You're Out, Daddy novel (Natasha and Kenneth)

Chapter 227

“I have no idea what really transpired. That day, as usual, I went to meet Terence for chess. Nat's parents were back in the village not too long ago and he told me they decided to stay on for good to spend time with their daughter. You and Nat went out to play but for some unknown reason, Nat suddenly ran home by herself and witnessed her parent's death. A fire also started in the house, and according to the neighbors and Nat, you were the one who saved her. Unfortunately, when you were making your way out, a cabinet fell and trapped the two of you there. We almost lost you in that fire! Thank goodness the neighbors arrived and saved you two. They sent you to the hospital, but when you regained consciousness, you could not remember a single thing anymore...”

“What about Nat?” Kenneth asked.

“She did not suffer from amnesia, but since that incident, she never spoke again...” Liam signed as he vividly recalled that fateful day.

Kenneth listened to Liam's narration with furrowed brows.

He had no impression of the incident, and the whole event seemed like someone else s story. However, he could imagine Natasha witnessing her parent's death at such a young age and being badly traumatized.

His heart ached for her, and at that moment, he secretly vowed that he would protect her from harm from then on.

“You suffered from amnesia and injuries, so I brought you back to Glenport City for treatment. Terence was devastated as he lost both his son and daughter-in-law at the same time. It was a double whammy for him when he discovered Nat could not speak anymore after the incident. Thank goodness she managed to regain her speech a year later. I cannot imagine how Terence could bear it if she did not...” Liam let out another resigned sigh as he recalled the sad episode.

He felt deeply for Terence as he had gone through the same pain of losing a son. Although that happened more than twenty years ago, Liam was still filled with sorrow when he looked back on those sad memories.

Kenneth's eyes were dim when he asked, “Who did that? And why?”

Liam shook his head and said, “No idea. The police looked through whatever surveillance footage they could get hold of, but there were no helpful leads. To be fair, the country was less developed at that time and there were not many surveillance cameras around. In the end, after a few months of investigation, the police failed to identify a suspect, so it became another cold case that remained unsolved.”

Kenneth pursed his lips and fell into deep thoughts.

Liam got worried and anxiously pleaded, “Please don't bring this up to Terence and Nat and send them into sorrow again.”

“Don't worry. I am not that insensible!” Kenneth assured him, then asked, “So Old Mr. Watson gave up and left it at that?”

“What else can he do? No parent would agree to let the murderer of their child go scot-free, but his priority then was Nat, his only family left. She was the sole reason he stayed alive, and he was so worried for her. What would you have done if you were in his position? I am sure he was aggrieved, but also terrified...” Liam said.

Although Terence never shared how he was suffering, Liam knew him well enough to understand his pain.

Kenneth finally understood why Terence seemed to harbor such animosity toward him. If he was in Terence's shoes, he would probably have similar, or maybe even more drastic, reactions.

Suddenly, he thought of something and asked, “Oh, Grandpa! What did Nat's parents do for a living?”

Liam thought hard about it for a moment, then replied rather uncertainly. “I am not really sure about it. Her father's work was computer-related, and her mother... Hmm... Terence did mention that to me before, but I can't recall it now. Nat's parents were always away and I rarely got to meet them, so I seldom ask about them.”

“Computer-related?” That piqued Kenneth's curiosity.

“Yes. At that time, not many people were in that industry. That is why it left an

impression on me,” Liam explained.

“Do you know which field he specialized in?” Kenneth probed.

Liam shook his head and questioned, “Why are you probing into that?”

Kenneth held back and glossed over it by saying, “Oh, I am just curious.” Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Liam suddenly asked, “And you are not curious how and why Nat started speaking again?”

The weird look in Liam's eyes made Kenneth suspicious. “Don't tell me it has something to do with me?” he speculated.

Bingo! Liam nodded and shared, “Nat was traumatized and did not speak a single word for a whole year after that incident. As a last resort, Terence brought her to Glenport City for consultation and treatment. Unfortunately, none of the doctors could figure out what was wrong. One day, I brought you to visit her, and when she saw you, she spoke!” “What did she say?”

“She just called your name - Kenneth...”

Kenneth had no idea why but his heart skipped a beat when Liam told him that.

“Unfortunately, by then, you were not interested in hanging out with Nat anymore and behaved coldly toward her. Not long after, Terence brought her back to the village, and you never met up again until you reached marriageable age. That was why I made arrangements for your wedding and insisted that you go ahead with it despite your protests. You were the one who wanted to marry her when you were young, and then you randomly changed your mind. You don't care about keeping your promises, but I am a man of honor. To think you have the gall to blame me for your problems now!” Liam fumed.

“But you never told me this before!” Kenneth protested.

“Would it have made a difference if I told you? You would think I made it up so as to force you into accepting the marriage! Moreover, it is a tragic past for the Watson family, so I don’t think it is appropriate for me to go around telling people about it,” Liam reasoned.

Kenneth blinked his eyes, guilty as charged. He likely would have reacted as Liam had predicted.

However, he was more curious about another matter. “So Nat willingly married me then?” he asked.

“Did you think Terence put a knife to her neck and forced her to marry you? He reluctantly consented to the marriage because of our friendship and also because you were Nat's savior. Otherwise, you might not even stand a chance!” Liam said.

Kenneth had no recollection of what happened in the past, but he was pretty sure Natasha went in with a clear head.

Suddenly, it occurred to him that Natasha never spoke about the matter, so she actually might have married him out of her own free will a few years back!

He could not help but wonder if she did that out of gratitude to him, for having saved her life when they were young, or if she had other reasons.

There was a solemn look in Kenneth's eyes. Deep inside, he was beating himself up for being such a jerk to poor Natasha, who had suffered so much.