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Chapter 17
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2024-09-30 11:08:12Related chapters
A Free Relationship Chapter 18
Quincy's theory was blunt and straightforward."If you're going to marry, make sure it's to a rich man. There's always a price to pay. You're holding onto your feelings, and I'm holding onto my money. So, we're pretty much in the same boat."Maisie didn't respond.Quincy leaned in, covering her mouth with a hand as she whispered in Maisie's ear, "But as a reminder, you need to keep your money close. He can sleep around all he wants, but you can't let him spend everything on other women."Just the other day, I saw in the news that the woman Ethan is with now is draped in Bulgari from head to toe. And look at you...""So what? It's not like it's woven from gold threads.""Don't be naive. If you don't spend Ethan's money, he'll just spend it on someone else."Maisie thought back to the last time she saw Felicia at that exclusive restaurant. She could sum it up in three words: luxurious and extravagant.After her parents divorced, she and Felicia had been split up and assigned to d
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 19
Maisie paused for a moment before realizing the implication behind Ethan's question. She reached out to grab his arm. "Don't cause a scene here. It's Bret's son's birthday—""Maisie." Ethan shook off her hand. "Just answer me. Who's the father?"The force of his push sent her stumbling.Bret, suddenly sober, rushed to grab Ethan. "Are you crazy? What's wrong with you? Who else could be the father if Mais is pregnant? How could you even ask that?"Maisie collapsed onto the table, shattering a bottle of wine in the process. Quincy hurried to help her up.Ethan loomed over her furiously. "Who is it? Tell me!"Maisie sneered. "Does it even matter?"…Deep down, Maisie yearned for an escape, perhaps a trip somewhere far away to clear her mind—anything to temporarily distance herself from the suffocating pressure of being with Ethan and Seth.Nevertheless, Coco needed her, and that meant she was stuck.When she finally got home, her phone was flooded with missed calls. Most were from Seth.
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 20
Maisie's apartment was a modest two-bedroom unit, barely over 500 square feet. She occupied the smaller bedroom, while the larger bedroom had been given over to Coco.Seth strode in and scanned the whole place in seconds.When he caught sight of Coco sprawled out on the bed in the master bedroom with her tail wagging in greeting, he merely scratched his nose and retreated."How did you even find this place?" Maisie asked.Seth deflected her question. "I've been hungry all day. I just lugged up a few dozen pounds of groceries to the 12th floor. If you're going to interrogate me, at least let me catch my breath."Maisie had no retort."I'm starving. Can you whip something up? I haven't eaten all day.""What do you want?"Seth casually gestured to the bag of groceries he had brought. "I picked these up at the supermarket. You figure out what to make."Maisie rummaged through the contents, her frown deepening with every item. "You got ripped off. These cucumbers are broken, and th
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 21
When Seth had arrived earlier, he had spotted Ethan's car right away, despite it being parked in the shadows. Therefore, he deliberately lingered at Maisie's place for a while longer before heading down.Coco was a hefty golden retriever. Seth carried her all the way and only let her down once they reached the ground floor. After disposing of the trash, he strolled leisurely over to where Ethan stood.Seth knew Ethan had spotted him.Ethan's car was parked at the roadside, and he leaned against a lamppost while smoking. The ground around him was littered with cigarette butts.Seth approached with a small smile. "Hey, you should cut down on smoking. You're about to get married, soon. Shouldn't you be prepping for a baby?""I'm already married.""Isn't a divorce imminent?" Seth countered. "I've even drafted the divorce agreement based on your specifications. It should be arriving at your office tomorrow morning."Ethan sneered. "Thanks, Seth. Off working abroad, yet you still find
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 22
Seth looked up at him. "How do you know Mais is pregnant?"Ethan replied in annoyance, "Just do the math yourself. I'm only giving you a friendly reminder.""Well, thanks for your concern, but she's not."Ethan's head snapped up. "What?""I was just throwing out the garbage and saw a pack of sanitary pads in the trash.""So, she… lied to me?""I don't think it was her intention. You probably misunderstood her, and she didn't bother to correct you."Ethan fell silent again."Ethan, for the last 15 years, you've been spoiled by Maisie's love. She's given you so much, but you've taken it all for granted. You don't even realize how lucky you are. I can't tell you how many times I've envied you."Ethan's throat felt tight. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I resisted at first. I really did…""But you still failed, didn't you?""Seth, could you have resisted if you were in my shoes? We're both men, and you know how much pressure I was under…""I could've," Seth answered confidentl
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 23
