Read Novel Full Chapter 510: Grace’s Plan
Chapter 510: Chapter 510: Grace’s Plan
The more she tried, the more humiliated she felt.
Frustration twisted inside her chest.
Just as she was thinking of another plan, she suddenly noticed something important.
Whenever she brought gifts, Mia and Ava never actually handed them back to her directly.
They only met her at the doorway, told her to leave with her things, then walked inside and collapsed onto their beds, looking completely exhausted.
They never even checked whether the gifts had been removed.
Which meant... They did not have the time to see what was inside the gifts.
A slow smile appeared on Grace’s lips.
’I see... so this is how it is.’
The next morning, she went to the grocery store.
When she arrived, she asked the shop owner, "Do you have any moldy or spoiled food?"
The shop owner looked at her strangely.
Recently, Ivy had opened a special exchange section where people could hand in spoiled rice and receive clean white rice in return.
She had done this to ensure that even the poorest survivors could eat properly, even if it meant taking a loss herself.
Because of this, there was a strict daily limit per person.
Of course, the people who had sold spoiled food couldn’t buy it and exchange it again. Only newly registered people can make a one-time purchase of spoiled food.
Grace, however, intended to buy as much of that spoiled food as possible.
There were already a few people who purchased it simply because they could not afford better options, and Ivy could not stop them from doing so even if she disliked it.
Grace approached the counter.
"I want that spoiled food," she said directly.
Greta, who was standing behind her in line, watched the scene and shook her head in pity.
’What a pitiful woman... she must really be struggling.’
Greta remembered how Angelina had once given her supplies and helped her survive, how kindness had saved her when she had nothing.
Thinking of that, she suddenly decided she should help Grace as well.
She hurried forward.
"If you want," Greta said gently, "I can help you buy proper food."
Grace’s eyes sparkled instantly. She lowered her head, putting on a weak, pitiful expression.
"Please," she murmured. "I am practically starving. I do not even have enough zombie crystals to afford food."
Greta immediately extended her hand kindly.
Grace looked confused.
"If you give me the spoiled food," Greta explained, "I can exchange it for clean rice for you."
Grace’s expression froze.
Then her eyes widened in alarm.
"I am not giving this spoiled food to you!" she snapped, clutching the sack protectively. "This is my backup supply!"
Greta frowned. "But it is already spoiled. You cannot eat it."
Grace rolled her eyes. "You do not need to act so noble."
With that, she turned and walked away, irritated.
’She really thought she could trick me into handing it over,’ Grace scoffed internally.
Greta stood there, stunned for a moment before sighing.
"What a strange woman..." she muttered, shaking her head before returning home.
...............
For the next three days, Grace repeatedly left that spoiled food as "gifts" outside Mia and Ava’s apartment.
Since Mia and Ava were completely occupied with Ivy’s situation, they never inspected the bags. They only told her to take them away, assuming she would.
Grace waited patiently.
On the fifth day, she finally made her move.
She suddenly began shouting loudly in front of the building.
"Mia and Ava are truly heartless! How can they treat someone like this?!"
Her voice immediately attracted attention.
Recently, the citizens had developed a strange fondness for watching disputes after their exhausting daily training. Any drama became a form of entertainment.
People quickly gathered.
Seeing Grace crying so pitifully, they asked, "What happened?"
Grace sobbed dramatically and pointed toward the bags outside Mia and Ava’s apartment.
"These were apology gifts," she said. "I gave them to Mia and Ava because I offended them earlier. I have been trying to make amends."
She sniffed loudly.
"They are friends of Ivy, so I hoped they would forgive me. I spent everything buying these gifts every day just so they would let me live peacefully... but they never even told me to take them back. Now all the food has spoiled!"
The crowd did not immediately believe her. Instead, they exchanged suspicious looks.
"The food sold here rarely spoils," someone pointed out. "So why did yours rot?"
Others nodded in agreement.
Grace had already prepared for this question.
In a soft voice, she said,
"Because I carried those items with me for a long time before bringing them here. They were fresh when I delivered them. But Mia and Ava left them outside, poured water on them, and let them sit there. Bugs crawled in... everything got ruined."
She wiped her tears.
"How could I take them back after that? At the very least, they should have told me! Instead, they maliciously let the food rot. Now I do not even have enough money to eat for the next month."
She began sobbing again.
Some people felt a hint of sympathy, while others remained skeptical.
At that moment, Mia and Ava stepped out after hearing the commotion.
Their faces were filled with anger.
"We already told you to take your gifts away," Mia said sharply. "You are lying."
Ava nodded in agreement.
Hearing both sides of the argument, the crowd exchanged uncertain looks. Some of them spoke hesitantly.
"Even if there was a misunderstanding," one person said, "you two should have at least returned the food. Maybe Grace misunderstood your intentions."
Mia and Ava shook their heads immediately. They stepped forward and opened the bags Grace had left behind.
The moment they saw the contents, both of them felt a wave of disgust.
The food had already been spoiled long before it was even placed there. A sour, moldy smell rose from the sack, making several people nearby wrinkle their noses.
Mia pressed her fingers against her temple.
’This is absurd... how are we supposed to prove this?’
Just as they were wondering how to defend themselves, a voice suddenly cut through the murmurs.