The crystal chandelier above me shimmered with a brilliance that mocked the dull, heavy pit of dread in my stomach. I adjusted the silk napkin on my lap, my fingers trembling slightly. This was date number eleven. Eleven different restaurants, eleven different “heirs,” and eleven performances of the role I had been cast in against my will: Lily, the billionaire daughter of an oil tycoon, or a tech mogul, or whatever backstory my mother had concocted for the evening.
“Stop fidgeting,” my mother hissed under her breath, a smile plastered on her face for the benefit of the room. “You look nervous. Rich girls aren’t nervous. They are bored.”
“I can’t keep doing this, Mom,” I whispered back, staring at the menu where the appetizers cost more than my weekly grocery budget. “It’s scammy. It’s wrong.”
“It is not a scam,” she retorted, her eyes hard. “We were billionaires. Until your father decided to play roulette with the stock market. We are just… temporarily displaced from our rightful status.”
“We’re broke, Mom. We are tricking these people.”
“Marriage is a merger, Lily. It’s about combining wealth and power. Love is a fairytale for people who can afford it.”
“That’s incredibly depressing,” I muttered.
“Do you want to help your family or not?” She played her ace card, the one she knew would silence me. “Do you know how much the hospital called for today? Do you want Tulip to stop her treatment? Do you want to abandon your sister when she needs you the most?”
The mention of Tulip, my younger sister, felt like a physical blow. Tulip, with her bright eyes and failing body, lying in a hospital bed while I sat here eating lobster.
“Fine,” I said, my voice hollow. “I’ll do it for Tulip.”
“Good girl,” Mom smoothed her dress. “Now, pull it together. This is the Anderson family. They are the richest ones yet. If you land Jack Anderson, our problems vanish.”
I looked up to see a family approaching. An older couple, dripping in diamonds and arrogance, and trailing behind them, a young man who looked like he would rather be anywhere else on earth.
“Hi! Great to see you again!” My mother’s voice went up an octave, dripping with artificial sweetness.
“Good to see you,” Mr. Anderson grunted. “This is our son, Jack.”
Jack was handsome, in a sharp, angular way, but his expression was stormy. He didn’t even look at me.
“Hello,” I said softly. “Hi, how are you?”
“Oh, you’re so handsome!” my mother gushed, practically drooling. “You’d be perfect for our girl. Look at you two! A power couple in the making.”
Jack slammed his menu down. “Mom, Dad, what is this? You told me we were just grabbing lunch with friends. Did you set me up with some rich girl again?”
The table went silent. Mrs. Anderson looked scandalized. “Jack, don’t be so rude. Just sit down and give her a chance.”
“Fine,” Jack muttered, sliding into the booth aggressively. “I’ll sit down. Let’s get this over with.”
I felt my face heat up. This was humiliating. “Jack,” I blurted out, abandoning the script. “This is embarrassing. Oh my God, I would be a terrible husband. You really do not want to marry me.”
Jack looked at me, surprised by my honesty.
“And my parents?” I continued, gesturing to my mother who looked ready to strangle me. “You’d hate them. My mom is constantly complaining—”
“Stop it, Lily!” my mother snapped.
Jack actually laughed. It was a dry, humorless sound. “Wow. He’s brave,” I thought. I had never been able to talk back to my parents. I realized then that Jack wasn’t just a spoiled rich kid; he was trapped, just like me.
“I’m sorry,” Jack’s father interrupted, glaring at his son. “He hasn’t grown up a bit. He just wants to stay single forever and ruin this family’s legacy.”
“I told you to stop setting me up,” Jack stood up, tossing his napkin on the table. “And you decide to trick me instead? Yeah, I’m out of here.”
He stormed out of the restaurant. I watched him go, feeling a strange mix of mortification and admiration. He had walked away. He refused to play the game.
The drive home was silent until we pulled into the driveway of the small rental house we were currently pretending wasn’t ours.
