I Died in the Avalanche, But My Wife Called Me a Coward

When the avalanche struck Antarctica, I risked everything to push my wife to safety, but I ended up buried forever in the frozen waste. Afterward, seeing no sign of me, she assumed I had abandoned her and fled like a coward. She fell straight into another man’s arms. "Derek, if it weren't for you, I never would've survived. I’m divorcing him and being with you!" Later, our trek earned a Guinness World Record. Riding that fame, my wife signed on as a guide for an Antarctic scientific research expedition. Yet, out on the ice, an avalanche struck once more. The snow washed my frozen corpse right into the open, laying bare the brutal truth. Dropping to her knees before my body, she broke down in agonized wails, drowning in a pain worse than death! The Guinness World Record award ceremony. Watching Chloe step onto the stage to accept the award, I could only manage a bitter smile. We had been a five-person expedition team, with me leading the charge. During the polar night in Antarctica, we trekked across the continent, documenting the phenomenon in its entirety. This feat filled a massive gap in human history, earning us a Guinness World Record. Looking back, danger had lurked at every turn. Yet thanks to the route I mapped out, we made it almost all the way to the finish line. Before I could even celebrate, a catastrophic avalanche hit. I fought with everything I had to shove Chloe to safety. I, however, was buried deep beneath the frozen peaks forever. What stood here today was merely my ghost. A reporter at the scene raised a mic: "Miss Chloe, you're now a world-renowned explorer, an idol to countless young women. Is there anything you'd like to share with them?" Chloe faced the camera with a dazzling, practiced smile. "When choosing a partner, keep your eyes open. Adversity is the only real test of true love." "This Antarctic trip showed me my ex-husband's true colors. I’d also like to take this moment to thank Derek for saving my life." Watching her, a hollow laugh caught in my chest. Back then, right after Chloe was rescued. She looked around frantically, desperate to find me. Seeing an opportunity, Derek spun a web of lies, insisting I had deserted her. He even produced a snippet of video. In the footage, I was seen running off. On top of that, he took full credit for pulling Chloe out of the snow. Furious and betrayed, Chloe filed for divorce in court the moment she returned home. Now, a full year had passed, and her single status was officially finalized. Smelling drama, a reporter prodded further: "Miss Chloe, we understand your divorce was just finalized." "Do you really have no lingering feelings for your ex-husband?" At those words, Chloe’s face instantly darkened. "None whatsoever! In fact, I'd like to use your camera right now to deliver a message to him!" "Nathan Cole, when the avalanche struck, you dumped me and ran away like a coward! You hid from me for an entire year out of pure guilt! Well, the divorce is final. As of today, you and I are complete strangers!" Instantly, the live chat erupted in vicious mockery. "Taking his girl to Antarctica just to ditch her? What a scumbag!" "When tragedy strikes, the rats always jump ship first!" Seeing the livestream numbers skyrocket, the reporter pressed on. "Mr. Nathan Cole hasn't shown up once since the avalanche. Miss Chloe, is it at all possible that he actually died out there?" Chloe shook her head without hesitation. "Setting aside the video proof showing him running away." "He wore a biometric monitor. I can still see his vital telemetry showing he's perfectly healthy." Hearing her say that, I let out another bitter sigh. If Chloe had cared enough to look just a little closer, she would have realized that I was truly gone forever, frozen under that endless, beautiful polar night. Right then, beneath the blinding spotlight, Derek stepped onto the stage and dropped to one knee before the crowd. "Chloe, let me be your husband. Let me protect you in danger and walk beside you in happiness for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?" The crowd erupted into deafening cheers. Tears shimmering in her eyes, Chloe nodded fiercely. "From the second you pulled me out of that snowstorm, I knew you were my destiny!" With that, she threw her arms around Derek, locking him in a passionate kiss. Watching them, my pale face drained of what little warmth remained, my chest aching as though ground up by broken glass.After the proposal, the ceremony moved to the next agenda item. This wasn't just an awards stage. It was also the official signing event between Chloe and the Antarctic Scientific Research Team. From here on out, she would guide a team of scientists across Antarctica to study the polar night and shoot a documentary. The signing went smoothly. A month later, Chloe and Derek arrived to meet the expedition crew. However, the moment Chloe caught sight of one particular member, her brow furrowed. "Mark Davis? What are you doing here?" Mark let out a cold smirk. "I'm part of the research team. Why shouldn't I be here? I'm going to Antarctica to find the truth!" "Chloe, for a whole year you've been telling everyone Nathan abandoned you when danger hit. You keep claiming he's alive, but I've waited an entire year and he hasn't shown up once!" "You say he's hiding from you because of guilt, but why would he hide from me?" Watching them clash, I breathed a soft sigh. Mark was my closest friend and the youngest researcher on the Antarctic team. When I went on that fateful trek, he had asked me to collect some scientific samples for his research. I managed to gather them, but I ended up buried under the permafrost forever. After my death, he was the only one who truly cared about finding me. He had approached Chloe multiple times demanding answers about my whereabouts. Every time, Chloe had thrown him