Fist-sized snowflakes had been falling relentlessly in the blizzard for two whole months. The freezing wind WHOOSHED through the cracked window crevices.
Every last scrap of food in the house had been consumed. Chen Momo weakly held her dying son, Xiao Bao, as they sat in the freezing room. Her body had long since gone numb from the cold.
"Xiao Bao, how about Mommy tells you the story of the little duckling? You absolutely cannot fall asleep. You have to be a good boy and wait for the rescue team to come save us."
Fighting back her tears, Chen Momo kept talking to Xiao Bao in her arms. Every time she made a sound, it felt as though a sharp knife was slashing her throat.
In her embrace, the emaciated Chen Xiaobao let out two low coughs and said weakly, "Mommy, Xiao Bao is so sleepy. Xiao Bao wants to go to sleep now..."
With those words, Chen Xiaobao closed his eyes forever.
Looking at her dead son in her arms, Chen Momo used the very last ounce of her strength to let out a miserable, bloodcurdling scream. The sound echoed through the gloomy residential building, fading into the dark night where the blizzard raged on...
"Xiao Bao!"
Chen Momo cried out in alarm, springing up to a sitting position on the bed. She wasn't dead. She had been reborn!
It was currently 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 28th—exactly one month before the apocalypse descended.
She was sleeping in the bedroom of her own home. Her five-year-old son, Chen Xiaobao, had gone to his skiing hobby class and hadn't returned yet. From the living room came the sound of guests on a popular variety show dramatically acting out their scripted routines, accompanied by occasional bursts of laughter from her husband, Yang Shunsheng.
Outside the window, the streets were bustling with heavy traffic. The city was operating at its usual fast yet orderly pace; everything looked no different from normal.
Chen Momo thought back carefully. Before the apocalypse hit, her husband had used a business trip as an excuse when, in reality, he had gone to his mistress's house to celebrate their shared child's birthday. After the apocalypse descended, the government constructed ten massive shelter bases across major cities nationwide. Yang Shunsheng immediately found a rescue team to save his mistress, relocating to a shelter base with her and their child. Meanwhile, she and her son, Xiao Bao, died in the apocalypse because they never received any rescue.
If Yang Shunsheng's mistress hadn't personally called to provoke her, she wouldn't have dared to believe any of it even on her deathbed.
As Chen Momo recalled all of this, a bone-deep hatred gradually surged in her heart. She dug her fingernails into her palms so hard they turned white. If it hadn't been for this apocalyptic disaster, she would still be immersed in a beautiful dream of her own weaving, completely unaware that her husband, Yang Shunsheng, had already started a second family on the outside.
Chen Momo and Yang Shunsheng had fallen in love in college, married right after graduation, and had their son, Yang Xiaobao, a year later. After getting married, Chen Momo took charge of the household while Yang Shunsheng focused on his career. His career went incredibly smoothly. After working for three years and gaining enough experience, he started his own business and opened a small company.
Their family lived harmoniously. Chen Momo trusted and relied on her husband immensely. Ever since they first met, she had never checked Yang Shunsheng's phone or doubted a single word he said.
Two years ago, Yang Shunsheng began using "overtime" as an excuse more frequently. He spent less and less time accompanying her and their son. He even forgot her birthday and missed their son's parent-teacher conferences on multiple occasions. Despite all this, Chen Momo hadn't harbored any suspicions about her husband. Instead, her heart ached for how hard he worked, so she dedicated herself even more to taking care of the home and raising their son.
She never expected that everything was a lie!
Yang Shunsheng's so-called "overtime" was actually spent keeping his lover company! Since she had been reborn, she absolutely would not allow the tragedy to happen again in this life! She would definitely stay strong and survive together with her son!
Chen Momo stepped out of the bedroom and went to the living room. She saw her husband, Yang Shunsheng, barefoot and curled up on the sofa. His slippers were tossed haphazardly on the floor, and he was laughing out loud at a hit variety show playing on the TV. On the table sat a half-eaten bag of potato chips, with crumbs scattered all around.
Normally, Chen Momo would take the initiative to walk over, neatly arrange her husband's slippers, and wipe the table clean, taking care of him just as she took care of their son. But today, she suddenly didn't want to do anything.
Chen Momo stared at Yang Shunsheng on the sofa. She had once considered him the closest and most trusted person in the world aside from her parents, but now, he felt like a complete stranger.
Yang Shunsheng was too engrossed in watching the variety show and clearly hadn't noticed Chen Momo. His phone was charging not too far away from her. In the past, Chen Momo never checked Yang Shunsheng's phone. But this time, she quietly took it and returned to the bedroom.
Half an hour later, Chen Momo walked out of the bedroom and tossed Yang Shunsheng's phone to him, her eyes icy cold.
"Momo, what's wrong with you?" Yang Shunsheng asked.
Seeing the phone and the look on Chen Momo's face, an ominous feeling instantly rose in his heart. Because Chen Momo never checked his phone, he had confidently and boldly left his chat logs undeleted. He pulled his gaze away from the TV and looked at her.
"Let's get a divorce!" Chen Momo blurted out.
"What?" Yang Shunsheng was a bit stunned, thinking he had misheard. Chen Momo had a docile personality and lacked her own opinions; she was not the type to initiate a divorce.
Chen Momo repeated in a firm tone, "I want a divorce."
Only then did Yang Shunsheng sit up straight on the sofa in shock. He turned off the TV, stood up, and walked over to Chen Momo. Grabbing her shoulders, he said, "Momo, what nonsense are you spouting? We just took our family portrait last week, and Xiao Bao is only five. Why are you suddenly bringing up divorce?"
Chen Momo glanced at the phone resting on the sofa. "I've already read your chat logs. Do I need to make myself any clearer?"
The woman was named Huang Yuqing. She had just graduated from college and was Yang Shunsheng's subordinate. The two had hooked up when she was interning at his company. For Chen Momo's birthday, their son's parent-teacher conferences, and the many nights Yang Shunsheng was supposedly on a "business trip," he was actually at that woman's house.
After reading his WeChat messages, Chen Momo's heart had completely turned cold.
Hearing this, Yang Shunsheng's expression changed. He flared up, "Chen Momo, how could you snoop through my WeChat?"
Chen Momo said coldly, "If I hadn't looked at your WeChat, I wouldn't have known that you've been cheating on me behind my back for three years, that you have a child with another woman, and that you've been transferring money to her from the company's account."
Yang Shunsheng quibbled, "Momo, listen to my explanation. This is all a misunderstanding."
But this time, Chen Momo obviously wouldn't believe Yang Shunsheng anymore.
"I've taken screenshots and saved all the evidence. The money you transferred to Huang Yuqing is our joint marital property, and I will use legal means to recover every single cent. I'm taking our son with me, and I'll be hiring a professional lawyer to fight you in a divorce lawsuit. I'm telling you this in advance so you can mentally prepare yourself."
Yang Shunsheng was dumbfounded. He had always thought Chen Momo had a weak personality and wasn't one to fight for things. Back then, he had married her precisely because she was weak, easy to control, and possessed a gentle, virtuous nature.
He never expected that the Chen Momo of today would be like a completely different person!