“You blew it,” my mother screeched as soon as the car door closed. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“I didn’t do anything! He left because his parents lied to him!”
“We need money, Lily! Let’s just get multiple jobs,” I pleaded. “We’ll all work harder. Together. We don’t have to trick people.”
“Work hard?” My mother laughed, a cruel, shrill sound. “Do you hear yourself? Do you really think we are going to pay off a million dollars in debt and medical bills by flipping burgers? Or do you want to pass the debt to Tulip since you clearly don’t think she’s your responsibility?”
“I never said that!”
“Jack’s family liked you, despite the outburst. They have invited you to their estate tomorrow to apologize. You are going. And you are not messing this up.”
I felt trapped. The image of Tulip hooked up to machines flashed in my mind. I had no choice.
The Anderson estate was less of a house and more of a fortress. It was vast, cold, and imposing. I walked into the living room the next day, my stomach in knots. I didn’t want to apologize. I wanted to run.
But as I entered, I walked straight into a war zone.
“You are not leaving!” Jack’s father was shouting, his face turning a dangerous shade of purple. “I am sick and tired of this disrespect.”
“I told you,” Jack shouted back, standing his ground. “You cannot force me to marry or meet someone I don’t want. There is nothing you can do to change me.”
“Yes, there is!” Mr. Anderson roared. “I can disinherit you. I can remove you from the company. Do you think I want a useless philanderer for a son? Do you think someone without a wife or an heir has the right to inherit what I’ve built? You take one step off this property today, and I will ensure you are penniless!”
“Stop it!”
The words left my mouth before I could process them. Everyone froze. Jack looked at me, wide-eyed. His father turned slowly, his eyes narrowing.
“Oh, Lily, you’re here,” Mrs. Anderson said nervously.
“What are you doing?” Mr. Anderson sneered. “Why are you talking to your son like that?”
“Who do you think you are to raise your voice at me?” he barked. “I will deal with my son however I see fit.”
I knew I should have shut up. I knew I needed their money. But seeing Jack being bullied, seeing a parent use money as a weapon—it was too familiar. It triggered a rage I had been suppressing for years.
“If you are threatening your son by forcing him to make a life-changing decision just to suit your ego,” I said, my voice shaking but loud, “then you are a bad parent.”
Silence. Absolute silence.
“Excuse me?” Mr. Anderson whispered dangerously. “Do you know who I am?”
“Yeah,” I said, lifting my chin. “You’re a bad parent.”
“Why you little—”
“Okay, that’s enough, Dad,” Jack stepped between us. “Come on, Lily. We’re out of here.”
Jack grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the mansion. We didn’t stop walking until we were down the street.
“Look what you did,” I groaned, putting my head in my hands. “Now he’s never going to come back. My mom is going to kill me.”
“Thank you,” Jack said.
I looked up. He was smiling. A real smile this time.
“For sticking up for me,” he said. “But you shouldn’t have done that. My father is not a good person to make an enemy of.”
“No, he was horrible to you. I couldn’t watch it.”
“I really didn’t need you to do that, especially after how rude I was yesterday,” Jack said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about that.”
“I didn’t think you were rude. I was amazed at how you fought back. I wish I could be more like you.”
Jack looked at me curiously. “Your parents forced you to come here too, didn’t they?”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “But I don’t have to listen to them. I know the difference between right and wrong. And this setup? It’s wrong. I can’t do this. I’ll leave you alone now, Jack. It was nice to meet you.”
I turned to walk away, resigned to facing my mother’s wrath.
“Wait,” Jack called out. “I have an idea.”
I turned back.
“What if we tell our parents that we’re dating?” Jack’s eyes lit up with mischief. “They can’t force us to get married immediately, right? We can buy some time. They probably wouldn’t bother us again for at least a year.”
I processed this. If my parents thought I had snagged Jack, they would back off. They would stop the endless dates. I could work, save money, and actually take care of Tulip without the pressure of finding a husband tomorrow.
