Maisie smiled, looking down at Ethan with a smug expression. "Don't ask. It's for your own good.""Did you really hook up with another man last night?""Yup!" Maisie laughed out loud and said, "He's better than you."Ethan fell silent."Ethan, you know, even after all these years together, you've never once made me have an orgasm. But he did, all night long," Maisie continued, her voice getting more excited."You're useless, Ethan. If I'd known how much more the world has to offer, I'd have tried it sooner instead of settling on you. If I hadn't slept with another man, I wouldn't have known that there's someone better out there."Maisie added, "Have you given Felicia an orgasm before? I bet she probably faked it, too. My sister and I are both pretty good actresses."While Ethan was rendered speechless, Maisie unbuttoned her shirt slowly and showed him the hickeys on her body. "It's not just my chest. Here, here, and here…"She pointed between her legs. "There, too. Want to take
Tension filled the air in an instant.Ethan stared at Seth in disbelief, while Seth merely stood there, unbothered. Felicia held onto Ethan's arm tightly as she feared that he might lash out again.Meanwhile, Jeremy looked the worst. His face was bruised, the corner of his mouth split, and his glasses shattered into pieces, scattering on the ground.Maisie was starting to sober up. She felt a pang of guilt and softly asked Jeremy, "Are you okay?""Quit it." Seth pulled her back and nodded toward Ethan, who looked ready to pounce at any moment.Then, he turned to Jeremy. "You should go. Get yourself to a hospital."Jeremy slowly got up, using a nearby pillar for support. He glanced at Ethan, then at Maisie. "Maisie, if you and Ethan are really over—""Get lost!"This time, it was Seth's turn to get angry.Ethan shoved Felicia aside, causing her to stumble several steps back and nearly fall over. But he didn't care. He stormed up to Seth, his eyes burning with fury. "Seth, are y
Seth leaned down and kissed her, but Maisie pulled away slightly.He stopped, confused.Maisie felt awkward by his stare. "Sorry.""Let me guess. You're going to say we shouldn't see each other anymore, right?"Maisie wanted to deny it, but Seth had already read her mind."Whether it's me or Jeremy, we've both been tools in your little revenge plot against Ethan. Now that you've gotten what you wanted, I'm no longer useful. So, you're just going to leave?"Maisie mumbled guiltily, "I... I don't have to leave right away.""Maisie, what do you take me for? A toy for your amusement?"She retorted, "It takes two to tango. If you're going to say that, then I'm just a life-sized doll to you."He scoffed. "I never realized how free-spirited you are."Maisie said nothing."Or is it that you love Ethan so much that you're willing to plot and scheme, be it to keep him or get back at him? But for those you don't care about, you're completely detached."Seth's voice dropped. "Like me."
Seth had actually moved out. Maisie slept for days, recovering from the emotional torment caused by Ethan and Felicia, along with the physical exhaustion from sleeping with Seth repetitively. Eventually, she began to feel like herself again. She wasn't fond of takeout, and there was a small supermarket nearby. So, she went on a shopping spree and stocked Seth's otherwise empty fridge, which had held nothing but a few cans of beer. His apartment was large, occupying over 1,000 square feet. However, as he lived alone, only the master bedroom showed signs of use. The study and gym were well-furnished, but the treadmill was covered in dust.Maisie had nothing to do, so she cleaned the place from top to bottom for three days. While cooking her own meals and enjoying the spotless space, she finally felt like she was back to normal. During the period of conflict with Ethan, she had felt like a completely different person as her mind had been weighed down with resentment. She hadn't l
The first time Seth had seen Maisie had been on his way out of the library after an evening study session. She had been huddled in a hidden corner by the entrance, crouching with a few stray cats.She had been so small, barely bigger than the cats themselves. It had been pouring outside, and she hadn't had an umbrella, clearly stranded there by the rain.He had started toward her and had intended to offer his umbrella, but Ethan had beaten him to it. The latter had rushed up from behind, asking, "Seth, do you know her?"Seth had shaken his head."Then, let's go." Ethan hadn't understood why Seth hadn't moved. He glanced back at Maisie and realized she had seemed to be crying. Her eyes had been red and puffy, and her face had been pale.Many years later, Seth would learn that it had been the day Maisie's parents had divorced.It had turned out that her father had been unfaithful and had another child with his mistress. Out of anger, her mother had taken Felicia and had moved abroa
Seth had felt pathetic. He had promised himself that he'd give up if this didn't work. But then, he had heard sounds from the room next door at the hotel.The rough breathing of a man, along with the soft moans of a woman.He had succeeded.Perhaps it had been the alcohol or the pressure from work. More likely, it had been the woman Seth had hired—seductive, skilled, and impossible for Ethan to resist.Either way, Ethan had cheated.The two of them had carried on through the night, while Seth had lain awake in his room, staring at the ceiling.…The next morning, Ethan had called, crying, "Seth, do you have time? I could really use a drink."At the bar, Ethan had silently downed glass after glass of alcohol. Seth had tried to stop him. "Take it easy. Your health matters."But Ethan had been on the edge. "Just let me drink."Seth had known why, so he hadn't intervened again. In the end, he had taken Ethan home when he had been completely wasted.Maisie had been worried sick.
Seth had thought that after more than a decade of betrayal, Maisie would surely choose to leave. But he had underestimated her endurance.She had cried, fought, and broken down. Yet, in the end, she always forgave.This time, though, Seth finally understood. It wasn't that Maisie couldn't let go of Ethan. It was that she couldn't let go of the only lifeline she had clung to all these years.Ethan had been the one who pulled her out of her darkest moments. She was terrified of drowning in sorrow again, so she held on to him tightly and refused to let go no matter what.She feared being swept away by the current or dragged under by the waves.Since that was the case, Seth thought he could become her new lifeline. He could replace Ethan.Felicia had been an unexpected bonus. When Seth found out Ethan had been involved with her, he knew that the time had come.He had waited for six months before Maisie finally called. His hand that had held the cigarette had trembled as he had answe
Maisie soon found a place to stay and moved out with Coco. However, in her haste, the new apartment had its shortcomings.It was a newly rented unit in a somewhat desolate area, and it lacked convenient amenities. But Coco was happy as there was a large grassy area downstairs where she could play.Maisie bought a stroller and took her out for walks every day. Coco's health was declining, and even walking a few steps left her panting heavily.After a trip to the vet, the doctor advised her to prepare for the worst because Coco's condition could worsen at any time. So, Maisie devoted as much time as possible to being with her and tried to make her last days as joyful as they could be.On the weekend, Bret Walkman, her former class representative, called to invite her and Ethan to celebrate his newborn son's first birthday. Maisie didn't tell Ethan and took a cab to the event alone.The celebration was held at a restaurant in the city center. She was slightly delayed because of Coco'
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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