Blurb：
After seven years with wealthy boyfriend Caleb Hawthorne, Lily Thorne receives nothing but heartbreak. When Caleb proposes then takes back the engagement ring to marry his childhood sweetheart Vivian Reed, Lily’s world shatters. Her grandmother suffers a fatal heart attack after witnessing Caleb’s extravagant engagement party at the luxury hotel. On Christmas Eve, as fireworks light the sky, Grandma passes away while Lily desperately needed $15,000 for emergency surgery.
Now, Lily Thorne stands coldly as Caleb Hawthorne returns from meeting Vivian’s parents, still believing Lily is merely jealous. He offers empty promises and a pathetic $50 transfer, unaware Lily has accepted an overseas job and is leaving forever. This emotional romance novel explores betrayal, heartbreak, and a woman’s journey from being a secret mistress to finding independence. Will Lily confront the wealthy Hawthorne family? Can she escape Caleb’s manipulative grip? Discover the dramatic twists in this billionaire romance filled with engagement scandals, family drama, and ultimate revenge.
Content：
My wealthy boyfriend came from a rich family. We’d been together for seven years, yet he’d never given me a single gift. After proposing, he even asked for the engagement ring back to return it.
Then he turned around and married his childhood sweetheart, hurriedly booking the city’s most luxurious hotel for their extravagant engagement party.
My grandmother was so distraught she suffered a heart attack. I knelt on the ground, begging my boyfriend to return the salary I’d saved with him over the years for her emergency surgery.
He just held his new fiancée and pretended not to know me, signaling his bodyguards to throw me out.
Later, my grandmother passed away on Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Day, I arranged Grandma’s funeral alone and accepted an offer from an overseas corporation.
When I returned home to get my passport, my boyfriend had just finished meeting his sweetheart’s parents. In high spirits, he assumed I was merely sulking and made his first generous promise,
“Enough now. Your grandmother can’t be that bad off. At worst, I’ll give you a proper wedding so she can enjoy some prestige too.”
But he didn’t know—from the moment Grandma took her last breath, I never wanted to marry him again.
I had just retrieved my passport when a hand snatched it from my grasp.
“Looking for something so intently you didn’t even notice I was back?”
My boyfriend, Caleb Hawthorne, had just entered, the tip of his nose red from the cold.
Seeing it was a passport, his faint smile vanished, brow furrowing.
“What do you need this for? Planning a trip? I told you, Vivian’s family is pressuring her. Marrying her is just to help her out, we’ll get a quiet divorce soon.”
I didn’t even look up, coldly retrieving the passport.
He rubbed his chilled fingers together.
The old me would have immediately asked if he was cold, ready with a heating pad and warm water.
But today, I remained distant.
He cupped my face, the chill washing over me, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“Lily Thorne, are you really that jealous? Think about it – all those high-society people were watching! If word got back to my father, we’d both be in trouble!”
I laughed bitterly to myself.
To him, I was just a secret distraction.
I pried his hands away, but he wrapped them around me again.
His cold fingers tilted my chin up as he examined the scratches on my cheek with feigned concern.
“Those bodyguards have a death wish, turning my Lily into a scratched-up kitten. I’ll have their wages docked!”
There it was again. No matter how angry I was before, his persistence always won me over.
But not this time.
Seven days ago, at the engagement party, on Caleb’s orders, the bodyguards had thrown me out of the hotel, pushing me to the ground.
“A social climber. Mr. Hawthorne and Miss Reed are a perfect match. I’ve seen plenty of gold diggers like you!”
Bystanders pointed and laughed, mocking me for begging a man for money on my knees.
My dignity had long been stripped away long ago.
Returning to the present, Caleb, seeing I was still upset, played his trump card.
He brought over a box of health supplements by the door.
“For your grandmother. Stop using her surgery as an excuse to get my attention. It’s pathetic.”
My grandmother, who I depended on, had wanted to see Caleb and me get married, to give her blessing.
But what she witnessed was Caleb marrying someone else. She collapsed on the spot.
The doctor told me Grandma needed a 0-05,000 surgery to have a chance.
On Christmas Eve, I begged people for money, getting hung up on or called a curse.
Amid the fireworks, Grandma closed her eyes, leaving me completely alone…
Remembering her pale face, my heart ached, eyes instantly reddening.
I didn’t take the supplements, coldly stating,
“Caleb, we…”
We’re over.
Before I could finish, Caleb interrupted,
“Enough. You and your grandmother have been celebrating the Christmas, you must be short on cash, right?”
