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Chapter 23
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2024-09-30 11:08:12Related chapters
A 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 : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 26
Seth walked over while carrying a grocery bag in his hand.Maisie was surprised. "Did you put a tracker on me? How do you always know where to find me?"Seth glanced down and noticed Quincy hiding under the table. Quincy clasped her hands together and pleaded silently.Seth stepped sideways, positioning himself to block Quincy from view before replying."I was just planning to head home after grabbing some groceries, but I ran into a client on the way. He needed to come by this area, so I gave him a ride.""A client?""Yeah."Maisie suddenly connected the dots with Quincy's nervous reaction. She immediately asked, "Is he still in your car?"Seth nodded. "Yes. I came to pick you up, and he's waiting in the car."Maisie said, "I'm just going to run to the restroom. Wait for me in the car."Seth played along. "Parking's tight here. I'll move the car to the lot ahead and come back for you.""No need. It's just a short walk. I'll meet you there."Seth didn't push it. "Alright.
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 27
That night, Maisie tossed and turned, unable to sleep.She couldn't shake the image of Quincy's terrified expression, Waylon's questionable sexual orientation, and the infamous rich heir who was rumored to abuse Quincy regularly.Maisie couldn't make sense of it. Perhaps she just didn't dare to think too deeply. The world was far filthier than she had ever imagined.Ethan's ambiguous relationship with his sister-in-law, as well as her own complicated relationship with Seth—she thought she had already crossed the line, rebelling against the norms. But today's events shattered her understanding even further.Unable to sleep, she went to the living room for some water and saw Seth sitting on the couch. He removed the laptop from his lap and frowned slightly as he went to get a coat for her.As he draped the coat over her, he said, "It's cold at night. Why are you only wearing your pajamas?"It was indeed cold. However, compared to physical coldness, Maisie felt even colder in her he
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 28
It seemed that growing up always came with a certain amount of pain.After two consecutive blows, Maisie became much more mature and talked less. Nevertheless, she gained a new perspective on things. So, when Ethan called, she didn't ignore him this time."Mais," Ethan greeted softly."Mr. Ford," Maisie replied.Ethan choked up and couldn't speak for a long time."Is there something you need?" Maisie asked. She almost thought she was imagining things, but it felt like she could hear the sound of his heart breaking on the other end of the line.After some time, he spoke up, "Grandpa is holding his birthday banquet this weekend. He's been asking about you and hoping that we can attend the banquet together. He's turning 90 this year, and his health isn't good. The doctor says this might be his last birthday. "Could you… not mention our divorce just for now?"Lance Ford had been a war veteran in his youth. Because of that, his body had suffered from lingering ailments. He was ab
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 29
Lance's birthday banquet was held with great grandeur. Almost all the prominent figures of Halom City attended out of respect for Ethan. His company had grown rapidly, and many had heard rumors that he was planning to enter the North Alwarian market by the end of the year to compete with established games like Realm of Wars.Ethan was surrounded by a crowd of people and couldn't move an inch. He glanced over in Maisie's direction. She was sitting next to Lance on the floor, looking like an adorable little girl as she chatted with him. Her playful words made Lance chortle heartily."Excuse me. I need to say hello to my grandpa," Ethan said as he made his way through the crowd.He arrived just in time to hear the laughter and cheerful conversation around them.Lance pointed at Maisie, who was by his side, and said, "You've spoiled her rotten! She's gotten bold enough to say anything she pleases."Maisie grinned mischievously and continued in a playful tone, "But I'm not wrong, am
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 30
Seth chuckled. "It's 25 miles from here to home. And you want me to carry you all the way back?""Mm-hm. Do you think you can do it?""Of course! A man can't say he can't."Maisie snuggled into his arms, teasing him playfully, "Hey, I heard that once a man hits 35 years old, he starts losing his strength. You don't have much time left, do you?""Maisie, I'm starting my annual leave next week.""So?""Are you sure you want to provoke me like this?"Maisie instantly backed down. She dropped to her knees theatrically, raising both her gloved hands in a thumbs-up. "Just kidding! You're number one!"Her cute gesture melted Seth's heart.It also softened Ethan's. He watched as those small hands were gently clasped by Seth's larger ones and tucked into the pockets of his coat to keep them warm."Ethan," Seth said, "we've already wished Mr. Ford Senior a happy birthday, so I'm going to take Maisie home now."Ethan snapped out of his daze. "The banquet hasn't even started yet. Why do
Last Updated : 2024-09-30A Free Relationship Chapter 31
Maisie and Seth's wedding was set for February 14th—Valentine's Day.Maisie wasn't really excited about the whole marriage thing anymore. In her view, relationships came together and drifted apart as fate dictated. Even with someone like Seth, she wasn't certain they'd be together till the end. Over time, she even came to think that Ethan might have been right about one thing.Expecting a male to be loyal to a single female for life went against basic biological instincts. This was especially the case for someone like Seth. He was handsome, capable, and from a prominent family. The temptations he'd face were only going to be greater than Ethan's.The reverse was also true. She couldn't guarantee she'd stay in love with Seth forever, either. She once thought she'd love Ethan until the end of time, but here she was, having let go and moved on with Seth. People would change. Until the day one died, no one really knew what the future held.But things were complicated on Seth's side.
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
