Arctic Apocalypse: My Wife Took the Money for My Shelter

Chicago, penthouse apartment.

I sat at my desk, palms soaked with cold sweat.

On my retina, a line of clear system text moved with my gaze:

【Arctic Apocalypse Countdown: 48 Hours】

【Please immediately spend $50,000 to purchase ground shelter, system permanently closes after timeout】

The system had just appeared, telling me the arctic apocalypse would arrive in two days.

People would freeze into ice sculptures. The surface would be covered in frost. All civilization would face collapse.

This system was a product from a distant planet, capable of generating shelters to preserve the seeds of various civilizations.

However, shelter generation had activation conditions.

Fifty thousand dollars.

If fifty thousand could buy a shelter, it would be absolutely worth it!

Moreover, as a hedge fund director, I wasn't short on money. Our household accounts held tens of millions in savings.

However, I'd given my wife control of all accounts. Now I just needed her to transfer the money.

Without hesitation, I immediately called Jennifer.

"Make it quick, I'm trying on clothes." Her arrogant voice came through with mall background noise.

"Jennifer, I need fifty thousand dollars transferred to me immediately." I spoke rapidly. "This concerns our future."

Jennifer sneered coldly. "Michael, don't you ever know your place?"

"All your achievements came from me. Without me, you're nothing! How dare you suddenly demand fifty thousand?"

"Are you cheating?"

"What nonsense are you talking?!" I felt this was absurd. How could Jennifer suspect me like this?

Though she was consistently arrogant, she'd always been gentle and caring toward me.

Maybe I hadn't been attentive enough to her lately, making her feel insecure?

I was about to explain when a vicious voice came through the phone: "You want money to support a mistress, don't you? Just wait."

"Beep" - the call was brutally disconnected.

Less than half an hour later, the apartment door banged open violently.

Jennifer stormed in on high heels.

Following behind her were my father-in-law and mother-in-law with iron-blue faces, plus my sister-in-law.

The family of four surrounded me in the living room center like interrogating a criminal.

"Mom, Dad! Michael suddenly asked me for fifty thousand. He definitely has another woman!" Jennifer stated bluntly.

I froze.

Grievance and anger surged up.

In my urgency, I shouted my defense: "I don't!"

"Michael!!" My father-in-law's voice thundered with the oppressive presence of a war veteran. "Shut your mouth! You have no right to refute! If my daughter says you're cheating, then you're cheating!"

"Now I'm giving you one chance to explain—what do you need this fifty thousand for?!"

I took a deep breath, patiently explaining: "I told you, the world will fall into apocalypse. I need this money to buy a shelter to save our lives—"

"Apocalypse?"

"How ridiculous! You can't even think of a better lie when trying to scam money!"

"Making up ghost stories to fool who?" My mother-in-law pointed at me, sharply interrupting. "My daughter marrying you was truly sinful! How dare you cheat—what kind of man are you!"

My sister-in-law rolled her eyes, immediately pulled out her phone to scroll through my social media, held up a photo in front of me with sarcasm: "Brother-in-law, that female intern next to you in last month's department photo looks suspicious, right? Now suddenly asking for fifty thousand—buying her a bag? Or planning to buy her lingerie?"

"That was just a department dinner!" I was at my breaking point.

"Still talking back?!" My father-in-law roared. "Every cent you earn belongs to my daughter! If you think you can give it to someone else, just wait and see how I teach you a lesson!"

Jennifer stood in the middle like a queen: "Fifty thousand? I won't give you a single second. I'd rather feed this money to dogs than let you support some cheap whore outside! Mention money again and I'll make sure you leave with nothing!"

"Do you hear? Without my daughter, who would look at you twice? Trash!" My mother-in-law snorted coldly.

I was pointed at and lectured by Jennifer's entire family for a full hour.

During this time, I clenched my fists, countless times wanting to completely explode, but thinking of the vow I made in church to love Jennifer for life, I ultimately held it in.

An hour later, they left with faces full of contempt and arrogance, slamming the door.

I sat alone at home, the study deathly silent.

I sat rigidly in my chair, eyes burning, vision blurred as it fell on the wedding photo on the desk.

Jennifer in the photo smiled sweetly.

For years, I'd tolerated her temper, accepted everything about her, only because I wanted to build our home well.

But every insult just now made me understand—it was all an illusion.

This was the real Jennifer.

【Arctic Countdown: 47 Hours】

The red text on my retina pulsed coldly.

I hugged my head in pain, powerlessness like an icy tide completely submerging me.

The extreme cold was coming soon, and I was penniless.

Jennifer wouldn't give me money, so where could I scrape together this life-saving fifty thousand!