Chapter 2

An hour?

At minus forty degrees, I would succumb to hypothermia in ten minutes.

In the biting wind and snow, my lips were frozen stiff, and my husband’s betrayal made my voice choke with emotion."You never wanted me to live from the very start, did you?"

Through the communicator came Luna's drawn out voice, "Ding ding ding! You got it right, so your prize is to have the chance to use your life to win me a research slot!

"Only one life in exchange for my bright future! Isn't that sooo worth it?"

At that moment, Zachary spoke, "Babe, the general manager added another bonus! If she takes off her short-sleeved shirt too, you'll be promoted straight to base director!"

Luna immediately kissed him in excitement, and after a round of heated kissing noises from across the comms, Zachary spoke again, softly, "Heard that, honey? Now's your time to shine."

The blood in my veins froze.

So in their eyes, I was nothing more than a tool to be completely drained of worth.

The storm felt as though it were freezing my organs solid, but I summoned the last of my strength, curled my fingers and pushed the car door open again.

My stiff limbs gave way the moment I stepped out, and I fell hard into the snow.

Hearing the noises from my end, Zachary scoffed, his sneer almost visible in his voice.

"No way, are you trying to rupture the heating pipes again? You can't even bear to hurt a mouse, so why are you acting all scary now?

"Be good, alright? Since you've been my wife for so many years, I'll make sure you're buried in the family cemetery."

Each word struck like a loud slap across my face. His understanding of me, from the days we spent together, became the reason for his confidence in exacting such cruelty.

I was so cold my entire body shook, and I couldn't help the coughs that racked through my body. "T-The national research station is nearby… Aren't you afraid of being found out?"

"Why would I be?" Zachary asked, nonchalantly, "Did you think that we were idiots, Sophie? I've already reported that you were the one who insisted on going out in a T-shirt because you wanted to become famous, so even if people find you, they'll think that you just overestimated yourself!"

Under the extreme cold, I felt a strange wave of heat instead.

I knew what that meant. The hypothermia was already starting to settle in.

Driven by pure survival instinct, I squeezed out a final plea, "Zachary, you promised that we'd bring my mom home for New Year's this year. She's still waiting for us…"

Luna's voice interrupted my plea, a leisurely drawl that was filled with arrogant pity, "Sophie, you've been in Antarctica for years now, so you don't know, do you?

"That sickly mother of yours has already run out of medical funds and died long ago.

"Why? Because the one lying in the hospital bed using those treatment funds… was my mom!"

A buzzing filled my head, as though every other sound had been sucked away.

All that remained was the faint rustle of clothing from the other end of the communicator, followed by a faint chuckle from Zachary.

Luna's voice drew even closer, filled with triumphant glee, "Thank you for being such a dear and for supporting my mother for so many years. Don't worry, you won't have to do it anymore in the future!

"Oh right, here's another piece of good news for you since we're at it: I'm pregnant with Zachary's child! I'm sure the money we're going to get from your life insurance policy is going to be more than enough to buy formula for our baby!"

Darkness surged before my eyes. It felt as if the whole world collapsed in that instant.

Just as the very last inch of my heart froze, Zachary's doting voice slipped in again, "I get you're happy, but be careful, alright? Don't upset the baby."

The last thread holding me upright snapped.

I had no strength left to move forward. My body collapsed limply into the snow.

Just as my consciousness slipped into the darkness, an anxious voice burst out, "Zachary! Why hasn't Sophie come back yet?!"

It was the director of the base, Lucas Payne!

That name sparked my final shred of hope.

I don’t know where the strength came from, but I crawled on all fours toward the communicator lying in the snow.

Finally, I grabbed it.

My throat felt like it was being strangled, but I forced out a cry for help with everything I had left, "Lucas! I'm caught in a blizzard, and I don't have a protective suit!

"Send the rescue team, right now!"