From that day on, Seth became Maisie's personal delivery guy. Since it was inconvenient for her to go grocery shopping, he made it a habit to bring fresh fruits and vegetables every day after work. Sometimes, he even picked up little household items or treats and toys for Coco.Maisie lived alone and could never finish all the food she cooked, so Seth happily took care of the leftovers. Most nights, he'd head home without imposing. But on stormy nights, he would quietly settle in the master bedroom and share the bed with Coco.The real turning point in their relationship came on a night of unexpected storms. The wind was so fierce, it rattled the windows.The new building she stayed in wasn't holding up well. Not only was the elevator out, but even the power went off. The entire apartment plunged into darkness.Maisie was terrified of thunder. She buried herself under the blankets, but worry for Coco gnawed at her.Just then, Seth knocked on the door. "Maisie, can I come in?"Her
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 24
Dylan paused for a moment, looking confused. "You... gave the child up for adoption?"Maisie shook her head. "No. I didn't carry it to term."Dylan became a bit exasperated. "I was asking if you two have children to confirm whether you've agreed on custody.""Sorry. I've never been through a divorce before and misunderstood," Maisie explained. "No. We don't have children.""Alright. Then, that settles it. If you both agree, just sign at the bottom of this form."Maisie took the form, signed her name, and slid the pen and paper over to Ethan. "Your turn."Ethan didn't move. His hands hung at his sides.Dylan asked, "Is there something you're still unsure about?"Ethan closed his eyes briefly, then suddenly grabbed Maisie's hand and started walking toward the door.Maisie was startled. "Ethan, what are you doing?"Ethan kept walking without a word.Felicia tried to follow, but Seth gently stopped her. She looked at him in surprise. "Aren't you worried about Maisie?"Seth repl
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 25
Ethan froze. "But Seth said you're not—""He's not me. How would he know?"Ethan swallowed hard, clinging to a last shred of hope. "How far along?"Maisie replied coldly, "It's not yours. Let's go back and finish the paperwork."She turned and walked back inside, where Seth met her. "You okay?"She nodded. "What's he going to do? Hit me?"Seth chuckled. "Fair point."Maisie sat down and waited. After a few minutes, Ethan still hadn't returned.She sighed and turned to Felicia. "Can you go get him? Let's just finish this."Felicia bit her lip and stepped outside.A short while later, Felicia returned with Ethan. She pushed a pen into his hand and pointed at the blank space on the form. "Sign it."Out of the corner of her eye, Maisie noticed how badly Ethan's hand was shaking. It was to the point he could barely hold the pen. In the end, Felicia had to guide his hand to help him sign."Maisie, it's done.""Thanks."Felicia smiled. "No problem."The paperwork was submitted,
Last Updated : 2024-09-30
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A Free Relationship Chapter 43
Ethan wrote a letter for Maisie. The letter read, "Maisie, you may never read this letter, but I want to write it anyway. Consider this a letter for myself. "Maisie, Seth told me that if he were the one who approached you when you were at your lowest point that night 15 years ago, things would have turned out differently for the three of us."I thought long and hard about that. He was right. Things would have been different. You would've fallen for him and led a good life with him. "You wouldn't have to endure the hardships of being poor. You wouldn't even have to cook. Most importantly, you wouldn't have to feel the pain of being betrayed by the man you loved."If I could rewind time, I would still choose to be the first one to get to you. "Maisie, I couldn't possibly give up on what we had. The 15 years we spent together felt like a dream to me."I was like a man dying from thirst who found an oasis. Even though I knew the oasis would thrive even more in another man's hand
A Free Relationship Chapter 42
Felicia could never forget that day. Both she and Ethan thought Maisie would choose to get a divorce out of anger once she saw the intimate pictures of her and Ethan.Then, she would probably cut ties with Ethan forever. Maisie didn't do any of that. She was pregnant at the time. She went up to the balcony and jumped down.Felicia felt like Ethan's soul had left his body when he heard the news. He rushed to the hospital like a demented man. But he didn't go in. He hid behind a trash can next to a staircase in a corner. He clenched his teeth as he cried. Then, he muttered, "Everything's okay as long as he's here…"Felicia looked at the tall man standing outside the ICU. He had a striking presence and appeared very mature and composed. His features also resembled Ethan's a little. Felicia later found out that the man was named Seth Shaw and that he was Ethan's cousin.Ethan told her, "When my first attempt at starting my own business failed, I had wanted her to go with Seth. He
A Free Relationship Chapter 41
Just to make sure there were no mistakes, Seth went to the Ford residence and brought some stuff that Ethan's parents had used. That way, the police would be able to extract their DNA and compare it with the body. The coroner said, "We've already ruled out the possibility of homicide. This won't be a criminal case."Seth nodded. "Did you find any traces of alcohol in the body? Could it have been drunk driving? Or maybe the poor visibility at night that caused him not to see the lake?"The coroner said, "There weren't any traces of alcohol. Based on our deductions, the time of death should be around three days ago in the afternoon. The lighting should be sufficient enough. So, there was no way he could've missed it.""Then… an accident?""It's probably a suicide."Seth was at a loss for words. "We found a significant amount of sleeping pills in his system. Other than that, there's also a lot of half-burnt coal in the car. "The gaps in the car doors were tightly sealed with
A Free Relationship Chapter 40
