Chapter 2

Sarah's POV

A loud thud echoed through the room as she slammed against the floor. She curled herself, clutching her stomach, her nails digging into the robe as she gasped for air.

Before she could even manage to scream, the sound of heavy footsteps pounded down the hallway, approaching the doorway with speed.

John rushed past the door, his suit hovering like a dark cloud as he stepped into the chaos of my bedroom.

"What is going on here?" his deep voice ordered, vibrating with authority that no longer scared me.

The moment his dark eyes landed on Lily the flawless gentleness he always faked for me instantly vanished. The mask of the patient, caring husband shattered. He rushed forward, completely ignoring me, and dropped to his knees to pull her into his arms.

"John..." she whimpered, her voice dropping as she sobbed. She hid her face in his chest, her crocodile tears quickly soaking his expensive shirt. She clung to his shoulders, looking up at me with pitiful eyes.

"What is wrong with her? I just asked her for a simple favor... Has she gone crazy? She just attacked me for no reason!"

A simple favor, right? I also gave a simple answer.

I stood there, my feet firm on the floor, pulling my daughter safely behind me. I stared at the two of them clutching each other on the floor and the memories of my past life clawed at my mind, ripping away the blanket of foolishness that covered me before. The bitter realization hit me harder than a physical blow, they had been doing this for years. They had been sharing a bed, sharing moments, sharing a life behind my back, all while mocking my desperate devotion. They had been living luxuriously on my wealth, while treating me like an ugly stepping stone, all because I allowed it.

How foolish of me!

I couldn't help it. A dry laugh escaped my lips.

"Yes, there is definitely something wrong with me," I said, my voice completely heavy with disgust. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have been your free maid for so long."

John’s head snapped up. His jaw tightening with fury, the veins in his neck popping hard against his collar. The guilt he usually hid behind when dealing with me was completely gone, replaced by raw anger. He gently set Lily aside on the rug, making sure she was comfortable, and stood up to face me.

He raised his hand high, his palm wide open, as he closed the distance between us with two strides.

I didn't flinch.

I didn't cower, and I didn't close my eyes. I just stood my ground, shielding Jessica, and stared right into his empty eyes.

I had already died once. I had felt the agonizing pain of freezing the blood in my heart.

Did he really think a slap from a pathetic coward could make me blink?

"John, my stomach hurts so much..." Lily wailed loudly from the floor, her cry perfectly timed to interrupt his rage.

She knew exactly what she was doing. She didn't want him dealing with me, she wanted his undivided attention and pity.

His hand stopped mid air, trembling with violence he could barely hold back. He looked back down at her, his expression instantly softening with that genuine, deep concern I had always craved, begged for, but never once received. He slowly lowered his hand, turning his back on me completely, and bent down to pick her up into his arms.

"You're lucky she needs me right now," he spat, staring at me over his shoulder. "I was going to take you to the charity auction tonight to get you out of the house, to let you see the world, but you can forget it. I'm taking her instead. I'll buy her whatever she wants to make up for your insanity."

"Let's go, it's okay," he whispered softly to her, his tone heavy with sweetness and warmth as he carried her out of the room without a second glance back.

I stood still, watching him disappear down the hallway. My chest, which would have once ached with betrayal, guilt, and the desperate need to apologize, felt entirely empty. The toxic love that had chained me to this house was dead, buried deep under layers of ice and snow.

I gently brushed my daughter's messy hair, my eyes staring blankly at the empty doorway.

I'll buy her whatever she wants.

I scoffed, a bitter smile crossing my lips. He was planning to use my money to buy his mistress a gift in front of the entire city's elite. He was going to use the dividends from my hidden investments to play the generous billionaire.

The profound cruelty of his words from my past life echoed loudly in my ears.

Did you really think we were married? The certificate was fake!

I had been so young, so desperate for a family to call my own, that I hadn't even looked closely at the paperwork. He had hired an actor. He had staged a private ceremony just to get me to sign over the management rights to my trust funds and investment portfolios. He had legally robbed me while kissing me at the altar.

I shook the memory away. There was no time for tears, and no time for regret.

I gently picked up Jessica, kissed her warm forehead, and carried her back to the bed. I tucked her favorite bear under her arm.

"Stay here and play for a minute, baby," I whispered.

I turned, grabbed my phone from the nightstand, and dialed a number I hadn't called in months.

"Mike," I said, the second the line connected.

"Boss," my assistant answered, his voice instantly laced with a sigh. "Please, please don't tell me you want to funnel another ten million into John's company. I've warned you repeatedly. He's running your portfolios dry. He’s taking out unsecured loans against your assets, and the returns are absolutely terrible. His supply chain is a mess. If you keep backing him, you're going to compromise your own wealth."

In my past life, I had stubbornly ignored every single one of his warnings. I had handed over my wealth blindly, desperate to prove my worth and loyalty to a man who saw me as nothing but a glorified ATM.

"How much liquid cash is left in the primary accounts?"

Mike hesitated, the sound of rapid typing echoing over the phone. "Not much. Between his last expansion project, which was essentially just a real estate purchase and the daily corporate overheads, your reserves are quite low."

I closed my eyes, doing the math. That wasn't enough. Not for what was coming in the next thirty days. It wasn't enough to build an impenetrable fortress and stockpile supplies required to survive the end of the world.

"Mike, listen to me carefully," I commanded, my voice firm. "Pull it all out. Every single cent."

The typing on the other end stopped at once.

"I want every single dollar of our investment withdrawn from John's company immediately," I continued, pacing back and forth in the room. "Liquidate the joint assets. Cancel all the pending wire transfers. Call the banks and cut off his corporate credit lines."

There was a stunned silence on the other end of the line, followed by a sharp inhale of breath.

"Are... are you serious, Boss?" Mike's voice trembled, but I could hear the raw thrill underneath his shock. "Finally! I've been waiting for you to see the light. I'll draft the withdrawal notices right now. Once I pull this capital, his supply chain is going to instantly collapse. He won't know what hit him."

"Good," I replied, staring out the window at the bright morning sun. "But we need to move fast, Mike. Faster than we've ever moved before. That withdrawn capital needs to be redirected immediately. We are going to rent the largest and most secure private warehouse on the outskirts of the city."

"A warehouse?" Mike asked, confusion replacing his excitement. "For what? Are we moving into logistics?"

"Survival," I muttered under my breath, before speaking up clearly. "I'm sending you a list right now."

I grabbed a notepad from my drawer, grabbed a pen, and quickly jotted down my daughter's necessities, medical supplies, heavy clothing, powdered milk, and food.

"Boss, this list sounds like you're preparing for a war," Mike said, his voice laced with concern.

"Just buy it, Mike," I said firmly, ripping the page from the notepad. "Have it all delivered to the warehouse under shell companies. Pay whatever premium is necessary for immediate delivery. There is no time for questions. Just get it done.”