Chapter 2

Three years later, the International Medical Forum Summit was held at the Pitzville International Convention Center.

The main hall, which could seat three thousand people, was packed.

On stage, Steven Marsh, a world-renowned expert in rare childhood diseases from St. Johnson Hospital, was giving a presentation.

In the front row of the VIP section, a group of people in suits were seated.

Harry was among them.

He was there on behalf of the Larsen Group. The Larsen Group was planning to break into the medical industry, and he needed to scout for promising investments.

But he couldn't care less about the presentation.

He was glued to his phone the whole time.

Penny texted him yet again, [Harry, my head hurts so much. Can you come home early and keep me company?]

Harry frowned, shot back a quick reply, [I'll be back after the meeting.] And with that, he switched off his phone.

For some reason, he suddenly remembered that stormy night three years ago.

Lately, he couldn't help but picture Natalie walking away with their daughter. The memory kept sneaking up on him.

He'd asked around afterward and heard she'd gone to the Larsen family's private hospital, but after that, she disappeared.

He always thought she'd come back.

After all, he didn't think a woman with three kids would go far.

But Natalie never came back.

A month later, he had his lawyer draw up the divorce papers and sent them to her last known address.

But the papers were returned unopened, with a sticky note that read: [Moved out. Refused.]

A few months later, he heard she'd gotten accepted into the graduate program at Solarin Medical College.

After that, she vanished from his world.

Harry shook his head, trying to clear out all that nonsense. He didn't know why he was even thinking about Natalie. She was always so scheming and underhanded.

If she hadn't pulled those tricks to get pregnant, he never would've married her. Now that she was out of his life, it was great. He could finally marry Penny openly.

Somehow, every time he thought of Natalie, there was always this vague emptiness lingering in his heart.

On stage, Steven's presentation was winding down. "Finally, I'd like to invite a special guest from Wotaland.

"Her research on rare childhood diseases has left the entire medical community in awe. What's even more incredible is that she achieved all this while raising three children."

The audience broke into polite applause.

Harry absent-mindedly looked up.

But the moment he saw her, it was like he'd been struck by lightning. He froze in his seat.

On stage, a woman in a white suit walked gracefully toward the podium.

She was slender, with an air of cool elegance. Her long hair was pulled back into a low bun, revealing a slender, perfect neck.

Harry could recognize that face anywhere. It was as it was three years ago.

No, she was even more beautiful than before.

Back then, Natalie was always so meek and quiet, wearing old, ill-fitting clothes, like she barely existed in the house.

But now, standing on the stage of an international academic conference, she seemed to shine with her own light.

She looked so calm, confident, and so dazzling that people could hardly look straight at her.

"Thank you, Professor Marsh, for the introduction," Natalie said, her voice calm and unhurried through the speakers, chill and captivating.

She went on. "I'm Natalie Oliver, and today I'd like to share some fresh ideas on targeted therapy for childhood neuroblastoma..."

Harry couldn't hear a word she was saying.

His mind was spinning, and the only thing on his mind was Natalie.

It was Natalie, his ex-wife.

Three years gone, and she was here. Harry was curious how she got invited as a special guest to the International Medical Forum Summit.

He suddenly shot to his feet, his chair screeching against the floor, earning some irritated glances from the people around him.

But none of that mattered to him now. Harry locked his gaze on the woman on stage, afraid to even blink, as if he might miss a single moment.

The presentation continued. Natalie's voice was steady and professional, her slides crisp and meticulous.

The audience of experts nodded along, and some even raised their hands with questions.

Harry couldn't make sense of a single word.

But he did understand one thing.

This woman was no longer the broken, abandoned wife he'd kicked out years ago.

When the presentation ended, the whole room erupted in thunderous applause.

Natalie offered a graceful bow and stepped down from the stage.

Harry moved almost on instinct, weaving through the crowd and squeezing down the hallway, until he finally caught up with her in the VIP lounge backstage.

"Natalie!" Harry called out.

His voice trembled.

