Chapter 81

Harrison Montgomery had never imagined, even in his wildest dreams, that they could have shared a child together.

His parents were equally devastated. Beatrice Montgomery nearly collapsed, but Lawrence caught her just in time.

That child—had it survived—would have been four years old now.

Lost.

The Blackwoods stood frozen in shock.

Evelyn Sinclair could hardly believe she had missed such a scandalous piece of gossip. Her system only revealed information when she actively sought it; it never volunteered secrets on its own.

Did this really happen? Let me check… Oh my god, it’s true!

In reality, the reason they hadn’t conceived for years was because both had been too exhausted, too consumed by their careers to even consider pregnancy. That they had managed to conceive at all was nothing short of a miracle.

But knowing Natalie Whitaker, she would never have carried a child unless she was certain of their love. She wasn’t the type to use a baby as a pawn to trap a man. To her, an unwanted child would have been nothing but a chain.

"Why… why didn’t you keep it? Why didn’t you tell me?" Harrison clutched his head, his voice breaking. "If I had known, I would have—I made one mistake, just one! You should have given me the chance to fix it!"

Natalie sighed, her expression unreadable. "Back then, staying married was me giving you a chance. But the outcome proved my instincts right. You still failed me."

In marriage, people strayed. Sometimes, out of love or fear, the other partner forgave. But forgiveness had its limits.

She had once been a force of nature, standing beside Harrison as he built his empire. If not for his betrayal and the sudden loss of her parents, she would have walked away sooner.

Evelyn couldn’t help but sympathize internally, while the Blackwood women nodded subtly in agreement.

Natalie’s revelation wasn’t just a product of her amnesia—it was her final act of severing ties.

Harrison trembled violently, veins bulging at his temples. "Natalie, I won’t give up on you. I love you. I’ll make up for my mistakes. I’ll court you all over again, and I’ll wait as long as it takes—"

That line sounds familiar, Evelyn thought dryly.

The Blackwoods exchanged glances, reminded of a certain unfortunate soul.

Julian Blackwood, currently in a meeting with Marcus Donovan, sneezed violently.

"Enough." Natalie’s voice was ice. "I don’t care what you think. I’ve said my piece. Leave now, or I will call the police for harassment."

She leveled him with a glare. "I’m not joking."

The coldness in her eyes silenced him.

Lawrence looked ready to intervene, but Natalie cut him off. "I respect my elders, but if they manipulate my emotions for their own gain—if they expect me to suffer just to please others—then that respect ends. I’ve already died once. My parents are gone. Now, I live for me."

The statement mirrored the theme of Evelyn’s recent performance.

Lawrence swallowed his words, supporting Beatrice as they left in defeat.

Harrison refused to budge, determined to be a nuisance—but there was no need for the police. They were already divorced. Sophia Blackwood had every right to escort him out.

How pathetic. If even Julian couldn’t pull this off, what made Harrison think he could? I’d eat my hat if he succeeded.

Before they arrived, Natalie had already reactivated her network of freelance photographers. With no ties left—only regret for wasted years—she was now single-mindedly chasing her dreams. Evelyn suspected she’d leave the country the moment she was discharged.

Even if Harrison tried to chase her, he wouldn’t know where to look. His past indifference had ensured he knew nothing of her professional circle. Once she vanished, he’d have no one to ask.

Hah. Poetic justice.

For now, he clung to hope. But soon, he’d have nothing but despair.

At the hospital entrance, the nuisance hadn’t left.

Worse—two more pests had joined him.

Maxwell Thornton and Vanessa Sterling.

Since returning to the country, Vanessa had relied entirely on Harrison’s support. Now, with her reputation in ruins, she had nowhere else to go.

But the Harrison of today was a man awakened—brutally shoving Vanessa away before slapping her hard across the face.

"This is all your fault!" he snarled. "You ruined my family, my career! If you hadn’t come back, Natalie and I would still be together! How dare you show your face here? I should strangle you!"

The slap seemed to shatter Vanessa. After a stunned second, she lunged at him, nails bared.

"You think blaming me absolves you?" she shrieked. "You’re the one who led me on! You gave me hope, then let me attack Natalie! You allowed it all! And now you want to play the victim? You’re a spineless, cheating bastard! Natalie was a fool to ever love you!"

The delicate flower he’d once cherished now cursed him viciously. Harrison lost all control. They brawled openly, while Lawrence and Beatrice watched coldly. Maxwell scrambled to separate them.

The Blackwoods wisely stepped back, avoiding the chaos.

Ah. The betrayal turns violent.

Evelyn noted a passerby already filming the scene. Trending topic incoming.

She turned—only to find Sophia, Genevieve, and Margaret all recording avidly on their phones.