He tapped his phone, transferring $50 to me.
“Consider this for your grandmother’s supplements. No IOU needed.”
It was laughable. Afraid I was after his money, he made me hand over my salary, doling out an allowance with his approval.
Every time he transferred money, he demanded an IOU.
After seven years, I was the one deep in debt to Caleb.
I used to think it was because his family had a company, making him money-conscious, so I indulged him.
But his frugality was only for me.
He could splurge on a diamond necklace for Vivian Reed or buy her a villa without blinking, each time making headlines.
Money shows where the heart lies.
Snapping back to reality, I immediately transferred the $200 back, coldly stating,
“No need. I don’t want it.”
Caleb finally looked at me seriously, seeming to recall something, and said resignedly,
“Think it’s too little? I promise you, we’ll have a wedding, okay? Let your grandmother have her moment of prestige. You and your family are all the same…”
Prestige.
The word stung, yet I’d endured it for seven years.
I just wanted a normal relationship with mutual gifts and dates, but he accused me of being materialistic and social climbing, saying I coveted his family’s wealth.
“No wedding needed. You and I aren’t married.”
Caleb’s handsome face fell completely, revealing the anger I knew so well.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Caleb shot me a look and went to open it.
The next second, I heard his voice lift,
“What are you doing here?”
I glanced over and saw Vivian Reed at the door, wearing a couple’s-style down jacket with Caleb.
She playfully punched his chest and laughed brightly,
“Little Prince, my girlfriends are here and want to see what my fiancé looks like. Come with me for the day.”
Peeking past Caleb, she looked at me, batting her innocent big eyes provocatively,
“Lily Thorne, you won’t be upset, right? You weren’t upset the other day. Caleb and I are just like siblings, you know.”
As she spoke, she pretended to be cold, interlocking her fingers with Caleb’s, flashing their matching engagement rings.
Caleb looked at her adoringly, expertly tucking her hand into his pocket to warm it.
“Why would she be upset? Don’t worry, I’ll save your face!”
With that, Caleb grabbed his car keys and turned to leave.
After two steps, he seemed to remember me, let go of Vivian’s hand, came over, cupped my face, and kissed the corner of my mouth.
“Don’t worry, this is the last time. I’ll be with you every day after this.”
But Caleb, we have no “after this” anymore.
I wiped my mouth hard, watching them leave noisily.
Then I turned and picked up the resignation letter I’d prepared earlier.
After approximately a week-long Christmas holiday, colleagues have returned to work. Noticing my late arrival, they all exchanged knowing glances and stifled their laughter behind their hands.
“Look who decided to show up! The gold digger who made a scene at Mr. Hawthorne’s engagement”
“All that false pride because she lasted seven years with him. Even stray dogs beg with more dignity.”
Ignoring the taunts, I walked straight into the HR office.
The HR manager didn’t bother looking up from his computer,
“Your resignation’s submitted. Once Mr. Hawthorne signs off, you can clear your desk. Don’t expect any severance in your situation.”
I simply nodded, said nothing, and left the company.
Outside, the winter sun was setting. Just after the Christmas, the streets were full of couples and families enjoying the post-holiday atmosphere.
And me, all alone.
A huge sense of loneliness washed over me.
My only family, my career of many years, and my lover were all gone.
I walked alone along the familiar route I’d traveled for seven years, between the office and what used to be our home.
Memories surfaced despite my efforts to suppress them.
When I was seven, a car accident took my parents. Relatives swooped in like vultures, taking the compensation money and leaving just Grandma and me to depend on each other.
Later, Grandma accidentally saved Caleb Hawthorne, who’d fallen off a cliff while hiking in the countryside. She nursed him back to health like her own grandson.
That’s how Caleb and I met.
Back then, I was a struggling college student, working multiple part-time jobs to get by.
Caleb volunteered to visit Grandma for me, often sending me updates that warmed my heart during long shifts.
Whenever I felt I couldn’t go on, Caleb would hold me and comfort me, saying he’d always be there for me, never leaving.
He truly loved me then, wanting to be with me every day.
Even when I showed up in thrift store clothes, he’d hold my hand and proudly introduce me to everyone,
“This is my girlfriend Lily. Isn’t she beautiful? She’s the best in the world!”
But gradually, suspicion crept into his eyes. He started worrying I was after his family’s wealth.
He began controlling my finances, demand I hand over my paychecks.
Even asking for five dollars for coffee would earn me a suspicious glare.
