Chapter 1
My husband and entire family believed her. They frantically hoarded supplies, even spending a fortune to transform our suburban villa into an impenetrable fortress.
Julian squandered all our savings and even took out high-interest loans. I begged him, clinging to his leg, but a divorce agreement stripped me of everything.
Two months later, Julian called, scoffing, “The first infected person is about to appear. If you don’t want to die, come kneel at the villa gates. Blair is kind-hearted, she might let you in.”
But on the prophesied day, the apocalypse never came. They finally panicked.
Chapter 1
Waking from a nightmare, I answered a call. “Ms. Cassandra, today is the deadline for your mother’s grave renewal. If you don’t renew, her ashes will have to be moved.”
I was on a business trip out of town. My hands trembled as I called my husband, Julian, urging him to renew the lease quickly, to keep those people from disturbing my mother’s eternal rest.
Still shaken, I leaned back in my chair, the dream’s images still swirling in my mind.
Two months later, a zombie crisis, erupting from City A, was set to sweep the globe, turning the whole world into a living hell.
When the crisis hit, our entire family was trapped in the suburban villa. After two months, just as our supplies were running out, the army finally arrived.
Overjoyed, I urged my family to get in the car and evacuate with the troops. But my sister, Blair, insisted on finishing her makeup before leaving.
As the army’s departure time drew closer, I wanted to drag her out myself. Julian, though, blocked my way. “Blair’s a young woman. What’s wrong with wanting to look pretty before leaving? It’s the army’s job to serve the public; what’s wrong with them waiting a bit?”
My dad, Mr. Davies, and my stepmother, Eleanor, also nodded in agreement, sitting back as if they had all the time in the world.
I couldn’t believe it, but I had no time to waste with their nonsense. I turned to leave, but Julian grabbed me, saying, “We’re a family, we stick together.” He snatched my car keys.
Finally, while Blair was meticulously drawing her eyeliner, the zombie horde suddenly attacked. We couldn’t retreat in time and all died, torn apart by the zombies.
The searing pain of zombie bites still seemed to linger on my skin. Now that I had a chance to do it all over again, I absolutely wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes!
When my plane landed, a subtle unease gnawed at me. Halfway to my destination, I changed course and headed for the cemetery.
To my shock, a brand-new tombstone stood on what should have been my mother’s grave, engraved with an unfamiliar name.
The staff member looked bewildered. “After we called you last time, no one renewed the lease. To avoid mistakes, we even notified your father. He explicitly said not to renew and that we could dispose of the ashes however we pleased.”
A chill ran through me, my heart aching violently. I frantically searched through every jar and container in the unclaimed storage room until past midnight. Finally, clutching a small urn, I returned home.
I hadn’t been home for half a month, and the sight that greeted me in the entryway left me stunned, unable to collect myself.
My cozy little home, which I had painstakingly decorated, now looked like a frozen cave. All the appliances and furniture had vanished.
My carefully chosen beige curtains were half-torn down, drooping on the dirty floor.
My husband, Julian, was directing the maids to take down our wedding photo, which had hung on the wall for three years, and casually tossed it into a corner.
“What are you doing?” The scene before me made me wonder if I was dreaming. After a long moment, I finally managed to squeeze out the words.
A flicker of panic crossed Julian’s eyes. “Cassie, why are you suddenly back…?”
I stared at him, my fingers trembling as I clutched the urn. “If I hadn’t come back early, how would I have known my mom’s grave had been desecrated?”
Julian’s usually gentle face showed a hint of exasperation, as if he were looking at a childishly unreasonable person.
“You don’t understand, Blair came back reborn from the future! The world is ending in two months, every cent we have needs to be spent wisely. Wouldn’t it be better to use the money for the grave renewal to buy more food? Why are you being so unreasonable at a time like this?”
Chapter 2
It dawned on me then. Blair had also been reborn. But I didn’t let any emotion show on my face.
I clenched my fists, my voice filled with anger and disbelief. “You actually believe Blair’s nonsense about the end of the world? You’ve all gone mad!”
“Dad’s company landed several big projects thanks to my foresight!” Blair sauntered down the stairs, head held high. “All the money we earned, Dad used to buy an entire warehouse of common medicines. These will be more valuable than gold in the apocalypse.”
Her eyes were scornful. She glided into Julian’s arms, her fingers tracing his flat stomach.