out, even filing harassment complaints against him. He had nearly lost his spot on the scientific team because of it. Derek stepped forward, chiming in with cool disdain: "Mark, the route Chloe and I took last time was far too dangerous. Even we nearly died in that avalanche." "That's why I drew up a brand new route for this trip. We won't be retracing our old steps." Hearing that, Mark exploded. "You two are just covering up what really happened! Nathan died because of you!" Chloe cut him off icily. "You might be an expert in scientific research, but when it comes to extreme survival, we're the professionals!" "If Nathan had just listened to Derek back then, we never would've run into that avalanche." "Even he couldn't handle it, so what makes you think you know better?" A spark of fury flared in my chest. Derek had basically been my rookie apprentice, with barely a year of outdoor experience under his belt. If Chloe hadn't begged me to take him along, I never would've agreed. The route he planned seemed short and easy on paper, but in reality, it was a suicide run. It required cutting through mountain passes teeming with wolf packs and wading across treacherous, icy glacial rivers. One misstep anywhere along that path, and people would die. The route I mapped out back then was vastly safer. If it hadn't been for that freak, unexpected avalanche, nothing would have gone wrong. Chloe refused to trust my ten years of wilderness survival expertise, choosing instead to put her blind faith in Derek, a total novice. It was utterly laughable. Seeing the tension boil over, Professor White quickly pulled Mark back. "Don't worry, everyone. Leave the professional work to the professionals." "We will stick strictly to the planned itinerary."Before long, an expedition helicopter dropped the crew onto the frozen Antarctic tundra. Chloe stepped forward and announced firmly: "From this moment on, everyone follows my and Derek's instructions to the letter. We can't afford any reckless mistakes. Understood?" The team members nodded in unison. Even Mark complied. On the first day, navigating the outer perimeter went smoothly. The second day was just as calm. Yet by the third day, disaster struck. They marched straight into the hunting territory of a polar wolf pack. Several male researchers gripped their shotguns tightly, watching the predators with sheer terror. In the middle of the group, Mark confronted Chloe, his face pale with rage: "It's only day three and we're already being stalked by wolves! Knowing their nature, they'll trail us relentlessly! We can't conduct any research like this!" "How on earth did you map out this route?" Chloe looked equally rattled. "This has to be an anomaly! There's no way we could've known the pack would migrate here!" Derek shrank behind Chloe, too cowardly to utter a single word. "Alright, calm down. Maybe they're just passing through. Give it a few days and they might disperse," Professor White intervened, finally getting Mark to back down. By day five, one of the male researchers collapsed from exhaustion and hypothermia. Instantly, a wolf lunged forward! *BANG—!* Derek fired a shot, taking the wolf down. Just as he turned, expecting Chloe's praise, the surrounding researchers ripped into him with fury. "Are you insane?! You can't just fire a gun out here in the snow! What if you trigger an avalanche?!" "Gunfire won't scare off a starving pack; it only pisses them off! You're an absolute amateur!" Chloe hurriedly shielded Derek behind her back. "Derek was just trying to save a life! He panicked, that's all!" Watching this unfold, I couldn't help but scoff bitterly. If my route had run into a mess like this, she would have torn into me without mercy. She never would have made excuses for me. Yet for Derek, her patience was endless. Mark’s face was grim. "Professor White, I think we should abort the expedition." "If we keep pushing forward, someone's going to die. We're ready to sacrifice our lives for science, but not for gross incompetence!" Professor White hesitated. "The institute poured massive funding into this mission." "Giving up halfway would be devastating." Mark grew desperate. "If we don't turn back now, what happens when we hit an even bigger threat? We'll all be wiped out!" Seeing the hesitation, Chloe spoke up coldly: "Mark, you're just fearmongering!" "Polar research is inherently dangerous. If a tiny hurdle sends you running, you shouldn't have joined this expedition in the first place!" I knew her true motive—she was terrified that turning back would destroy her newfound fame. Mark glared at her, trembling with anger. "A tiny hurdle? Does someone need to get mauled to death before you admit you're wrong?" Professor White's resolve began to waver. Seeing this, Chloe gritted her teeth. "Fine! You just want to force us onto Nathan's old route, don't you?" "Fine, let's take it! Professor White, we'll follow the exact route from my previous trek. Are you happy now?" Professor White nodded. "A proven route should be much safer. Let's move." Mark didn't object. I knew he didn't trust Chloe or Derek—he trusted me. After all, even when the entire internet slammed me for abandoning my wife, he was the only one who believed I wasn't that kind of monster. Once they switched to my trail, the journey became markedly safer. By day five, the wolf pack abandoned the chase. The team set up camp and proceeded with their research. A month later, after hitting their scientific benchmarks, they pushed deeper into the continent. I floated by Chloe’s side, staring out at the snow-capped peaks in the distance. My frozen corpse lay buried right beneath those slopes. Buried under tons of compacted frost, with no hope of ever seeing daylight again. "Is this where you guys were hit by the avalanche?" Mark walked over, breaking the silence. Chloe sneered. "Yes. This is where Nathan left me behind. Didn't you want