Everything changed three months ago, the day Vivian Reed returned. Caleb happily outbid everyone for a priceless ring for her and spent millions on billboards across the city with seven words,
“Vivian Reed, welcome back!”
That night, he didn’t come home for the first time.
I found him drunk at bar, red-eyed, clutching Vivian’s arm while demanding,
“When we were five, you promised to marry me. Why did you leave?”
I felt frozen to my core. When he sobered up, we had our biggest fight yet. I asked who he really loved.
He said I was overthinking, that I knew the answers. If Vivian hadn’t left, I’d never have stood a chance.
Until Vivian posted “I want to get married” on social media. Caleb ended our silent treatment by getting down on one knee, asking me to marry him.
Foolishly, I thought he’d finally chosen me. Through tears of joy, I said yes.
Now, this absurd relationship was finally ending.
Coming back to the present, I realized I’d walked further than intended.
Noise from a bar entrance caught my attention.
“Caleb! No cheating at Truth or Dare! Vivian’s waiting!”
Not far away, at a bar entrance, Caleb was surrounded by Vivian’s friends, holding her hand tightly while shouting,
“I, Caleb Hawthorne, love only Vivian Reed!”
He repeated it three times, each declaration louder than the last, drawing stares from everyone on the street.
The always arrogant man had ears red with either embarrassment or excitement.
Vivian naturally linked arms with him, smiling sweetly.
The crowd egged them on,
“The mood is right, why don’t you two kiss!”
Caleb seemed momentarily stunned.
Vivian tried to smooth things over.
“Don’t be ridiculous, he is shy—”
Before she could finish, Caleb cupped her face and gave her a deep kiss.
Brief, but filled with meaning.
His eyes remained open, staring deeply at Vivian as if to imprint this moment forever, his expression full of happiness and satisfaction.
As if that single kiss was all he’d ever wanted.
The next second, afraid Vivian might misunderstand, he pretended nonchalance,
“I… lost my balance just now.”
Before Vivian could respond, he hurriedly added,
“It’s getting late, time to go home. Otherwise, my father will have my head if we’re out too late.”
The world’s most precious thing is a playboy’s genuine heart.
Love shows in the restraint of wanting to touch but holding back.
Caleb and I stood just meters apart.
The cold wind seemed to shred what remained of my heart into dust.
As Caleb hurried away, head down, hurrying, he bumped right into me.
He looked up, saw my face, and his pupils constricted sharply.
“Sorry… I…” he began, but I cut him off.
“It’s fine.”
Then I turned and walked away, pulling out my phone to request a ride.
Behind me, I heard confused questions,
“Isn’t that woman from your engagement, Caleb? The one who begged you for money?”
“Did she steal something? You should check your wallet!”
Caleb remained silent, tacitly endorsing their slanders against me.
Back at the apartment, I paid the driver and stepped inside.
My phone buzzed with a notification from the booking app,
“Your additional ticket from San Francisco to Houston has been confirmed. Departure tomorrow at 3 PM. Please plan your arrival accordingly.”
I took a screenshot it and sent it to the HR representative from the overseas corporation.
Before I could type a follow-up message, she replied enthusiastically,
“Lily, I’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival! Looking forward to welcoming you tomorrow!”
My expression softened slightly. Though love had failed me, my career still held promise.
I picked up my already packed suitcase, determined not to spend another moment in this toxic environment.
But as I opened the door, I found myself face-to-face with Caleb.
He frowned, slamming the door shut behind him and asked sternly,
“Lily Thorne, where are you going?”
Vivian trailed in after him, offering insincere consolation,
“Lily, please don’t misunderstand. Caleb and I are just good friends, he was only helping me out. Don’t fight with him over me, or do anything rash…”
Too exhausted for their drama, I stated flatly,
“Caleb, we’re done.”
Caleb began to scold me for jealousy, but my words gave him pause. Then, his eyes widened in disbelief
“Break up? Over Vivian and me putting on a show? Lily Thorne, don’t you want that wedding anymore?”
In his mind, I was still the desperate woman clinging to the fantasy of marrying him.
There was a time I might have lowered myself, begging to remain in his life.
Now, I only offered a mocking smile,
“Caleb, you and I have nothing to do with each other. What wedding?”
“Nothing to do with each other?”
Caleb’s face turned icy, voice dripping with contempt.
“That’s not what you said when you accepted my proposal a month ago. You told your dream was to marry me. The engagement ring is still…!”
He frowned, rummaging through drawers as if to produce evidence against me .
