After My Ten-Year Boyfriend Jilted Me, I Married a Billionaire

1: 1

In the second year of my secret marriage to the richest man in New York, Patrick Stephens sent me a message:

Celine Simmons, do you admit you were wrong yet?

Tilda's IVF worked. She can finally be a mother. All I did was give her one sperm sample. Can't you stop being so petty about it?

Wait for me to come back, and I promise I'll give you the most perfect wedding to make up for it!

Three days later, sure enough, he showed up at my door.

Only he had my best friend Tilda Henson trailing behind him, along with her month-old baby.

"I know you never agreed to Tilda using my sperm for IVF, but she has to safeguard good genes for the next generation, doesn't she?"

"When the kid grows up, they'll call you godmother and call me godfather. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"

"You've suffered these past months, I know. One month from now, the wedding will have the whole city there. I'll give you all the face you could want, all right?"

Watching him stand there so lofty, dispensing his charity, I gave my brother a direct order.

"Throw this idiot out for me!"

What a joke.

Turn down a perfectly good life as a wealthy man's wife, just to swallow this half-cooked mess he's serving me?

...

My mother hadn't been feeling well lately, so I went back to my parents' place to keep her company.

I figured that after my brother chased Patrick off, he wouldn't come around again.

But I only stepped out to buy groceries, and he still managed to block my path at the corner with his luxury car.

He pulled over to the curb, grabbed my arm, and his eyes dropped to the cloth bag hanging from my hand, a mocking glint in them.

"You carry that just to buy groceries?"

"Looks like this year and change I've been gone, you haven't exactly been living well!"

"All right, I know you're proud. This time I'm the one coming to make peace, so the cold war ends here!"

As he spoke, he lowered his gaze and looked at me tenderly, still making excuses for Tilda.

"Tilda is your best friend. She can't have children because of illness. Could you really bear to watch her spend the rest of her life all alone?"

"I donated sperm to her for your sake, all of it!"

He said it so righteously, but all I wanted to do was sneer.

"Patrick, is there something wrong with you?"

"There are so many sperm samples in the bank. Why did she have to use yours?"

"I'm young. What makes you think I'd take in a man who has a child out of wedlock?"

"Besides, I got married a long time ago!"

Patrick froze, but then the corner of his mouth curled up and he laughed.

"We've been together since high school. You love me more than your own life. How could you ever bear to leave me and marry someone else?"

"And besides, out of everyone you know, who could possibly be better than me?"

"Even if there were someone, with your looks, your family, your degree, why would anyone want you?"

He raked his eyes over me from head to toe with contempt.

As if he was certain that apart from him, I had no better option to choose from.

"Celine, quit playing around. If you'd really gotten married, would I not know about it?"

I pressed my lips together.

More than a year apart, and he was as confident as ever.

We'd been together ten years. Once our careers were stable, we should have gotten married, but that was exactly when my best friend Tilda was diagnosed as infertile.

She hinted, delicately, that she wanted to borrow Patrick's sperm, and I refused, no matter what.

So on the day of our engagement, Patrick took her abroad to do IVF, leaving me alone to face a hall full of guests.

I called him and demanded to know why.

He blamed me instead, said I shouldn't be so petty.

"Tilda said she'll never marry in this life. She just wants a child to lean on, that's all."

"As her best friend, you should support her decision with everything you have!"

"Just wait. Once Tilda's IVF works, I'll come back and marry you!"

2: 2

That was the moment my heart went cold.

I sent Patrick a breakup text.

And I agreed to the match the Gilbert family had arranged.

Clarence Gilbert came from a good family, had an impressive education, and looks that left nothing to complain about.

I'd assumed the meeting would go nowhere, but to my surprise, Clarence went home and said he was more than satisfied with me.

Once the Gilberts had asked whether I was willing, they moved fast to get the two of us registered.

Because old Mr. Gilbert was gravely ill, my wedding with Clarence couldn't be a grand affair, so ours became a secret marriage.

Seeing me stay silent for so long, Patrick assumed I had nothing left to say.

He fished out a jewelry box and opened it. Inside lay a blue-diamond necklace.

