“Fifteen Years Later, My Ex-Wife’s Children”

Fifteen years ago, Henry Adams was a ruthless and calculating man. At that time, his career was just starting to take off. The start-up company he founded was winning contracts one after another, investment capital from friends and partners poured in, making him one of the youngest billionaires in New York. Yet in Henry’s heart, there was always an obsession: having someone to carry on the family line.

His wife, Linda Carter, the woman who had shared those difficult days with him—eating noodles mixed with rice, living in a cramped Brooklyn apartment—still had not given him a child. Linda was gentle, patient, enduring scolding from Henry’s mother, enduring family pressure. But Henry could no longer be patient. The pressure from his family, combined with his selfish ego and ambition, gradually made him change.

One autumn evening, when golden leaves littered the Manhattan sidewalks, Henry met Nicole Evans—a beautiful, young socialite who always appeared at the extravagant parties he attended. Nicole knew how to whisper sweet words into Henry’s ear: “You deserve a perfect family, children to carry on your name, not years of waiting and suffering.”

Not long after, Henry threw a divorce paper in Linda’s face on a pouring rainy afternoon. “If you can’t have children, then I’ll find someone else. I can’t let our family line die out,” he declared coldly. With two hands, he drove his wife out of the house they had built together. Linda’s eyes were swollen from crying, but Henry walked away without looking back.

Unexpectedly, karma came sooner than he imagined. Nicole, the beautiful mistress, bore him no children. Instead, she turned Henry into a walking ATM. Extravagant trips, late-night parties, designer clothes, luxury cars—all his money disappeared into Nicole’s hands. Then, she cheated on Henry to run off with a younger man. When Henry realized he had been deceived both in love and money, it was too late. He returned to a life of singlehood—wealthy, powerful, but terrifyingly lonely.

Fifteen years later, Henry, now the CEO of Adams Global Group, was rich and influential but far from happy. One January evening, he attended a prestigious award ceremony for outstanding businesspeople in New York. Holding a glass of red Cabernet, Henry forced a smile as he greeted colleagues, when the MC’s voice rang out:

“Please welcome this year’s outstanding female entrepreneur, Mrs. Linda Carter, CEO of LC Group, to the stage!”

The name “Linda Carter” made Henry’s heart skip a beat. On the stage, a woman emerged, elegant in a black evening gown, her long hair flowing, her face mature yet regal and powerful. This was Linda—the wife Henry had abandoned all those years ago.

Henry froze. She was no longer the meek, suffering woman he had known. Linda now radiated like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, her aura commanding, magnificent—Henry felt small, almost childlike. But what terrified him even more than her success was not that—it was what came next.

From backstage, two teenage boys, around 14 or 15, stepped out. Wearing sharp suits, holding flowers, they walked to the stage and smiled brightly at their mother. Henry froze in disbelief. As the boys turned toward the audience, the resemblance hit him like a thunderbolt: the same deep eyes, high straight noses, arrogant smiles… they were carbon copies of him. No DNA test was needed; anyone could see they were his children.

Henry ran toward the stage, legs shaking, heart pounding. “Linda… they… are… my… children?” he stammered, voice choked.

Linda smiled, her eyes a mix of softness and challenge. “Henry, these are Ethan and Logan, our twin sons. They are 14 years old now.”

Henry sank into his chair, mind blank. Fifteen years ago, he had abandoned the wife he loved, giving up the last glimmer of hope to chase a fake happiness with Nicole. And now, the truth hit him like a blow: he had lost the only children he could have had.

Looking at the boys, Henry couldn’t believe it. Ethan had sharp, proud eyes like him, while Logan was gentle and intelligent, a mirror of Henry in his youth. The years of deception and loneliness with Nicole had convinced him he was alone, but in reality, he had missed the greatest happiness of all.

Linda continued, “When you left, I decided to live my life my way. I didn’t have children for you; I had them for myself, and for a family I knew would be full of love. I do not hate you, Henry, but I didn’t want you in our lives. I wanted Ethan and Logan to grow up in a healthy environment, free from your selfishness and scheming.”

Henry’s hands trembled, tears streaming down his face. He realized that for 15 years, he had been wealthy but empty; true happiness had never been in dollars or mansions. It was in family, in children, in genuine relationships he had destroyed with his own hands.

A nightmare flashed through Henry’s mind: Nicole leaving with the younger man, his wallet drained, lonely nights in a penthouse, dinners alone in a vast empty room… and now, the children he never cared for, never hugged.

A cold, aching pain spread through him. He understood that he had lost not only Linda but the chance to be a father, the chance to experience complete love. Deep inside, he was terrified, knowing that for the rest of his life, this regret would haunt him.

Ethan and Logan stepped closer, standing in front of Henry, smiles shining. “Dad… do you remember us?” Ethan asked.

Henry shook, unsure of what to do. At that moment, he could only embrace his sons, a mix of warmth and piercing pain. All those years of absence, now compressed into this single moment.

Linda watched Henry, her eyes reflecting both understanding and firmness. “Henry, the path you chose is yours. You can love them now, but you cannot change the past. Live in a way worthy of these two sons you never really knew.”

Henry nodded, tears streaming down. He knew that the past 15 years had taught him a bitter lesson: money and power only bring loneliness; love and family bring true meaning.

That evening’s ceremony ended. Henry stepped out into the cold New York night, holding Ethan and Logan’s hands. Snowflakes fell on his shoulders, yet he felt warmth from his sons. Part of his life was lost forever, but at least he had the chance to make amends now.

Yet the pain of regret, the haunting memory of 15 years lost, would follow Henry for the rest of his life, like a scar that would never fade. Every time he looked at his sons laughing, he felt both happiness and heartache, remembering the cruel and selfish years of his youth.

The End.