Chapter 3 Ashton Foster

Less than two hours later, my dad returned, carrying someone over his shoulder.

My mom eyed the unconscious man on the ground and then at the drool dripping from my dad's mouth. "Did he try to crack your skull open? I'll cook him for you. But don't eat him raw— who knows what kind of parasites he's carrying."

With that, she hauled the body off to the bathroom.

That bathroom doubled as our kitchen, not that we had much choice. We only had a basement, a small break room, a toilet, and the staff locker area.

The only reason we still had running water and electricity was due to a hydroelectric station 30 miles away.

Six months ago, the power and water had been cut off, prompting my dad's initial foray for supplies. Fortunately, the utilities were restored not long after.

According to the radio, a survivor base had been set up near the station.

It wasn't that we didn't want to join them, but taking my dad along complicated things. I couldn't risk someone blowing his brains out.

Seeing my dad drool like that, I wondered if I was about to witness him consuming a human for the first time. It was somewhat terrifying, but oddly, not as much as I had anticipated.

Before I could process these thoughts further, he began gesturing frantically at me. "Sweetie, help him! He's still alive! He didn't try to hurt me!"

Rushing into the kitchen, I found my mom standing over the man, a gleam in her eye as she stared down at him on the floor.

"Mom, hold off on boiling him just yet. Dad says this is someone he rescued."

She didn't respond, still transfixed, so I followed her gaze. "Wait a sec… isn't that Ashton Foster, the campus heartthrob in our city?"

That comment snapped her out of her reverie. She turned to me with a rare look of approval. "So this is the guy Tina mentioned, the one you had a crush on? You've got good taste, just like your mother."

My cheeks flushed. "Who wouldn't have a crush on him? He's handsome and a straight-A student. The whole city adored him!"

Back then, universities nationwide were in a frenzy, competing to promote their campus heartthrobs and beauty queens. Someone even initiated an online ranking for them in each city. Ashton Foster topped the list for us—and yes, I was a huge fan.

Now, seeing my dream guy alive and right in front of me, I was at a loss. My heart pounded, and my hands wouldn't stop shaking.

My mom's eyes sparkled as she watched him, her grin wide, like a cat that got the cream.

"Sweetie, this boy's quite the catch. He'd make the perfect son-in-law! How about we make him marry you in return? He stays and gives us a few kids. With his genes, we might finally upgrade the mediocre looks in our family!"

My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't lie—there was something tempting about the idea.

"Uh, maybe we should focus on saving him first, Mom?"

…

Ashton woke up three days later. The moment he realized we had saved him, his smile was warm and dazzling, filled with genuine gratitude. "Thank you, ma'am," he said in a soft, sweet voice, bowing his head repeatedly.

But when his gaze shifted to me, his expression blanked. After a lengthy pause, he asked, "Have we met before?"

I nodded eagerly, a buzz of excitement coursing through me, though he still couldn't place me. I couldn't really blame him; I was pretty forgettable.

"We went to the same university. I was two years behind you. Anna Olson, a freshman."

Truth be told, I had barely made it into that university, all because I wanted to catch glimpses of him on campus.

I used to hang out in his fan club's group chat, drooling in secret along with the other fangirls.

"Nice to meet you, Anna," he said, flashing that radiant smile again, and my heart nearly melted right there.

My mom's face lit up with a level of eagerness I hadn't seen before. "Ashton, are you hungry? I can whip up something delicious. What would you like?"

I laughed awkwardly. "What do we even have left to eat around here?"

Just then, the door creaked open, and my dad staggered in, his face smeared with dark blood.

Instantly, Ashton rolled over, positioning himself protectively in front of me and my mom.