Chapter 2

Silence filled the room.

My husband stared at me as though he hadn’t heard correctly.

My sister’s smile disappeared.

Even my mother-in-law looked stunned.

In my previous life, I had spent years being afraid of this family.

Afraid of disappointing them.

Afraid of losing Ethan.

Afraid that if I wasn’t a good enough wife, he would leave me.

Now I was standing in front of them with nothing left to lose.

Ethan was the first to speak.

“What did you say?”

“I want a divorce.”

His face hardened.

“You’re angry.”

“No.”

I shook my head.

“I’m serious.”

My mother-in-law immediately stepped forward.

“Have you lost your mind?”

I looked at her.

“No. I think I’m finally thinking clearly.”

Her expression darkened.

“You don’t just wake up one morning and decide to divorce your husband.”

“I do.”

My sister stood up.

“Maybe you should calm down first.”

I looked at her.

The same woman who had kissed my husband in the life I had just lived.

“Don’t worry,” I said quietly. “I’m very calm.”

She shifted uncomfortably.

Ethan stepped toward me.

“Is this because I didn’t come home last night?”

I almost laughed.

He was already lying.

Even now.

“No.”

“Then what is it?”

I looked at him for a long moment.

There were so many things I wanted to say.

I wanted to tell him that I knew about the affair.

I wanted to tell my sister that I knew exactly what she had done.

I wanted to tell his mother that I remembered her watching me die.

But I wasn’t going to.

Not yet.

They didn’t deserve to know how much I remembered.

“I simply don’t want this marriage anymore.”

Ethan scoffed.

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’ll have my lawyer send the papers.”

His expression changed.

“You are really serious about this?”

“Yes.”

That wasn’t entirely true.

But it would be soon.

I turned around and started walking upstairs.

“Wait.”

I stopped.

Ethan’s voice came from behind me.

“You think you’re going to walk away from this marriage whenever you want?”

I looked over my shoulder.

“Yes.”

His jaw tightened.

“You’ll regret this.”

I smiled faintly.

“I doubt it.”

Then I walked away.

Once I closed my bedroom door, the smile disappeared.

My hands were trembling and not because I regretted what I had done but because I finally understood how much time I had wasted.

Only fifty days left.

I couldn’t spend them arguing with Ethan.

I needed money.

Food.

Water.

Medicine.

A secure location.

Power.

Transportation.

And most importantly, I needed information.

The translucent screen appeared again.

[SYSTEM NOTICE.]

I stared at it.

[The Apocalypse Survival System has been activated.]

[Host has successfully changed the original timeline.]

I swallowed.

“System?”

Another window appeared.

[Basic Functions Unlocked.]

[1. Spatial Storage]

[2. Survival Points]

[3. System Store]

[4. Mission Panel]

My eyes widened.

Spatial storage.

I had heard stories about systems in novels, but I had never imagined something like this could actually exist.

I tapped the first option.

A second screen opened.

[Spatial Storage: 100 cubic meters.]

I stared at it.

One hundred cubic meters.

That was already more storage space than I could physically manage in a normal room.

“Can I put anything inside?”

[Most non-living objects may be stored.]

My heart began beating faster.

This changed everything.

I wouldn’t need warehouses filled with supplies.

I could buy them and store them.

Food.

Water.

Medicine.

Generators.

Fuel.

Everything.

Then I opened the system store.

A list appeared.

Water purification tablets.

Portable solar generators.

Medical kits.

Emergency radios.

Thermal clothing.

Seeds.

Batteries.

Tools.

The list seemed endless.

I stared at it.

Then another notification appeared.

[Reminder: Survival points can be obtained through system missions.]

“What’s my first mission?”

The screen changed.

[Beginner Mission.]

[Acquire an independent source of wealth.]

[Reward: 500 Survival Points.]

I frowned.

Independent wealth?

Then I understood.

In my previous life, almost everything I owned was tied to Ethan.

Our house.

Our accounts.

Our investments.

Even my spending depended on his approval.

If I wanted to survive this time, I couldn’t depend on him for anything.

I grabbed my phone.

The first thing I needed was money.

Real money.

Money that Ethan couldn’t touch.

I opened my banking app.

My balance appeared.

I stared at it but ended up laughing.

This was the amount I had spent years believing I couldn’t live without.

Now it looked pathetic.

I remembered something.

My grandmother had left me shares in a small company before she died.

In my previous life, Ethan had convinced me to sell them.

I had listened to him.

That company later became one of the largest suppliers of emergency equipment in the country.

If I hadn’t sold those shares…

I quickly searched for the old documents.

My heart began pounding.

They were still there.

The shares hadn’t been transferred yet.

I had time.

I could change everything.

A knock sounded at my door.

I quickly locked my phone.

“Who is it?”

My sister’s voice came through.

“It’s me.”

I stared at the door.

In my previous life, she had been one of the people I trusted most.

Now I knew exactly what she was capable of.

“What do you want?”

There was a pause.

“Can we talk?”

I walked toward the door.

But I didn’t open it.

“What about?”

“Ethan.”

Of course.

She was already worried.

Maybe she had realized I wasn’t going to back down.

“There’s nothing to discuss.”

Her voice softened.

“You don’t really want to divorce him.”

I leaned against the door.

“I do.”

“But why?”

I closed my eyes.

Because he left me outside to die.

Because I know exactly what you both will become.

Instead, I said,

“I’m tired.”

Silence.

Then she whispered,

“You’ll regret leaving him.”

I opened my eyes.

“No.”

My voice was calm.

“I’ll regret staying.”

There was silence on the other side.

Then her footsteps slowly disappeared.

I turned back toward the window.

Fifty days.

I had fifty days to build a life they couldn’t take from me.

And this time, when the apocalypse came…

I would be ready.