Lily Caleb NovelThe Final Confrontation At The Airport Caleb

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 fiance 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 knowfrom 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 C 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 3333-77775,000 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 fianc 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"