“If my parents left me alone,” I mused, “I could focus on getting more jobs. I could support Tulip myself.”
“Let’s do it,” Jack extended his hand.
“Alright,” I shook it. “We have a deal.”
The lie worked better than we expected. When we told our parents, my mother practically levitated with joy.
“My daughter is going to marry a billionaire!” she shrieked, hugging me for the first time in years.
“Calm down, Mom,” I said, pulling away. “Don’t rush us. We need at least a year to get to know each other.”
“I know, I know, honey. It’s just… I am so happy!”
With the pressure off, I immediately kicked into survival mode. I got a second job working as a freelancer online, editing documents late into the night. During the day, I worked at a diner as a waitress. The exhaustion was bone-deep, but the checks were clearing. Tulip’s treatment continued.
But the plan had a side effect I hadn’t anticipated: I actually liked hanging out with Jack.
To keep up the charade, we had to go on “dates.” Since we weren’t really together, there was no pressure to impress. We watched terrible movies, went to museums, and ate street food until we felt sick. In my stressful, frantic life, Jack became my only source of oxygen. He was funny, kind, and surprisingly down-to-earth for someone who grew up in a castle.
I found myself looking forward to seeing him. My heart would skip a beat when his name popped up on my phone. But whenever those feelings rose, I squashed them down violently.
Remember, Lily, I told myself. You are dirt poor. You are lying to him every single day. He thinks you’re an heiress. He will never date someone like you for real.
“Hey, are you alright?” Jack asked one afternoon while we were walking through the park. “You look down.”
“No, I’m fine,” I lied.
The stress of maintaining the lie was eating me alive. I was working so much that I often had to cancel plans with him. I ran out of excuses—sick cat, headache, family dinner. I could tell he was getting suspicious.
Then, the inevitable happened.
I was working the lunch shift at the diner, sweating in my polyester apron, balancing three plates of burgers. The door chimed. I looked up and froze.
Jack was walking in.
Panic, cold and sharp, seized my chest. If he saw me in this uniform, if he saw me serving tables, he would know everything. He would know I wasn’t rich. He would know I was a fraud.
I threw my apron under a counter, ripped the hairnet off my head, and dove into an empty booth, grabbing a menu to hide my face.
“Hey! What are you doing here?” Jack’s voice was right above me.
I looked up, trying to look casual while sweating profusely. “Uh, I was just eating alone. Yeah. Why are you here?”
“Just grabbing a coffee,” he said, looking at me with concern. “Why are you sweaty and out of breath?”
“Oh, uh… I just did like ten jumping jacks,” I stammered. “Fitness, you know?”
Jack slid into the booth opposite me. His face was serious. “Lily… are you… are you seeing someone else?”
“What?”
“I mean, not that I care,” he said quickly, looking away. “I just… I feel like you’re hiding something from me. You cancel all the time. You’re always busy.”
My heart broke. He thought I was cheating. The truth was so much less glamorous.
“No! I was just here alone,” I insisted.
Just then, my manager stormed out of the kitchen, looking around. “Lily! Where is Table 4’s order?”
I panicked. I jumped to my feet. “I actually have to go to the bathroom outside! Yeah, the bathrooms in here are gross!”
I sprinted out of the diner before Jack could ask why the manager was calling my name. I hid in the alleyway, shaking. This wasn’t sustainable. I was falling in love with my fake boyfriend, and I was building that love on a foundation of lies. If I wanted any chance of being in Jack’s life for real, I had to come clean.
I spent the next three days gathering my courage. I practiced my speech in the mirror. Jack, I’m poor. My dad lost everything. I did it for my sister.
I went over to his house, determined to tell him the truth. But when I walked into the living room, I realized I was too late.
The room was full. Jack was there, looking confused. His parents were there, looking smug. And my father—my defeated, broke father—was there too.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, stepping into the room.
“Hey, Lily,” Jack stood up. “I’m glad you made it. My parents… well, look.”