“I might as well tell you the truth: I’m carrying Julian’s child. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll serve me well. In the apocalypse, I might even spare you a bowl of rice.”
My cold gaze flickered between their faces. It seemed they had been illicitly involved long before the supposed apocalypse.
Julian suddenly felt a prickle on his skin. “Cassie, we’ve been married for three years, and you haven’t given me a child. I’m an only son; you have to consider carrying on my family name.”
Only son? Please. This backwoods bumpkin acts like he’s heir to a kingdom.
I scoffed, pulling off the simple band from my finger and dropping it at Julian’s feet.
“Since you put it that way, I certainly need to consider your royal lineage. And since Blair says it’s only two months, we should hurry and finalize our divorce before the world ends.”
Julian stared intently at the wedding ring I had discarded so carelessly, his brows deeply furrowed.
Our family backgrounds were vastly different. After he graduated from college, I willingly gave up everything to help him start his business. We huddled together in a cramped, damp basement for warmth. To earn money, I worked five jobs a day, my hands in icy water washing dishes during the bitter winter, my fingers aching and itching.
He used the first money he ever earned to buy me that ring—a simple silver band with only a tiny chip of a diamond embedded in it.
Later, he succeeded in his venture, and I, with my top-tier qualifications, secured a position at a leading medical research institute. Yet, I still cherished that ring as if it were priceless.
My reaction clearly caught him off guard. Julian could no longer maintain his gentle facade, a flicker of irritation crossing his face.
“Cassandra, don’t throw a tantrum! At a time like this, we need to stick together as a family to get through this hardship. In fact, tomorrow, hurry up and ask all your friends and colleagues to lend you some money. You’re well-connected; borrowing a few million shouldn’t be an issue!”
I sneered, too disgusted to entertain his absurd words, and walked straight upstairs to rest.
To my shock, when I woke up the next day, my room door was wide open, and the entire wardrobe, which held all my gold and silver jewelry and designer bags, was gone.
I bit down hard on my lower lip, my voice sharp as I demanded to know where my things had gone.
He acted completely unconcerned. “You were sleeping soundly, I didn’t want to wake you. Those jewels and bags were useless anyway. Selling them meant we could buy a few more sacks of rice.”
I could barely contain my rage. “What about the gold ring under my pillow? That was my mother’s only keepsake!”
Julian’s voice faltered, then he sighed. “Cassandra, your mother passed away so many years ago. But you still have your father, Blair is your blood, and I’m your family too. Can’t you make a sacrifice for your loved ones?”
His entitled tone tore through what little sanity I had left. I suddenly burst out laughing, but large tears streamed down my face.
His breath hitched. He wanted to say something more, but I pushed him out of the room.
I collapsed amidst the chaos, tears flowing uncontrollably, a helpless smile playing on my lips.
Chapter 3
Fortunately, just to be safe, I had secretly sold my most valuable jewelry under the cover of night, leaving behind only the cheap trinkets Julian had bought me and a few flashy designer bags.
By the time Julian, wanting not to wake me, personally moved the wardrobe, a full ten million had already been transferred into my bank account.
But I never imagined he would be shameless enough to steal my mother’s keepsake and sell it for cash.
The hatred from the previous life, when he had personally dragged me into that death trap, surged through me. I silently wiped away my tears, a plan slowly brewing in my mind.
Since your whole family is so united in preparing for the apocalypse, how could I not lend a hand?
I don’t know how much time passed before my phone rang again. The caller ID showed it was a shareholder from Dad’s company.
“Cassie, get to the company immediately! Your father has gone mad! He’s selling all his shares!”
My heart tightened. I rushed over, only to find Dad and Blair confronting a group of shareholders.
This company was founded by my parents, and its current status as an industry giant was partly due to my mother’s tireless dedication. I wouldn’t let him ruin it like this.
Dad’s eyes lit up when he saw me. “You’re here at a good time. Hurry up and transfer your shares too, give me the money so I can reinforce the villa.”
Blair arrogantly held her head high, looking at me as if I were already dead.
In her eyes, I had neither the good fortune of being reborn nor the willingness to be subservient, destined for a dead end. Their family would stay safe in their impenetrable fortress, laughing at my miserable fate.
The shareholders, all long-time company veterans, were caught off guard by Dad’s sudden actions. Fearing he was being scammed, they clamored to dissuade him from doing something foolish.
