Apocalypse Descends: I Win Effortlessly by Turning Trash into Treasure

Some people just never learn. Back when Perry was living with the Alden Family, they’d looked down on her in every way imaginable — treating her like some pitiful charity case, a poor relation who’d only come crawling back for a slice of the family fortune.

During that time, even the household staff hadn’t bothered to hide their contempt.

Perry had just lost both her parents. She was still in a daze, barely holding herself together — and that must have made her look like easy prey.

Then came the day a servant ”accidentally” shoved her into the swimming pool. Something in Perry snapped.

Those people assumed it would blow over like everything else. They had no idea that even a cornered rabbit will bite.

To this day, Perry couldn’t explain where she’d found the strength — but she’d hauled that servant out of the pool, the woman a full head taller and built like a linebacker, and slammed her face straight into the water.

She didn’t let go until someone finally dragged her off.

By then, Perry had been so consumed by rage that nothing else existed. Every rational thought had burned away. All she wanted was to drown that woman.

The memory had grown hazy over the years. What she did recall, dimly, was that the servant had barely been breathing by the time they pulled Perry away.

But it hadn’t ended there. While everyone scrambled to revive the woman, Perry had picked up a baseball bat — she couldn’t even remember where she’d found it — and systematically demolished every inch of the Alden estate. Every slight, every sneer, every humiliation she’d swallowed since moving in, and all the grief she’d never been allowed to show over her parents’ deaths, came pouring out in one long, cathartic rampage.

It just goes to show: bottling everything up really will make you sick.

And sure enough, once Perry had gotten it all out of her system, she felt lighter than she had in months.

What happened after that, she didn’t know — because the moment she was done tearing the place apart, she walked out the door and didn’t look back.

Perry had been a minor at the time, and the servant had started it, and the Alden Family had no interest in airing their dirty laundry in public. So the whole affair was quietly buried.

After that, Perry only went back when she absolutely had to.

And yet, once she was gone, the very people who’d treated her like something scraped off the bottom of a shoe did a complete one-eighty. Suddenly everyone was all smiles.

Perry couldn’t have cared less. Her parents had left her more than enough to live on for the rest of her life. As long as she didn’t start a business venture or break the law, she could coast through her days without ever owing the Alden Family a single thing. There was no reason to play nice.

When she arrived at the venue, a waiter led her to the main hall.

The vast room was blanketed in pristine red velvet carpeting, and the glassware caught the light, throwing off a soft, quiet gleam.

The grand ballroom had been dressed for the occasion — everything in its place, every arrangement perfectly composed. But with the guests yet to arrive, all that finery only made the space feel hollowly magnificent.

Perry crossed the hall and made her way deeper into the venue.

As the hosts, the family had naturally arrived early.

Seeing them all again after so long, Perry felt nothing in particular.

The Alden Family was large — she’d lived with them for a stretch, and she still hadn’t managed to put names to all the faces.

And as the daughter of Old Master Alden’s daughter, Perry didn’t even carry the Alden name. By all rights, she should’ve been a forgettable footnote at tonight’s gathering — just another body filling a seat.

But the moment she stepped into the room, she felt the weight of eyes on her from every direction.

She looked up — and caught the gaze of her Second Aunt-in-law, who was practically staring a hole through her.

Back when Perry had lived with the family, this woman had been the most openly hostile of them all, looking at Perry like she was something unpleasant tracked in from outside. But after Perry left, her attitude had made the most dramatic reversal of anyone.

Not that Perry had ever given her the time of day.

Even so, seeing that burning stare, Perry didn’t need to be particularly sharp to figure out that tonight was aimed at her, at least in part.

Not quite a trap — but not without an agenda, either.

Thinking back on the family’s sudden change in behavior after she’d left, Perry had always suspected something had happened that she wasn’t aware of. She’d simply never bothered to find out.

Ignoring the looks from those around her, Perry made her way over to Old Master Alden with a composed expression. ”Grandpa. Happy birthday.”

The old man’s clouded eyes turned toward her, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.

Because of what had happened all those years ago, this child had grown distant from the family. And that was on him.

”Perry, your grandfather’s having a birthday and you can’t be bothered to bring a gift? You show up empty-handed and you’re not even embarrassed? That’s really just so—”

Laura Ford didn’t get to finish. Her husband cut her off with a sharp bark. ”Enough. If you’ve got nothing useful to say, keep your mouth shut. Nobody’s going to mistake you for a mute.”

He turned to Perry with a warm smile. ”Don’t mind her, Perry. She’s always been like this — sharp tongue, soft heart. She didn’t mean anything by it.”

Perry smiled pleasantly. Her voice was ice. ”Second Uncle, there’s no need to explain. I’ve known exactly what kind of person she is for a long time. And as for Grandpa’s birthday gift — I did prepare something.”

She let her gaze drift to Laura for just a moment.

Then a flash of white light passed over her hand, and a card materialized between her fingers.

An instant later the card was gone, replaced by an elegantly packaged ginseng root resting in her palm.

”A five-hundred-year-old ginseng. That’s my gift for Grandpa.”

Old Master Alden’s eyes lit up as he took it from her. ”Good. Very good!”

He said it twice, then reached out and clasped Perry’s hand, holding it like he might hold the hand of a beloved granddaughter — which, to anyone watching, was exactly what it looked like.

Gift delivered, Perry found a quiet corner and made herself invisible. Based on the way everyone had been looking at her since she walked in, they had to already know she was a player.

No wonder they’d insisted she come tonight.

A commotion near the entrance pulled her attention. Three people walked in.

Old Master Alden had seven legitimate children, not counting any affairs along the way. His youngest daughter and youngest son had both been, in Perry’s assessment, helplessly ruled by their hearts.

Perry studied the trio. One of them — if she remembered correctly — was the child of her Sixth Uncle. His name was Xavier Alden, if she recalled right.

Something tugged at her memory, and her gaze lingered on him.

There was something off about the Alden Family’s feng shui, Perry had always thought. Old Master Alden had made a point of treating all his grandchildren equally — and yet not one of them had become a player. The only two players the family had produced were Perry, who’d been overlooked, and Xavier.

Looking at the confident smile on Xavier’s face, Perry could tell the evening was about to get interesting.

She pulled out her phone and messaged the estate manager, asking what Xavier had been spending money on lately.