Sitting on the adjacent sofa was a stunning woman in a Chanel suit.
“My parents are already trying to set me up with someone else,” Jack sighed. “Can you believe that? This is Amy. She’s gorgeous, well-read, and from an esteemed family.”
“So is Lily,” Jack added firmly, grabbing my hand.
“No, she’s not,” Mr. Anderson said, his voice dripping with venom. “In fact, I’m glad you’re here, Miss Lily. I get to expose you to your face.”
“What are you talking about?” Jack asked.
“After the embarrassing manner in which she spoke to me last time,” Mr. Anderson stood up, holding a folder, “I did some research. Turns out, your father made some horrible investments in the stock market, didn’t he?”
He threw the folder on the table. Photos of our small rental house, credit card statements, debt notices—it was all there.
“You’re completely broke, aren’t you?” Mr. Anderson sneered. “And you just came after Jack for our money.”
“That’s not true!” Jack shouted. “Dad, Lily has never pushed me to marry her. She spends time with me because she likes me, not because I’m rich. I can’t believe you would make stuff up about her just to make me feel—”
“Stop,” I whispered.
Jack turned to me. “What?”
“I can’t lie anymore,” I said, tears spilling over. “It’s true. I’m broke. We aren’t billionaires. I’m not a wealthy heiress. In fact, I think my parents are like a million dollars in debt. And… we originally went after you because you were wealthy.”
Jack dropped my hand. The look of betrayal on his face was worse than any screaming match.
“No way,” he whispered.
“But that’s not why I continued to stay with you!” I pleaded, stepping toward him. “I really loved hanging out with you. Getting to know you. That was all real, Jack. The dates, the laughs—that wasn’t about money.”
“Nonsense!” Mr. Anderson barked. “You were just trying to trick Jack into falling for you. I’ve seen manipulative women like you before. God only knows what would have happened to my son if I hadn’t stepped in.”
Jack looked at me, his eyes cold and distant. The wall was back up.
“I’m sorry, Jack,” I sobbed. “I would never take advantage of you. You have to believe me.”
He turned his back on me. “Please leave.”
I ran. I ran until my lungs burned. I didn’t go home. I couldn’t face my parents. I went to the only place that felt real anymore—the hospital.
I sat by Tulip’s bed, holding her frail hand, weeping. I had lost everything. My dignity, the boy I loved, and likely, the chance to save my sister.
My mother stormed into the hospital room an hour later. She didn’t look concerned about Tulip. She looked furious.
“Lily!” she hissed. “Jack’s parents just called me. You told them we were a million dollars in debt?”
“They found out on their own,” I said dully. “I just owned up to it.”
“You yelled at them first! If you hadn’t opened your big mouth, they never would have checked!” she screamed. “We lost one of the richest families because of you. I cannot believe you ruined this for me. It is so stupid!”
She paced the room, manic. “But… I am forgiving you. We will find a new husband. I’ll set up some more dates tomorrow.”
“No,” I said.
“What?”
“I said no. I am not being set up anymore. I’m not going out with random guys anymore. And I am not lying for you anymore.”
My mother’s face twisted. “Hmph. Feeling all brave, huh? After I forgave you for messing it up with Jack’s parents? You’re going to be selfish and ungrateful and leave Tulip alone?”
I stood up, towering over her for the first time in my life. “If you really cared about Tulip, you’d have three jobs like I do. But all you care about is your personal wealth and status. You use me for it. You use her sickness for it. How dare you.”
“I raised you! You will do as I say!”
“I’ll never listen to you again,” I said calmly. “I’ll never let you manipulate me again. Go make your own money. We’re done.”
My mother stared at me, shocked, before turning on her heel and storming out.
“Lily?”
A weak voice came from the bed. Tulip was awake.
“You… you really let our parents do all that to you?” she whispered. “Why?”
“Because we’re in a mountain of debt, Tulip,” I sat back down, stroking her hair. “Dad’s debt, the mortgage, and… your medical bills. That’s what you were going to say, right? Did you do all this for me?”