I said calmly,
“Don’t bother looking. You returned that ring for what—a few thousand back? Then bought Vivian a hair accessory as a gift.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me.
After seven years together, he’d given me nothing.
The gifts I’d carefully saved for, he dismissed as cheap and resold.
The one ring he offered, he took back after proposing, saying it was wasteful, better to save for the wedding.
His eyelashes fluttered as he scanned the room, stubbornly insisting,
“No ring, but there’s… the things I bought you… the things you bought me…”
He couldn’t finish, his expression darkening as he realized our home contained no proof we’d ever been a couple
Vivian seized the opportunity to gloat,
“Alright, Lily, stop making a scene. You depend on Caleb—you should be more generous and share his burdens. HE is at a critical point taking over the company, don’t cause trouble!”
Emboldened, Caleb crossed his arms and smirked coldly.
“Vivian’s right. Lily Thorne, can’t you see the bigger picture? Once I inherit the company, I’ll buy you anything. Now, put your luggage down before I cut off your allowance!”
I released the suitcase handle and instead produced a box of IOUs, saying indifferently,
“Caleb, over seven years, you gave me a $200 monthly allowance. For any extra expenses, you made me write IOUs—500 of them, totaling around twenty thousand. Grandma’s surgeries and medical bills came to about three hundred thousand.”
“My salary was deposited with you all those years—at least a million. Now, please return the remaining six hundred and eighty thousand dollars.”
He angrily knocked the box from my hands. IOUs scattered like snowflakes.
“Lily Thorne! Seven years together, and you reduce it to money? How shallow can you be!”
The disdain in his voice sharpened my own.
“Caleb, this money is my hard-earned income.”
But he exploded, kicking the coffee table with a loud crash,
“Money, money, money! Lily Thorne, is that all you care about? Why can’t you be carefree and genuine like Vivian? She never asks me for anything!”
“My father was right—dating someone from your background is a waste of effort. We’re just not from the same class.”
“Your income? Don’t make me laugh. Without me, you’d be starving! That was the salary I paid you!”
I laughed mockingly.
Vivian never had to fight or ask for annything because she already had everything.
She merely had to exist, and Caleb would lay everything—including his heart—at her feet.
Seeing me silent, he snarled,
“Fine, Lily Thorne, take your money back—I won’t manage it for you anymore!”
He threw the bank card in my face. The edge scratched my cheek. When I touched the spot, my fingers came away bloody.
Caleb panicked instantly, reaching out to examine my cheek, murmuring,
“Lily, are you okay?”
I laughed bitterly, pushing his hand away.
Seeing the fear in his eyes, I said bleakly,
“Aren’t you tired of playing this prince and Cinderella game, Caleb?”
“Well, I don’t want to play anymore.”
I picked up the bank card from where it had fallen, straightened my shoulders, and lifted my suitcase.
Then, without a backward glance, I stepped over the scattered IOUs—the last physical remnants of my ties to Caleb.
He seemed to be in a daze, watching me as if seeing a ghost.
When my hand touched the doorknob, he finally snapped out of it, rushing forward to stop me,
“Lily, don’t be angry. Fighting is like this… I spoke without thinking…”
I turned the knob, walked through the doorway, and never looked back.
At the hotel front desk, I presented the bank card to pay for my room.
But the staff said there were insufficient funds.
I apologized and used the relocation stipend from the overseas corporation instead.
After settling into my room, I checked my bank statement online.
The account was empty.
Transactions records showed lavish spending at upscale restaurants, romantic hotel suites, and luxury boutings.
Caleb had never indulged in such extravagance with me or bought me gifts of that caliber. It was obvious who the beneficiary was.
Just then, a text came through from HR,
“Lily Thorne, if you need this processed quickly, you might want to get Mr. Hawthorne for the signature yourself tomorrow morning.”
I replied, “Okay.”
Surprisingly, I slept well that night.
The next morning, passing by the HR department, I saw Caleb’s tall figure standing near the entrance.
HR was busy processing Vivian’s onboarding paperwork, showering her with flattery,
“Miss Reed, Mr. Hawthorne treats you so exceptionally! You two truly are a perfect match!”
Vivian wore a smug expression, wearing a Vice President badge already pinned to her blouse.
“Caleb, making me VP directly… won’t people say I got this through connections? I seem to recall Lily Thorne remained a team leader even after seven years with you.”
Caleb didn’t seem to mind, tenderly tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear,
“You’re my wife. Who would dare gossip? Unless… you don’t want to be associated with me?”
They looked every bit the loving, newly married couple.
