Chapter 2

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?"