“No,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “Then why did you do it? We had a plan, remember? We were going to start our own online fashion business and pay it all off.”
“Tulip, dreams are great, but they aren’t reality. We are so far in debt that we can’t even get a loan.”
“So you’ll marry someone just to pay off my bills? You’re making yourself unhappy.”
“I would do anything for you,” I said firmly.
“I know that,” Tulip squeezed my hand. “But you should really tell that boy Jack about me.”
“Absolutely not. I will not use you as an excuse for my lies. I’ve hurt him enough. I just need to leave him alone.”
I fell asleep in the uncomfortable hospital chair, my head resting on the mattress.
I woke up to a warm touch on my head. I blinked, disoriented. Sunlight was streaming through the blinds.
I looked up. Jack was standing there.
“Jack?” I sat up quickly, wiping drool from my face. “What are you doing here?”
“Well,” he smiled sheepishly. “Your sister texted me on your phone. She gave me the address. So here I am.”
I looked at Tulip. She was pretending to be asleep, a small smirk on her face. “Tulip! You were being snoopy!”
“So I had to do it,” she mumbled without opening her eyes. “Now you can talk it out.”
Jack pulled up a chair. His expression was soft, no longer angry.
“Why didn’t you tell me about your sister and all the jobs that you were doing?” he asked gently. “I would have understood.”
“Because I didn’t want to use her as an excuse,” I admitted, looking at my hands. “It was me who decided to lie. I followed my mom’s schemes. I didn’t want you to think I was just a liar.”
“But you were doing it because you were in a bad situation, Lily. You should have trusted me and told me.”
“I didn’t want you to think less of me.”
“I don’t think you’re a liar,” Jack said firmly. “Well, I did last night. But after everything your sister told me via text… I’m not angry at you, Lily. Really.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. You weren’t being evil. You were just trying to survive. Yes, you lied to me, but you admitted you didn’t want to marry me for money. You were working hard—waitressing, freelancing—to solve your problems on your own. I mean, how can I be mad at you for that? You’re a good person.”
I felt a massive weight lift off my chest. “Silly. Don’t hide from me. So… we can still be friends?”
Jack laughed nervously. “Unless… you’re still seeing the other girl from yesterday? Amy?”
“Is that… is that jealousy I smell?” I teased.
“No, actually, um… no,” Jack stammered, blushing. “Yeah. I uh, I’m not seeing her. Because I was hoping that you’d go out with me.”
“What?”
“Yeah. I like you, Lily. You’re beautiful, and you’re funny, and you’re kinder than you know. I really want to start spending time with you. Get to know you. Take you out for real. No fake dating.”
I smiled, my heart soaring. “I’d like that.”
“But there’s one condition,” Jack said, his face turning serious.
“What’s that?”
“I’m paying your sister’s medical bill.”
“No!” I exclaimed. “Come on, absolutely not. I can’t let you do that. The whole point was to not spend your money!”
“I know,” Jack grinned. “But it’s only a million bucks. And I’d be happy to spend it on you because… I love you.”
The words hung in the air, brighter than the hospital lights.
“I love you too,” I whispered.
Of course, Jack didn’t listen to me about the money. We compromised. I didn’t let him pay the bill outright, but he became the very first investor in the company Tulip and I started.
With Tulip getting better thanks to the treatments, we launched our online fashion business. It took a few years of grinding, late nights, and hard work, but we made enough money to pay off all our debts ourselves—with interest paid back to Jack.
We even had enough money left over for a wedding.
It wasn’t a massive gala at the Anderson estate. It was a small, beautiful ceremony in a garden. Tulip was my Maid of Honor, looking healthy and radiant. Neither of our parents showed up—my mother was too proud, and his father was too stubborn—but we didn’t care.
We were blissfully happy. We didn’t need their billions. We had built something better. We had our own fairytale, and this time, it was 100% real.
THE END