"All right, stop sulking at me. Look, didn't I bring you a present?"

"You've spent this whole year and more waiting for me to come back and apologize, haven't you? Well, I've made your wish come true."

"You can't be so stubborn, you know. You have to learn to quit while you're ahead!"

"Come here, let me put it on you myself!"

And with that, he lifted the necklace out to fasten it around my neck.

I shoved him away, pulled off my heel, and smashed it into his face.

"Patrick, have some shame. We broke up a long time ago!"

The bridge of his nose broke, and blood ran down his whole face.

But he cupped his nose and, instead of raging, laughed.

"Feisty little thing!"

"You haven't changed a bit!"

"I love it!"

A wave of revulsion went through me.

Just then a cab came by. I flagged it down, told the driver to hurry, and left that lunatic behind me.

The next day, my sister-in-law, who was pregnant, asked me to go shopping with her.

She wanted to pick up some baby things for the little one due any day now.

But of all places, we ran into Patrick and Tilda at a formula shop.

Tilda was choosing formula and even had Patrick checking where each one was made.

Patrick looked up, saw me, and immediately put a little distance between himself and Tilda.

"What are you doing here?"

His eyes dropped to the can of formula in my hand.

"I did promise you we'd have kids once we married, but aren't you rushing things a little?"

Disgusted, I flung his hand off and walked straight toward my sister-in-law, who was listening to a clerk.

Patrick, thinking himself dashing, planted himself in front of me.

"Celine, did you get the wrong idea just now? I came with Tilda to buy formula for her baby because it isn't easy raising a child alone!"

Beside him, Tilda pushed the stroller forward too.

"Celine, I just got back to the country and haven't bought a car yet, so I had to trouble Patrick to drive me and my son. Don't be angry with him!"

I narrowed my eyes. "Did I say I was angry?"

"Who he keeps company with is his business. What does it have to do with me?"

With that, I moved to leave.

Patrick grabbed me again, gritting his teeth. "Celine, behave yourself!"

"Do you know how much a can of formula costs here? If you don't marry me, will your future kids ever be able to afford it?"

"Besides, you aren't even married, and you show up at a place like this. You followed me here, didn't you?"

"Afraid there's still something going on between me and Tilda?"

"Well, let me tell you right now. Even after we're married, I'll still be taking care of Tilda and her son."

"Because after all, little one carries my blood. I'm his biological father!"

3: 3

Tilda grabbed Patrick's sleeve at once.

"Don't say that. Celine will be upset if she hears it. I told you, I'm only borrowing a single sperm. You don't have to take responsibility. I can raise the child on my own!"

Her eyes reddened as she spoke, all cool composure and quiet strength.

I laughed. Very coldly.

"What brand of trash bag makes them this good at pretending?"

"If you could really raise the kid alone, you wouldn't have dragged Patrick along to buy formula!"

"You just want him to swipe his card for you, don't you? So why put on this whole serene, above-it-all act?"

Tilda was left speechless under my rapid fire.

She gazed at me with watery eyes, brimming with tears.

"Celine, how... how can you say that about me?"

I raised a brow. "You dare do it, but you're scared of being called out?"

"Enough!" Patrick barked. "Celine, you have no filter at all!"

"You were young before, so fine. But you're going to marry into the Stephens family someday."

"If you dare snap at Tilda today, tomorrow you'll be talking back to the society wives, and then how is my family supposed to do business?"

The Stephens family did have money, but only a little more than ordinary people.

They were in real estate, in the middle of restructuring these past few years, chasing partnerships everywhere.

A ten-million household putting on a hundred-million show.

There was really no need for it.

"Sis, what's wrong?"

My sister-in-law noticed the commotion and came over, hooking her arm through mine.

Only then did Patrick see her big belly.

"You... you didn't come here just to follow me?"

I let out a snort.

"Good, you finally get it!"

"I'm not as bored as you are!"

With that, I turned to leave, steadying my sister-in-law as we went.

Patrick's sharp eyes caught the plain band on my finger.

"Stop right there!"

He grabbed my arm, yanking hard enough to make me stumble, then pulled the ring off my finger.