Natalie paused and then turned to face him.

Her gaze was indifferent, as if she were looking at a total stranger.

No, even that was not right. She might have at least nodded politely to a stranger, but now, she looked right through him, as if he didn't exist.

"And you are?" she asked.

Harry's mind was buzzing, stunned.

Natalie couldn't recognize him. How was that even possible?

"It's me, Harry," he blurted out, stepping closer. "You... you don't remember me?"

Natalie tilted her head, as if she was trying to recall. Then she let out a calm "Ah," her expression unchanged. "Right, Mr. Larsen. Can I help you?"

She called him "Mr. Larsen," not "Harry," not "ex-husband."

Her tone was so polite and distant that it felt like she was miles away.

Harry felt like he'd taken a punch to the gut. He wanted to say something, but his mind went blank.

Right then, the door to the lounge swung open.

A little figure dashed in and threw herself into Natalie's arms. "Mommy, Jimmy bullied me."

Right after, another mini-version of the first kid ran in, his face all serious. "I'm not bullying him, Mommy. He wanted candy, but you said he couldn't have any today."

Harry looked down at the two kids.

The boy looked about five, his little face all serious, and those features delicate. He was a tiny copy of Harry himself.

Harry froze.

The kid's face was a mirror image of how he looked in his own childhood photos.

Then, a little girl ran in, her hair tied up in two tiny buns, her voice sweet and childish. "Mommy, a handsome man outside told me to say hi to you."

Harry's eyes widened suddenly.

There were three kids.

And they were all about five years old.

Then it all came rushing back to him. When Natalie left, she'd taken the triplets with her, two boys and a girl.

He'd never really paid attention to those kids. He always assumed they were illegitimate, kids she somehow brought in to tie him down.

But now, it was crystal clear. Those two boys were the spitting image of him.

Harry's voice was hoarse, almost scratchy. "Whose children are they?"

Natalie picked up her daughter, and for the first time, there was a hint of emotion on her face.

She was smiling.

But that smile sent a chill straight through Harry, as if he'd been plunged into an icy lake.

"Mr. Larsen," she said softly, "is that any of your business?"

The door swung open again.

A tall figure walked in, his voice calm with an air of aloof elegance.

"Natalie, the car's ready. Let's go home," he said.

Harry spun around.

Leo was standing in the doorway, wearing a sharp dark gray suit. His features were striking, and he had a vibe that made him seem like he didn't belong in this world.

He was holding a woman's coat, and he walked over and slipped it onto Natalie's shoulders like it was the most natural thing ever.

Leo glanced down at the three kids.

He asked gently, "Jimmy, did you take good care of Mommy today?"

"Yes, sure," Jimmy puffed out his little chest.

Leo asked again, "Eden, did you make Mommy mad?"

Eden shook his head immediately. "No. I was super good."

Leo smiled, bent down, and scooped up the girl, who was the youngest among the three. "Daisy, did you miss me?"

Daisy wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a big kiss on his cheek. "Yes. You're the best."

Harry stood there, frozen like a statue.

He watched Leo with the three kids, the gentle smile on Natalie's face, a smile she'd never given him, and the five of them together, looking like a real family.

Their harmony was so perfect that it stung his eyes.

"Leo," Harry's voice was hoarse, "she's my wife."

Leo looked up at him.

His gaze was so indifferent, like he was staring at an ant that thought it was bigger than it was.

"Wrong," Leo said coolly. "Soon, she'll be my wife."

"And you," he paused, with a slight smirk at the corner of his lips, "are only her ex-husband."

With that, he put his arm around Natalie's waist, the three kids in tow, and left without a backward glance.

Harry stood there, his whole body trembling.

He wanted to chase after them, to block their way, to ask Natalie why she was treating him like this, to demand why Leo had to steal the woman who used to be his.

But he couldn't take a single step.

Suddenly, it all came rushing back to him.

He threw them out himself into the storm that night three years ago.

He'd said it himself. "Get out. Take that sick kid with you."