Since our paths had crossed, it saved me a trip to his office.
I handed him my resignation letter.
“Mr. Hawthorne, your signature, please..”
Caleb’s eyes lit up upon seeing me, taking the document slowly.
He scanned its contents, his expression shifting to one of disappointed and smiling mockingly.
“Resigning? Trying to pretend you have principles now? Don’t forget about your grandmaother’s health, all her medical issues! With your limited savings, you’ll be broke in no time!”
Vivian looked unbearably pleased.
“Yes, Lily, don’t let false pride compromise your Grandma’s well-being.”
The HR manager, unaware of the circumstances, added,
“But… Mr. Hawthorne, Lily’s Grandma passed away recently. She requested bereavement leave just the other day.”
Caleb froze, his fingers holding the letter trembling slightly.
He looked at my calm expression, suddenly guilty flashing in his eyes,
“You… why didn’t you tell me?”
Seeing his evasive eyes, I was transported back to years ago—Caleb earnestly chopping wood and cooking for my grandmother, his handsome face smudged with soot, smiling at me with gleaming white teeth.
And Grandma on her deathbed, clutching my hand, tears streaming, “My dear, I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have pushed you and Caleb together…”
The heartache lingered. I replied coldly,
“Mr. Hawthorne, must I report my personal matters to you?”
Vivian frowned, ready to scold me.
But Caleb suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the HR office.
My skin turned red from his grip, yet I could feel his hand trembling.
I gasped sharply from the pain.
He released me abruptly, then shoved the resignation letter back into my hand, uncharacteristically yielding.
“Lily, don’t be impulsive. Wait for me. Let’s talk properly after work, alright?”
Just then, Vivian opened the door.
“Caleb, your father called—he says it’s urgent. You should call him back immediately.”
Caleb turned hurriedly, almost fleeing the scene in visible embarrassment.
I shook my head and was about to leave when Vivian stuck her foot out to block my path.
“Lily Thorne, please vacate your office immediately. I’ll be moving in.”
The Vice President’s office was entirely different from the team leader’s.
I knew she was just trying to force me out.
But it didn’t matter anymore. I was leaving anyway, and I had a few personal items to collect.
Just as I finished packing my things, there was a knock on the office door.
I opened it to find an auction house employee stood there, holding an exquisite box, smiling obsequiously,
“You must be Mr. Hawthorne’s significant other? This bracelet was purchased by Mr. Hawthorne for you at our recent auction. Would you care to try it on!”
I stood frozen.
What was this? A parting gift?
The others in the office hadn’t hear clearly, but upon seeing the prestigious logo on the box, they began whispering,
“That’s a luxury brand! Even their most affordable pieces cost tens of thousands! No wonder Lily Thorne is resigning—she’s landed herself a sugar daddy!”
Before I could speak, the employee had already taken out the bracelet, reaching for my hand.
Just as the clasp was about to fasten…
“Lily Thorne, I know you come from a humble background, but I never imagined you’d steal my bracelet using my name! I’m Caleb’s significant other. How dare you!”
Vivian had arrived, snatching the bracelet from my wrist and looking at me with utter contempt.
The auction employee looked horrified, apologizing profusely.
Vivian waved it off, pretending to be magnanimous toward me,
“Never mind, Lily Thorne. Coming from a modest family, you might not have seen fine things before. It’s understandable to be tempted… But the company cannot tolerate this kind of petty theft.”
I simply touched the red mark left by the bracelet on my wrist, laughing mockingly to myself.
I knew Caleb would never be that generous with me.
The crowd urged Vivian to put on the bracelet.
“Miss Reed, Mr. Hawthorne treats you so well! What a doting husband!”
“That Lily Thorne has some nerve, trying to impersonate you! We shouldn’t spare her feelings—just kick her out!”
I laughed coldly, turning to pick up my box and leave.
Then I heard Caleb’s voice.
“Lily, what’s going on here?”
Everyone rushed to defend Vivian,
“Mr. Hawthorne! Lily Thorne has sticky fingers, stealing right under Miss Reed’s nose! This bracelet is worth a fortune! Should we call the police?”
“Yes, a materialistic gold digger like Lily Thorne doesn’t belong here.”
Vivian smiled sweetly, deliberately showing off the bracelet, saying gently,
“Don’t listen to them, Caleb. I absolutely love the gift you gave me.”
Caleb’s face darkened.
I looked down, waiting for him to call me materialistic, a gold digger, as he always had.
But instead, he snapped at Vivian,
“Take it off!”
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