to find out if he died here?" "Go ahead, look for him! I’d love to see if you can dig up the coward who dumped me." Mark’s expression hardened. Right then, a researcher hurried back from the distance. "Professor White, we spotted a seal acting strangely nearby. It's eerily quiet around here, what if..." Professor White frowned, barking an order: "Everyone huddle together, keep your weapons ready. Let's go check it out." Tension spiked immediately. The armed members formed an outer perimeter, scanning the horizon warily. Soon, they caught sight of the unusual seal. "Wait, is there something strapped to that seal? Is someone else out here?" Mark asked, squinting. "Capture it and check, but don't shoot," Chloe commanded, her brow knitting. Together, the team corralled the seal, discovering a small electronic sensor stuck to its hide. Mark's eyes widened in shock. "Hold on! Isn't this... isn't this the tracker Nathan wore a year ago?!""I recognize this model—it's his! Nathan must be dead, which is how this thing got attached to the seal!" Clutching the sensor, Mark snapped his head up, glaring at Chloe with raw fury. "Chloe! How do you explain this?!" Derek quickly stepped in, scowling. "Impossible. I saw him run away with my own eyes. You're mistaking it. Plenty of explorers use this brand." Chloe joined in with a cold laugh. "He's right. It can't be his. The avalanche swept north, and we're currently south. Someone else must have lost it." Hearing that, Mark suddenly chuckled, two streaks of tears spilling down his cheeks. "His initials are engraved right on the casing—N.C.!" "Chloe, what pathetic lie are you going to spin now?! Nathan is dead! The two of you murdered him!" Staring at the engraved "N.C." on the device, Chloe froze completely. "No... that's impossible! It's a coincidence!" Mark gritted his teeth, his voice dripping with venom. "The evidence is staring you right in the face! What are you still faking for?!" Just then, another researcher shouted from a nearby drift, having spotted a frozen body—its features unidentifiable. Mark’s eyes instantly locked onto the action camera strapped to the body's chest. "Once we pull the footage from this camera, let's see how you try to talk your way out of it!" Before the words even faded, a technician booted up the recovered device. The screen flickered to life, buzzing with static and garbled green distortion. The tech scratched his head. "Looks corrupted..." Chloe crossed her arms, scoffing. "I'd recognize Nathan if he were reduced to ashes. That corpse isn't him!" Derek chimed in smoothly, "Exactly. Nathan deserted us and ran north. Even if he did die, his body wouldn't end up all the way out here." Mark clenched his fists, bloodshot eyes burning with rage. Chloe sneered in disgust. "That bastard Nathan used to swear up and down how much he loved me. But when the avalanche hit, I passed out in the snow!" "He thought I'd slow him down, so he left me to die! If Derek hadn't dragged me out, I'd be dead! A selfish, spineless prick like him wouldn't just die so easily!" "That corpse on the ground is NOT him!" Hearing her words, several researchers were visibly swayed, joining in to condemn my supposed cowardice. Suddenly, the technician shouted in triumph: "Fixed it! Everyone, come look!" The crowd surged forward. Chloe stared at the two figures appearing on the grainy screen, letting out a heavy sigh before explaining: "Those were our other two expedition teammates. When the avalanche hit, they were out fetching fresh water, so we lost contact." "I always prayed they just got separated from us. I had no idea their bodies were right here." "It looks like they survived the initial avalanche, but lost their gear and froze to death from hypothermia. Mark, these aren't your Nathan." Watching from beside them, I sighed. Back then, after the avalanche passed, I was terrified for those two teammates. Since my base camp had a natural snow barrier, I immediately set out into the storm to search for them. That was the origin of the video Derek had used to frame me running away. "Wait, then what about this tracker?" "Did he drop it onto the seal while he was fleeing?" Chloe stared at the tiny gadget in her palm, her brow locked in a tight frown. Hearing that, Mark let out an incredulous laugh. "Chloe! Are you insane?! Do you really think animal telemetry looks anything like a human heart monitor?! You never even bothered to look! Did you ever give a single damn about Nathan?!" I couldn't help asking her myself, a faint, bitter smile on my lips. "Yeah, Chloe. Did you ever truly care about me?" I shook my head right after. She couldn't hear me anyway. Yet in the next second, Chloe’s face turned icy. "Of course I cared." I stared at her, stunned. "I used to treat him as my everything. I loved him more than anyone else in this world. I would have gladly died for him." "And what did he do? The moment danger showed up, he dumped me like dead weight and ran! Mark, tell me, does a man like that deserve my love? Does he deserve my tears?" Her eyes grew rimmed with red. I dropped to my knees in the snow, tearing at my hair, screaming at the top of my lungs: "Chloe! I didn't abandon you! I never abandoned you!!" Yet the only reply was the howling Antarctic gale. I turned my desperate gaze toward Mark, begging him to explain for me. Because he was the only one who knew the real reason I had organized this expedition. Mark let out a heavy sigh. "Chloe, what if I told you that Nathan dragged you across the polar night because he wanted to declare his eternal love to the entire world the second the sun broke through the dark?" "Knowing that, do you honestly still believe he would run away and leave you behind?" Chloe froze as if struck by lightning. Her lips parted, but not a single sound came out. Right then, a teammate shouted excitedly from the screen: "Wait! There's more footage at the end!"