"Tell me. Who gave you this?"

"Give it back!"

I reached for it, but he held his hand up out of my reach.

Tilda stepped in to smooth things over.

"The ring's so plain, it clearly isn't worth anything. Maybe Celine just bought it herself to wear for fun!"

Patrick's face was dark. "She never wears things like this! Someone gave it to her. Tell me, who was it?"

Several of the moms in the store started whispering.

"Did this guy's girlfriend cheat on him?"

"Looks like it, and she's openly wearing a ring from the guy she cheated with? What's she thinking?"

"Well, that's how it goes these days. Everybody wants to play around before they settle down!"

The words landed in Patrick's ears, and his face twisted with fresh fury.

"No wonder you kept turning me down since I got back. So to get revenge on me, you actually cheated on me!"

"With your level, what kind of catch could you possibly land?"

"That college classmate of yours? Or that greasy boss? Do either of them measure up to me?"

"If you've got the guts, call him out here. I'll beat him until he's on his knees begging!"

I raised a brow.

"Oh? You're that capable?"

"Then what if I told you he's Clarence Gilbert, CEO of Gilbert Group, the very company your family is trying to partner with?"

Patrick froze for a moment.

The next second, all the tension and anger drained from his face, replaced by ease and certainty.

"How could Mr. Gilbert possibly marry you?"

"I get it now. This thing is just something you bought to provoke me on purpose. There's no such man at all!"

With that, he rushed to the window and threw my ring straight out.

4: 4

Patrick, have you lost your mind?

I went pale and rushed to the window.

Down below, traffic streamed past. My ring had vanished into it, gone without a trace.

Tilda drifted out a soft little line.

I can't believe Celine cares this much about one ring...

I turned and glared at her.

Of course I did.

How could I not?

Clarence had designed and made that ring for me with his own hands.

Patrick looked at me with total confidence.

Celine, you know how sincere I am about you. Why do you keep testing me?

Does it really feel that good, watching me get jealous and worked up over you?

You're just taking advantage of the fact that I love you!

The wedding in a month is going to be simple. I need to file down that stubborn, awful temper of yours!

His eyes were red as he said it.

As if he were the one being wronged by a simple wedding.

The man really did love playing the martyr.

Celine, I know you're my best friend, but sometimes I have to say something to you.

Patrick's sincerity toward you is plain as day. You shouldn't let it go to your head like this!

Tilda, pushing the stroller behind Patrick, paused as she passed me, offering the advice as if she truly meant it.

I gave a contemptuous little laugh.

As if anyone wants his worthless sincerity!

My words made Patrick's steps stop for a second.

He didn't turn around, but he said in a low voice,

Celine, I bumped the bride price from the eighteen thousand eight hundred we agreed on up to twenty thousand. Isn't that concession enough?

Oh? Your concession is only worth two thousand?

It's not about the money...

Aren't you the one making it about money?

Anyway, once we're married your temper has to change. I'll teach you myself then!

With that, Patrick flung his sleeve and walked off.

From the back, he looked pretty disappointed.

My mother recovered, and I went back to the old Gilbert estate to start preparing my mother-in-law's birthday banquet.

A month later, Clarence arrived at the foot of my building with the bridal car procession.

Celine, open the door!

I've come to take you to the hotel!

But the door stayed shut. No one answered.

Because my brother's wife had gone into labor today, and the whole family had grabbed their things and rushed to the hospital.

Patrick didn't know any of this. He assumed I was putting on airs and refusing to open the door.

His face changed at once, and he issued a serious warning.

Celine, there are a lot of people here today. Do me the courtesy!

If you still won't open the door, I'll have the groomsmen force their way in!

That pack of good-for-nothing friends he'd made his groomsmen had been itching for it.

The moment they heard him, they braced themselves to ram the door.

At that critical instant, the door across the hall opened.

Mrs. Lambert, past fifty, stared at the scene in front of her in bewilderment.

What are you all doing?

We're here for the bride!

This family only has one daughter, and she got married a year ago. Whose bride are you here to pick up?

Married?

The smile froze on Patrick's face.

That's impossible. I haven't married her yet. Who else could she have married?