absent-minded lately. What was going on with him? Was he fantasizing about other women?

Pondering the possibility that Richard was engaging in ribald extra-marital affairs, Mary felt anxious to her core. She had, after all, had a rough time having s*x with Richard in the first place. Thanks to her conservative upbringing in a Catholic household, she always perceived s*x as some kind of moral sin borne by women. Even though she had spent time in therapy trying to overcome her deep-seated anxiety around s*x, the act itself still felt wrong, and aberrant somehow. 

Mary and Richard had not had s*x in almost a year. 

Richard is still young. Why wouldn’t he ask to have s*x with me, like he used to do in the old days?Does he have a mistress? Many men have affairs when their wives are pregnant…

Mary was more and more anxious. Should I ask for it? But I haven’t recovered yet… Mrs. Barton said that anal s*x was also an option… Will it be painful? What if Steven wakes up because I scream too loudly in pain? God, what am I thinking? That is so embarrassing…

Mary’s face turned red. She never expected that one day she would have such a crazy idea. But if Richard wanted it, she would like to try it even if it hurt.

“What’s wrong with you? Your face is so red. Are you hot? Why don’t you go get dressed, dear? We will go to meet your classmates together. You can invite them to be our guests in three days. We are going to hold a party for Steven.” 

Richard was perplexed– he couldn’t have imagined that Mary was busy thinking about their s*x life while he was pondering the sad, violent demise of the planet. 

Soon, the Williams arrived at Union Castle. Once they entered the gate, Mary noticed a tall, well-built man at the bar.

Noticing Mary walk in, the man chuckled, and ran to her. 

“Mary! You are here! I haven’t seen you in years! You look as beautiful as ever. How have you been? What have you been up to?”

“Henry, you look good yourself.” Mary smiled diffidently. The man was her classmate Henry Pope. Even when they had been in school together, Henry had stood out. Now, having buffed up, he looked like a bodyguard or bouncer. 

“Thanks. That’s kind of you.” Henry looked at Richard from the corner of his eye and smiled slightly.

“Oh, Henry…” Mary realized she had not yet introduced Richard to Henry. “This is my husband, Richard Williams. And this is my son, Steven.”

“Richard, you’re a lucky son of a gun!” Henry laughed. Although he had a smile on his face, the tension between the two was palpable. 

Henry’s friends all knew that Henry was heartbroken when he heard that Mary had a boyfriend. When he heard that the boyfriend was none other than Richard, Henry felt doubly hurt. Every other girl had been curious about Richard. And the two most beautiful women in the class, Mary and Vera, had been entangled with him simultaneously. Because of these complex affairs that Richard negotiated, the other men were jealous. 

And now, standing before Richard, Henry couldn’t deny that Richard had a commanding presence. He looked calm and behaved so gracefully that you would think he was a dignitary of some sort. Like royalty.