“If you don’t want the company to have problems, there’s another solution,” Julian quickly approached, a refined smile playing on his lips.
“You just need to acquire Dad’s shares.”
My fingers clenched tight, nails almost piercing my palm, my knuckles white.
Julian’s expression was as calm as if he were discussing tomorrow’s weather, but his words were like dull knives, carving into my heart, slice by slice.
Blair scoffed, “Her? Want to buy Dad’s shares? Does she even have that kind of money?”
Cold sweat trickled down my back. I couldn’t believe my former husband would scheme to such an extent.
Dad, desperate for a quick sale, had lowered the price significantly. All my liquid and illiquid assets combined barely scraped by.
“Well, Cassandra, even if it means spending every last cent you have, you want to keep this company, don’t you?” Julian whispered gently in my ear, his voice as soft as ever, yet it felt like steel knives piercing right through me.
He watched me with keen interest, like a predator sizing up its destined prey.
In two months, companies and shares would be nothing but garbage. But now, he wanted to use that garbage to squeeze every last bit of value out of me.
Once the apocalypse came, I would have to swallow all humiliation, humbly bowing at his feet just to survive.
My gaze was fixed on Julian’s utterly hypocritical face, my own pale and bloodless. “It’s a deal!”
The paperwork was processed quickly. My dad, thinking he’d rid himself of a hot potato, had no idea he was abandoning their last lifeline.
Ever since my dad remarried, the company shares had been firmly clutched in my stepmother’s hands. She never imagined there’d be a day she’d hand them over to me.
Blair triumphantly announced that they had sold all their properties and the entire family had moved into the suburban villa.
The cash obtained from selling all their assets was transformed into sacks of rice and instant ramen in the warehouse, and long-lasting potatoes, winter melons, and cabbages in the cold storage.
The construction crew was working feverishly at the villa, erecting various illegal structures. Blair smiled proudly. “When the zombies attack, these watchtowers will be the best observation points.”
I snorted, about to leave, but Julian wouldn’t let me go.
He forcibly dragged me away. A hulking man with a menacing face eyed me up and down, his lewd gaze making me intensely uncomfortable.
“This is Mrs. Julian, isn’t she? Quite an alluring woman.” The man rubbed his hands together, placing a contract in front of me.
“Mr. Julian is in a hurry to borrow fifty million. We don’t exactly distrust him. But we’d appreciate it if Mrs. Julian could sign too. If anything goes wrong, a wife should naturally help repay the debt, right?”
Chapter 4
Before I could even speak, Julian pulled me aside.
“Who’s going to care about these debts in two months?! Just sign it quickly! The stuff we’re hoarding could save lives! When the time comes, even the government will be begging us to sell supplies. What’s this little bit of money compared to that?”
He had gone completely insane, even resorting to loan sharks. He was truly courting disaster.
I sneered inwardly, but on my face, I put on a pitiful expression, clutching his leg and pleading desperately. “You’ve gambled away all our family’s money! Please, snap out of it! You won’t be able to pay back these high-interest loans!”
The loan shark, Vinnie, immediately grew wary. Fifty million wasn’t a small sum. If Julian truly gambled it all away, even tearing him to pieces wouldn’t help.
Seeing the money about to slip through his fingers, Julian was enraged. He kicked me away. “Bitch! What nonsense are you spouting?!”
Blair nonchalantly stood beside Julian, smiling with pursed lips. “Julian, isn’t Cassandra going to divorce you? How can she still be ‘Mrs. Julian’? I can sign it instead.”
Julian glared at me, then immediately scribbled a divorce agreement and tossed it at my face.
I could almost laugh from sheer anger. All the clauses stated that all marital assets were unrelated to me – clearly meaning he wanted to strip me of everything.
Though, given the current situation, our marital assets were already almost nonexistent.
I added a line at the end of the agreement. Julian scoffed, agreeing without a second thought.
A month later, clutching my freshly issued divorce certificate, I felt a sense of immense relief, completely disregarding Julian’s furious, dripping-wet face.
As time ticked by, the date Blair had been constantly babbling about drew nearer and nearer.
Julian and the Davies family, confident they were fully prepared, grew increasingly reckless in their actions.
As I browsed the supermarket, several colleagues messaged me, reassuring me to stay calm and that divorce wasn’t such a big deal.
It wasn’t until I saw the top story on Ins that I realized what was happening: Julian and Blair had announced their relationship.