: Rebirth

The apocalypse had long been foreshadowed.

I decided to fortify the old country house as a precaution.

My Husband and Mother-in-law, however, cursed me for being stupid, saying I was just throwing money away.

But when the apocalypse did come, they watched as my daughter and I feasted on hot pot and cursed me for being cruel and ruthless.

'Cruel and ruthless?'

In my past life, my daughter and I were frozen solid into statues, and my head was kicked around like a ball by the mistress's son.

In this life, I will make them pay in blood!

1

"Genevieve Sterling! How dare you say such a thing?"

"The apocalypse? You want to spend money fortifying your old family home! Don't think I can't see through your little scheme!"

"Did your parents put you up to this? You wasteful bitch, all you do all day is think about this useless nonsense!"

"And your daughter, did she try to snatch something from Shane again today? How are you raising her?! If she keeps this up, she'll grow up to be just like you!"

My Mother-in-law, Helen Alaric, pointed her finger in our faces and gave my daughter and me a vicious tongue-lashing.

My daughter hid behind me, sobbing, her small body trembling uncontrollably.

"Oh, Godmother, don't be angry. Genevieve must have her reasons. Besides, Rosie's a girl; Shane should be the one to give in to her."

Behind Helen Alaric, Rhonda Rowan consoled her with a smile, but the look she gave me was filled with mockery and triumph.

And the little boy behind Rhonda Rowan pulled a face at us.

Rhonda Rowan was a goddaughter Helen Alaric had taken in. She was supposedly divorced with a child and lived on the floor above us.

She didn't have a job and would often come down to help Helen Alaric with chores when she had free time.

Every time she saw her and her son, the otherwise stern and prim Helen Alaric would break into a smile.

In my past life, I just assumed I wasn't good enough, that I'd failed to win my Mother-in-law's affection.

Little did I know that Rhonda Rowan was the mistress my Husband was seeing behind my back, and that boy was their child!

Helen Alaric was from the countryside, and her preference for boys over girls was ingrained in her. From then on, the sight of me and my daughter only seemed to irritate her more.

I had endured it all in silence for all these years, never imagining that in the end, it would get both me and my daughter killed.

I have a PhD in meteorology. In my past life, I happened to discover that the currents in the Serpentine Ocean had recently become abnormal.

Although they were still within a manageable range, my keen woman's intuition still sensed a hint of danger.

To be on the safe side, I planned to fortify the detached house my parents lived in back home, just as a precaution.

But when Helen Alaric found out, she cursed me out and vehemently rejected my proposal, using the excuse that we had no money.

Unfortunately, in my past life, I failed to see these people's true colors and gave up on the plan.

But this time, I will absolutely not let that tragedy repeat itself!

And every single person who bullied my daughter and me will be punished!

In this life, I will no longer be that kind and easily bullied woman.

When my Husband, Evan Alaric, came home and found out, he also gave me a tongue-lashing, but I couldn't have cared less.

The more they despise me now, the more they will learn just how cruel I can be.

2

Five days left on the doomsday countdown.

I knew time was running out. Once the apocalypse arrived, the global temperature would plummet to -60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Blizzards would rage for months on end.

And this disaster would strike without any warning. Fifty percent of the world's population would freeze to death.

In my past life, I had a chance to survive, but my mother-in-law personally destroyed it.

That day, I stood outside shivering, clutching my daughter, begging them to open the door—even if only to save her.

But that cold-blooded family just gathered around the stove, warming themselves, and watched as my daughter and I froze to death.

To prevent that tragedy from repeating itself, I planned to take my daughter back to my hometown immediately to prepare supplies and set up a shelter as quickly as possible.

Just as I finished packing my and my daughter's clothes, Evan Alaric walked in.

He froze for a moment when he saw my suitcase, then his expression shifted to one of contempt.

「Running back to your family the second you feel wronged? You're so dramatic. What? I can't even criticize you a little anymore?」

I didn't say anything, just looked at him coolly. 'I know he didn't just come here to say that.'

