"Women can behave very foolishly at times. They can sacrifice everything for the sake of love!" Fiona
exclaimed. She thought very little of Shyla's love for Ethon because it had never been reciprocated.
People lived with too many regrets, pain, and sorrow often accompanying unrequited love or a break-
up of lovers.
"Do you pity her?" Ethon asked, raising his eyebrows.
"No, I hate her! It's as the old saying goes, 'Miserable people must have awful attributes!'" Frowning,
she shook her head.
Ethon stared at her for a few seconds before suddenly reaching out and pulling her into his arms.
Resting his chin on her head, he rubbed her waist with his other hand. "What are you doing?" Fiona
asked in a flirtatious tone.
"Will you marry me, Nana?" Ethon smiled as he narrowed his eyes. He looked serious and intent, the
depths of his love evident in his eyes.
Ethon's was a marriage proposal with neither flowers nor a ring. Fiona had painted the scene of her
proposal in her mind ten million times over, but nothing prepared her for the immense joy she felt when
it did finally happen.
However, they were both in the office, and Fiona was stunned into silence. She had never expected
that he would propose to her at work and thought it was very romantic.
"Ethon... Aren't we too young to be getting married so soon?" she asked, stuttering from her
excitement.
"You think we are too young? Nana, did you just graduate from kindergarten? Don't you want to marry
me?" Ethon was not bothered at all.
They both loved each other very much. After they had moved in together, they had done what they
should and shouldn't have. Stanley and Madeline who were Fiona's guardians were also aware that
she was in a relationship with Ethon. They had no objections to it. They thought it best to let the two
decide what they wanted for their future. It was needless to interfere.
It was just like what happened between Mandy and Nathan several years ago. At first, Madeline had
not been in support of their relationship because at the time, Nathan had a reputation for being a
playboy in City A. However, despite lots of troubles early on, Mandy and Nathan were able to sort out
their differences and rebuild their relationship. They were now reunited.
Over the past three years that Mandy had been away, Nathan had paid more attention to Stanley and
his wife, as well as the Zhou Group's business. Thanks to him, the company's assets had increased
over tenfold in that time. He'd introduced many major clients to Stanley, and the Zhou Group and JS
International had built up a good collaboration. The Zhou Group had now become one of the many
significant companies in City A. Nathan had done all this for Mandy's sake.
When Mandy and Nathan were dating three years ago, Nathan hadn't paid much attention to the Zhou
Group. It was after she secretly left City A that the business had begun to thrive.
Nathan had carried a sense of guilt in his heart at the time. He was fully aware that Mandy would
certainly hate him, but he could do nothing to change that. After all, he and Sharon had had a brief
affair, although that was all in the past. And it was gone forever!
"Of course, I do! But will your parents agree? You know... It's said that a marriage without the parents'
blessing won't be happy and lasting," frowning, she expressed her concerns in a soft tone.
She had thought about it many times, how nice it would be if his parents could accept her as their
daughter-in-law.
"If you marry me, you'll be my wife! My parents will have to give you their blessing. I think they will
understand us one day!" He paused before adding, "Nana, please don't hate my mom. The poor
woman never met love in her life. My dad doesn't love her at all! You know I have a half-brother, Colin.
His mother used to be my father's favorite," Ethon related calmly.
"I already know about Colin, but you've never told me that there's no love between your parents."
Fiona's face stiffened as a strange feeling rose in her heart. Ethon's words resonated with her as her
parents' marriage had been quite similar. Her father had also been unfaithful to her mother.
With those memories she had carried with her through all those years, she'd always felt unsafe.
Whenever she'd fallen in love, she'd been guarded about her emotions and never dared to express
them. She'd become very good at self-preservation, and would quickly retreat when she sensed
anything amiss. Her situation was much like how an ostrich hides its head in the sand at any sign of
trouble.
"My mother and father have a miserable marriage because it was arranged for them by their parents.
Do you think that was true love? Do you think that a couple who does not love each other can live a
happy life?" Ethon said with a deep sigh. As a child, he'd struggled to understand how his father could
keep loving another woman after marrying his mother. Now, it finally made sense to him.
He imagined that if he broke up with Fiona and married Shyla instead, then Shyla would become a
second Monica. But he didn't want to repeat his parents' mistakes. He wanted to have a romantic
relationship with Fiona and stay with her for the rest of their lives.
"My father once had an affair with another woman, and later my mother did the same. It was
emotionally traumatizing for me. I have often wondered why such a bad thing happened to me," she
paused. "Sometimes, I'd go shopping and see those people who came along with their parents. I used
to admire them very much!"
"We were in similar situations when we were young. Now, let's cherish and love each other for the rest
of our lives!" Ethon encouraged, gently stroking her hair. He couldn't help but smile.
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