Chapter 4 The Stranger Husband

Before.

The word stayed there, colder than the hospital air.

Chloe had crossed twenty-three years in a single afternoon, only to discover that Nathan had placed her on the other side of a sentence.

Before the life they had built collapsed without her permission.

Before he had lived without her.

Before whatever life had come after.

Chloe looked at him sharply.

Those words landed harder than anything else.

Samuel glanced between them, then said matter-of-factly, “Come sign these papers. Then you can take her.”

“Alright.”

Nathan suppressed the questions crowding his mind—questions about where she had been for the past twenty-three years.

The police had already briefed him before he arrived. He had even checked the news.

But it wasn’t until he saw her—unchanged, untouched by time—that he truly believed it.

He turned to Chloe, his tone polite.

“Wait here for a moment.”

Chloe nodded. “Okay.”

He followed Officer Samuel a few steps, then turned back, still uneasy.

“Don’t wander off.”

“…Alright.”

“Here, here, and here,” Officer Samuel instructed.

Nathan signed each form efficiently.

“Keep your phone accessible. We may need to follow up later,” the officer added. “Here is her temporary state ID. Keep it safe. We’ll notify you in a few days regarding the official documents.”

“If everything is in order, you’re free to leave.”

“Thank you.”

Nathan took Chloe’s temporary ID and tucked it away.

Then he walked back to her, picked up her suitcase, and said simply, “Let’s go.”

Chloe followed beside him, her hand hovering near the suitcase.

She hesitated.

Something that used to feel natural now felt… intrusive.

They walked toward the hospital entrance in silence.

At the door, Nathan stopped.

He pulled out his phone and sent a voice message.

Then he turned to her.

“Wait a moment. I couldn’t find parking earlier, so I asked the driver to circle. He should be here soon.”

“Okay.”

Chloe glanced at him.

Looks like he’s doing well for himself… He even has a chauffeur now.

Back then, they walked everywhere or took the subway.

He wouldn’t even consider buying a cheap car—he insisted on saving for a house.

Nathan held his phone like a walkie-talkie, speaking in clipped, professional terms.

Chloe couldn’t understand most of it.

She felt… excluded.

She looked up.

The streets were unfamiliar. Towering skyscrapers, endless traffic, a city she no longer recognised.

It wasn’t just Nathan who felt like a stranger.

She turned back toward the dim hospital corridor.

The people inside were just like her.

When she left, they had all looked at her with envy.

She was lucky.

At least someone had come for her.

In this unfamiliar world, she still had somewhere to go.

Just then, a black sedan pulled up in front of them.

Chloe didn’t recognise the car, but the winged “B” emblem caught her eye.

“My apologies, Professor Nathan, for keeping you waiting.”

“No problem.”

Nathan opened the door for her. “Get in.”

Chloe paused.

The man in front of her—dressed in a tailored suit, movements steady and assured—felt like someone else entirely.

Even more so when compared to the young driver, who also wore a suit but lacked the same composure.

The Nathan she remembered…

Was nothing like this.

She thought of the suit he had worn to his graduation interview—borrowed from a senior.

It had hung loosely on him, too big in the shoulders.

She had stayed up all night, sewing it to fit him properly.

Back then, he had cupped her face, kissing her again and again, praising her clever hands, telling her how lucky he was to have married her.

He had looked good in that suit.

But still boyish.

Now—

Chloe stole a glance at Nathan.

The suit fit him perfectly.

Effortless. Natural.

He really is different now…

Nathan slid into the car.

The door shut.

Inside, the enclosed space only made the silence heavier.

Unconsciously, Chloe rubbed her leg.

Nathan noticed immediately.

Even after all these years, he recognised the habit.

Before every exam, performance, or interview, she used to do the same thing.

Back then, he would always catch her hand and kiss it.

He frowned slightly, surprised that he still remembered something so trivial.

“Professor Nathan, shall we return to the conference centre?” the driver asked.

“No. Take me to my old house.”

“But several experts and officials are still waiting for your presentation.”

“It’s fine. Henry Crawford is there,” Nathan replied. “I’ll call him.”

Chloe pressed her lips together.

Was she… interfering with his work?

She wanted to tell him she was fine, that he didn’t need to stay.

But before she could speak, he had already dialled.

“I’m sorry. Something personal came up. I’ll be there later.”

“I’ll send you the materials. You can handle the presentation.”

“I’ll definitely attend tomorrow’s press conference. Don’t worry.”

“Alright. I’m sending it now.”

After hanging up, Nathan opened his laptop.

Chloe glanced at it.

Slim. Lightweight. Sleek.

Nothing like her old desktop.

He began adjusting data.

But his fingers slipped.

Numbers misaligned.

Sequences broke.

He paused.

Her sudden reappearance had unsettled him more than he cared to admit.

Taking a slow breath, he forced himself to focus, corrected the data, finalised the files, and sent them off.

Only then did he close the laptop.

Chloe had remained silent the entire time.

After a moment, she finally asked, cautiously,

“Did I interrupt your work?”

Nathan looked at her, his tone even.

“It’s fine. Just a meeting.”

“I could skip it.”

“Oh.”

She didn’t know how important the meeting had been.

But he had clearly left early… for her.

“Does it really feel like only ten hours passed for you?” Nathan asked quietly.

Chloe nodded.

“To me, it feels like my parents just dropped me off this morning.”

She hesitated, then asked quickly,

“By the way… are you still in touch with my parents?”

Nathan paused.

“Your parents…”

“What’s wrong?” Chloe’s voice tightened, unease creeping in.

Nathan looked at her.

“I haven’t been in contact with them for a long time.”

“Not in contact anymore?”

Chloe blinked, stunned.

After their marriage, her parents had liked Nathan.

Just last night, her mother had packed her suitcase full of ham for him.

And now—

They weren’t in touch.

Well…

It had been twenty-three years.

Maybe he had remarried long ago.

How could he stay connected to his ex-wife’s parents?

Nathan pressed his lips together.

After a moment, he said quietly,

“I’m sorry.”

Chloe forced a smile.

Her eyes stung, but she waved it off.

“It’s fine. Really. Everyone has their own life.”

“They’re not your biological parents anyway.”

The words fell between them.

And the air turned cold.

She didn’t know what else to say.