「I came to tell you that my company gave me four spots for a vacation to Solara Island.」

「My mother and I talked it over and decided to take Rhonda Rowan and her son. After all, she's helped us out so much.」

「You just stay home. I heard you talking about reinforcing the house in your hometown? Do whatever you want, as long as you don't ask me for money.」

With that, Evan Alaric turned and left without even asking for my opinion, as if he were simply making an announcement.

But I didn't care about any of that anymore.

The love between Evan Alaric and me had died long ago, ever since Rhonda Rowan moved in.

This did, however, remind me of my past life.

It was summer now, and back then, they had only packed a few light clothes for their trip to Solara.

But they had barely been there two days when the apocalyptic weather hit.

Evan Alaric and the others had scrambled to catch the last flight back.

A blizzard was already raging, but I risked my life to go pick them up, nearly crashing into a telephone pole on the side of the road.

But after I picked them up, I didn't receive a single word of thanks.

Just because I was ten minutes late, forcing them to wait in the blizzard for a little while, they screamed at me.

Evan Alaric and Helen Alaric cursed me out the entire way home.

After we got back, they used it as an excuse to lock me and my daughter out of the house while I was parking the car.

No matter how much I begged, it was useless.

A flash of hatred crossed my eyes as I remembered.

Their trip was the perfect opportunity! 'I can take my time formulating my plan for revenge.'

3

Four Days Until the Apocalypse

Early in the morning, Evan Alaric and the other three packed up and left without even telling me.

But that didn't matter. It was actually for the best that they were gone.

That same morning, I called a moving company and had them pack up everything in the house—all the food, supplies, and clothes—and take it back to my old home.

I even had the air conditioners and other appliances uninstalled and sold them for cheap.

Looking at the room, now stripped down to its load-bearing walls, I nodded in satisfaction.

But then, an idea popped into my head.

I went downstairs, bought a bag of crackers, and hid it in a cabinet in the study. Then I quickly arranged for someone to install a few security cameras in the apartment.

Only after all that was done did I take a taxi and hurry home.

When I arrived home with my daughter, my parents were clearly not expecting us.

"Honey, what are you doing back here?"

My mother looked confused. I usually lived in the city and rarely came home.

Before, I had dedicated almost all my time and energy to my Husband's family, only to be met with heartless betrayal.

I didn't even get to see my parents one last time before I died.

Seeing them again now, I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face.

"What's wrong? Did they mistreat you over there? I'll go find them!"

My father has a fiery temper, and seeing me like this, he probably already guessed what had happened.

I quickly pulled my father back.

"No, it's nothing like that. I just haven't seen you in so long, I missed you."

My eyes were filled with tears, but I managed a smile.

Perhaps not expecting me to say that, my father froze for a second before a smile spread across his face as well.

"You silly girl, come on in. Rosie Alaric is so big already? Come here, come here, let Grandpa Sterling hold you."

Rosie Alaric rarely visited my parents' home and was a little unfamiliar with them, but the blood flowing in her veins gave her a natural affinity for the two elders.

Before long, she had warmed up to them, calling them "Grandpa Sterling" and "Grandma Sterling" as sweetly as could be.

Since my daughter and I had made a rare trip back, my mother prepared a lavish lunch for us that day.

When I tasted that familiar flavor, my useless tears started flowing again.

It had been a long time since I'd come home, a long time since I'd seen my parents.

But this was my true home, the place where my roots were.

After lunch, I told my parents about my idea to fortify our old family house.

Although they were confused about my reasons, they didn't press the issue after seeing the serious look in my eyes.

This is what parents are like! They'll always support their children unconditionally!

That day, my parents and I made a shopping list at home, writing down everything we could possibly need, ready to go shopping in nearby Oakhaven the next day.

That night, I slept in the room I'd grown up in.

The room was spotlessly clean. Even though they never knew when I might return, my parents worried that if I suddenly came back, they wouldn't be able to provide the best environment for me.

So, even though it was a lot of work, they kept doing it.

That night, I slept more soundly than I had in a long time.