Jasper looked at me deeply like he was looking at a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"You disappoint me too much, Ari," he said. "You've already stolen everything from Ave. You can't possibly deny her small requests now. I will never let Ave feel like she was abandoned ever again!"

I wanted to sneer in his face.

Jasper and I had been married for eight years, but we'd known each other for 18 years.

The first time we met was when I saw him rummaging through the trash in search of food because of how hungry he was. I was the one who went against Mom and Dad's wishes and brought him home.

Mom and Dad refused to accept him. So, I was the one who spent all of my savings on him, letting him live a good life and even paying for his education.

Soon after, Jasper threw himself at my parents' feet and begged them to let him take my hand in marriage. That was the first time someone as proud as Jasper ever begged others for something he wanted.

Finally, he got permission from my parents. He was so touched and ecstatic that he hugged me tightly and cried against my neck. He promised me that he would even give up his life for me if he had to, that we'd be together forever.

His hot tears warmed my heart. I had never felt happier in my entire life.

However, everything changed after my parents found Avery, who claimed that she was their real daughter.

Mom and Dad completely neglected me and showered Avery with all of their love instead.

The first month Avery came back, Jasper still comforted me and assured me that I still had him even if my parents didn't want me anymore.

However, from the second month onward, he began feeling sorry for Avery and pitying her plight.

Later on, he began blaming and chastising me for stealing Avery's life and rightful identity as the true heiress to the Grayson family.

It wasn't until I got pregnant later that our relationship became less tense. Jasper still loved me and our daughter, Sasha.

Still, things changed again sometime later. I didn't know exactly when, but it had to be the time around when I was about to give birth, and Jasper was at a restaurant with Avery, busy celebrating his company getting successfully listed.

Maybe it was also around the time when the apocalypse began, and Jasper abandoned Sasha and me in search of Avery instead.

Jasper and I began talking less to each other. In the past, he used to talk about me all the time. Now, however, it was always about Avery.

I shivered hard, not wanting to recall those painful memories anymore.

Whatever affection we had for each other during our youth should only exist in the past now. Whatever we had left for each other now was just cold aloofness and indifference.

I forced a smile on my face. "I don't want to search for water anymore. I'm going back."

Jasper frowned. "Don't you want to save Sasha anymore?"

I replied calmly, "I'll think of another way. In any case, I'm going back first."

"You can't leave now! The chances of us finding new water sources will reduce if we lose anyone on our team. Can't you stop being selfish for once, Arianne?"

"That's not my problem anymore!"

"It's not like you can even see Sasha now if you went back!"

My pupils constricted at once as I shook in horror.

"What the hell did you do to her?"

Jasper cast me a suspicious look. Then, he suddenly broke into a smile.

"You can't possibly think that I harmed Sasha. Did you? Ari, I am still her biological father. It's just that the base camp came up with a new cryonics program, so I had her sent there.

"After all, Ave is right. One less person to worry about means more water for everyone else."

I couldn't hold myself back any longer and jumped to my feet. Then, I grabbed a nearby cushion and threw it at him.

"Jasper! You are Sasha's father!"

How could he be so heartless and send his own daughter for a cryopreservation experiment just because of something Avery said?

Yet, Jasper simply frowned and said, "Nothing's happening to Sasha. Avery already said that the program is very safe. Sasha won't die, and she won't have to suffer either. It's good for her.

"We'll be able to revive her when we finally return with a larger water source."

I didn't know what to say to him anymore. Couldn't Jasper have thought that if the cryopreservation program was really as safe as he said it was, why wasn't everyone scrambling to sign up for it?

I gripped the toy in my hand and cried silently.

"I must return!"

I had to go back and save my daughter!

"What sort of nonsense are you spouting now?"

Jasper flung the cushion to the floor, his temper flaring. "Avery already said that the program was very safe!"

I had never sensed Jasper's favoritism toward Avery as clearly as I finally did now. Even if Sasha was about to die, and even if I told him I was going back alone, his focus was still on blaming me for not trusting Avery's words.

I clenched my fists.

"Don't worry. I'll take the blame for everything. I won't let you ruin your reputation because of this."

If we came out searching for water and returned empty-handed, that only meant that we had wasted precious resources for nothing.

Jasper's voice was hoarse as he growled through gritted teeth, "Fine. Go back if you really want to. However, even if I were the one who personally called for transport from the base camp, it would take them at least ten days to arrive."

If there were no transport to bring me back to the base camp, I wouldn't be able to find my way back there. It would also be impossible for me to walk there on my own.

Jasper knew that I had to rely on him.

However, I didn't need him anymore. My personal rescue vehicle was already on its way to save me.

I never planned on telling him that. I just cast him one final glance before going back into my room.

…

I couldn't stop thinking about Sasha at night and didn't manage to fall asleep.