Coco passed away six months after Maisie got married to Seth. Although Maisie had been preparing herself for that moment, she still felt as if the memories of the past 15 years of her life were gone along with Coco. She contacted a pet cremation center and went to Shelkin City alone. She scattered Coco's ashes under the tree where she and Ethan first met her. "Maisie. You're Maisie, right?"Maisie recognized the woman before her. "Mrs. Smith."Over a decade had passed. Her former landlady, Maria Wade, was holding the hands of her grandson who was around five years old. Maria asked with a smile, "Are you here for a stay?"Maisie shook her head. "No. I'm just visiting.""Your boyfriend came to stay for a bit a while back. I was wondering why you hadn't come with him. I tried to ask him, but he wouldn't tell me.""He came to stay here?""Yeah. He stayed for over six months. He only moved out last month. You didn't know about that?""We've broken up."Maria sighed. "Is that
A Free Relationship Chapter 39
Macy never saw Ethan again from that day onward. Her calls never went through, and she couldn't even see him when she went to his office. Macy couldn't accept this outcome. How could the man who said he loved her a moment ago leave her without the slightest hint of hesitation the next moment? She was only 18 years old. She couldn't figure out what was going on. Was the love of the rich really so fickle? She didn't understand when Ethan claimed to love her. She still couldn't comprehend it after he left.One of the advantages of being young was the determination to get to the bottom of things. Finally, she managed to run into Jeremy near the entrance of Ford Group. She had met Jeremy twice before. She knew he was a close friend of Ethan and his business partner. He was also her only shot at finding Ethan at that point. "Mr. Lloyd!"Jeremy stopped in his tracks. "Do I know you?""Did you forget about me? I'm Macy."Jeremy was taken aback. "Maisie?"Macy thought Jeremy had
A Free Relationship Chapter 38
Macy opened her eyes. She was a little confused. Why was the man who treated her like his most precious treasure a while ago suddenly so cold toward her?She thought she had done something wrong. So, she quickly held his arm and swung it playfully. "Mr. Ford, thank you for celebrating my birthday with me. This is the happiest birthday I've ever had."Looking into the distance, Ethan asked, "What made you feel happy?""Because you prepared a fireworks show just for me. It's even grander than the ones seen in theme parks. I bet the whole city saw the fireworks!""And that made you happy?""Of course!" Macy rested her head on Ethan's shoulder and said, "Thank you, Mr. Ford.""It's not me who you have to thank.""Then, who should I thank?"Who should she thank? The image of him and Maisie envisioning their future in the basement of Shelkin City appeared in his mind. …Back then, he was still a young man who had nothing. He held Maisie in his arms and rested his chin on her flu
A Free Relationship Chapter 37
Seth talked to Maisie about Waylon's request when he went home. That night, Maisie had trouble sleeping. Seth felt terrible for her and regretted telling her about Waylon's request. He felt like he should've come up with an excuse to turn Waylon down. He wrapped his arms around Maisie's waist and pulled her closer. "You don't have to think about it anymore. I'll turn him down tomorrow.""That's not it. I think I hear someone calling for me."Seth held his breath and listened for a moment. "I don't hear anything.""I'm confused, too. It's like I hear someone calling my name as soon as I close my eyes."Seth thought about Felicia. "Could something have happened to Felicia?"Maisie had no idea. She figured that Felicia was probably fine since she was with Ethan.Seth picked up her phone and placed it before her. "Why don't you give her a call if you're worried?"Maisie didn't move. "Are you still angry at her?"Maisie shook her head. "We're twins. I could never stay angry at
A Free Relationship Chapter 36
Seth was extremely pleased when he got to work the next day. Even the cleaning lady could tell. "Mr. Shaw, you look very happy. Did you win another case?"Seth cleared his throat. He wanted to say that he was very pleased with the effects of the beef and lentil soup he had the night before, but he couldn't say that out loud. So, he shook the pink-colored bag he was carrying. "My wife made lunch for me."The cleaning lady understood immediately. "Your wife must be a great cook.""Yeah. She's great.""You've changed since you got married, Mr. Shaw. You worked overtime until it was so late last night. Your wife must've felt so bad for you, right?"For some reason, her words made Seth feel a sense of serenity. "That's right. She felt so bad for me that she made a whole feast for me. It was a magnificent spread!""Oh, really?""Yeah. She wanted me to eat my fill, so she made all sorts of tasty dishes."Someone tapped him on the shoulder before he could finish talking. Waylon
A Free Relationship Chapter 35
After the wedding, Maisie's life was relatively comfortable. Apart from Francis occasionally asking when they planned to have kids, Maisie felt that marrying Seth wasn't a bad decision. He was a mature man, so he was emotionally stable, attentive, and gentle. Besides his rather intense needs in the bedroom, she was the one wearing the pants for most of their relationship. Seth rarely voiced any objections.Seth had told Maisie he was planning to buy a new marital home and renovate it to her liking. After all, his current apartment was decorated in a minimalist black-and-white style, which wasn't exactly warm and cozy. The small apartment Maisie was renting was a bit out of the way, plus the bed was too small.It seemed that Maisie still had her guard up. Her bedroom still only had a single bed that was just over three feet wide.Fortunately, they were both slim. Even though it was cramped, Seth didn't mind holding her close as they slept. But after a while, Seth started to