In my blurry, half-conscious state, I could sense Jasper getting up from beside me and heading out the door.

I immediately went out after him without hesitation.

It was still unbearably warm at night since it was the apocalypse. Under the moonlight, I saw Avery running into Jasper's arms in a long slip dress.

Jasper gently wrapped his arms around her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"You gave me all that water. I was sure that Ari would get mad at you for that, so I came to check on you."

Jasper chuckled softly and let her into our quarters with affection in his eyes.

Avery then asked in a coquettish voice, "Aren't you worried that Ari would get the wrong idea?"

Jasper scoffed loudly.

"I was meant to be yours anyway. There's no need to care about her. She'll be going back in two days. Finally, we'll be left on our own. When that time finally comes…"

I closed my eyes. I couldn't believe that the young man who once refused to let me shed a single tear was now breaking my heart and making me cry over and over again.

The last bit of my love for him completely faded away.

I went back inside my room. Just as I'd lie down, I suddenly saw that Jasper had just received a message on his communication device.

"Dr. Curran, another base camp has already located the person who first invented the water detection device. They're on their way to bring the inventor back. Please find the new water source and return before they bring the inventor to their base."

If I were still the old me when I saw this message, I would have been extremely anxious and tried finding a solution for Jasper as quickly as possible.

However, none of this had anything to do with me anymore.

There was no courthouse in the end times, so I didn't even need to go there with him to get a divorce.

After having figured everything out, I lay peacefully in bed and listened to the sounds outside the door that were most definitely deliberately loud enough for me to hear. I didn't even think they were being noisy or annoying at that point.

Perhaps they realized that they weren't getting the reaction they wanted out of me, so someone slammed their body against the bedroom door and let out a loud, muffled moan.

I looked at the door and said calmly, "If you're so proud of having an affair, then I don't mind telling the entire camp that Dr. Curran abused his power to heavily favor his mistress during the search."

The noise outside subsided for a bit.

I scoffed and finally fell asleep.

The next morning, I got up and began packing in the room.

When I opened the door and walked out, I noticed the floor was in a great mess. Jasper's clothes were all over the floor, and there were even traces of white, viscous stains everywhere.

I pretended not to have noticed anything and swept my gaze right past the two people sitting at the table, heading straight for where I'd put my backpack.

However, at just one glance, I quickly noticed that the bottle of water I was planning to bring back with me was now gone.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Ari? You haven't had breakfast yet, have you? I can give you some of mine," Avery said, handing me the half-eaten bun in her hands with a reluctant look in her eyes.

But, my gaze fell on the pile of food packaging scattered on the ground, along with the empty water bottle next to it.

Those were the only food supplies I had left.

"You're eating the food that was originally mine, and you still have the balls to offer it back to me?"

I sneered before marching up to her and snatching back the bun that she had defiled.

However, Avery conveniently lost her balance and fell to the ground on her butt.

Before I could react, Jasper suddenly threw a diamond necklace right at my head.

I clutched my forehead, suddenly feeling my vision turn black as warm, sticky blood began to flow.

I then caught sight of the broken necklace on the ground and felt my heart shatter.

The necklace had been custom-made for our wedding.

I was the one who had mined that diamond myself, and I even spent three months designing the necklace for him.

He had been so touched and happy when he first received it back then, kissing the scars on the back of my hand and promising me that he would wear it for the rest of his life.

But now, Jasper didn't care about the necklace anymore and instead defended Avery against me with it. He was now gently and tenderly attending to her bump with a pitious look on his face.

"Arianne! Ave was just hungry! What's wrong with eating some of your food?

"You enjoyed a whole life of luxuries for years, and all Ave did was just eat some of your bread! You're such a selfish bitch!"

I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud.

Jasper couldn't possibly not know that this bun was my only food supply here. Also, it was the apocalypse now, and the conditions were harsher than ever.

Once the packaging was opened, the food wasn't going to last a very long time after being exposed to the elements.

I threw the empty water bottle at Jasper's face, my voice getting hoarse.

"Me? Selfish? Then why didn't you share your food with her instead of stealing it from my backpack?

"I thought you were thinking on Sasha's behalf, but I guess I really overestimated you this time!"

Jasper's face froze again when I brought Sasha up. He then looked at the empty water bottle on the ground and frowned.

"So what? Avery was thirsty. We can always locate more water. I will bring it back for Sasha next time."

Jasper said it so calmly, and yet, I froze in my spot in disbelief.

So, did I deserve to be killed just over a bottle of water that could always be located again?

I smiled despite tears streaming down my face.

I spoke clearly, making sure every word could be heard.

"Let's get divorced, Jasper. When I finally get back, I will tell Sasha that her father, who used to love her in the past, is already dead."