Nolan Lancaster: Rejected, Revenged, And Richer Than Ever

Chapter 1

Nolan could feel a headache forming as he stared at the list of expenses his girlfriend’s mother handed to him.

”$2,000 for the engagement party… $4,000 for family gifts… $10,000 for the wedding ceremony… $5,000 for more gifts… and $7,000 for the honeymoon.”

The numbers blurred together and his heart sank

He had met his girlfriend in school, and he loved her deeply. Getting married to her had always been his biggest dream and he looked forward to it every single day. But now that the day was finally approaching, his dream was slowly turning into a nightmare.

The cost of the wedding was beyond what he had imagined. He had already calculated over $100,000 and the list kept growing.

As someone who had struggled financially all his life, barely getting by, this was overwhelming. His parents had died when he was young, and since then, he had lived with his aunt, who now sat beside him, her face filled with worry and sadness.

“Can we try to do just a small wedding?” his aunt asked gently, looking at Nolan’s girlfriend’s mother, Mrs Whitmore. “Something simple, just with both families. If we can do that, we’ll spend a lot less…”

“I will never accept such a thing!” Mrs. Whitmore snapped, cutting her off sharply. “A small wedding? For my daughter? That’s impossible! I don’t think you understand what you’re saying and clearly, you’re not ready for this marriage.”

“Those things on the list aren’t even everything,” she continued, her voice filled with anger. “Those are just the starters. I haven’t included the house, the car… and let’s not even talk about your bank statement. If you don’t have a certain amount in your account, you’re not marrying my daughter.”

She folded her arms and looked Nolan up and down with clear disapproval.

“I just gave you a small list with barely any expenses, and you’re already complaining?”

Nolan’s aunt shifted uncomfortably beside him, but Nolan spoke up, trying to stay calm. “I was actually planning to talk about the house with you. That’s why I think we should cut out a few things that aren’t really necessary. Savannah and I can manage without a big wedding or a honeymoon.”

“Enough! I’ve heard enough!” Mrs. Whitmore stood up, her voice rising. She turned fully to face Nolan, her expression cold.

“This is why I was never in support of you dating my daughter in the first place. I knew something like this would happen. With your family’s condition, your lack of a stable job, how do you expect to take care of her when you get married? You don’t even have a car or a house of your own, and yet you want to marry? You must be dreaming!”

“I… the thing is…” Nolan stuttered as he tried to explain himself.

“Save your silly explanations, I’m not interested,” she snapped again. “Since you’re so poor that you can’t even afford the wedding costs, then stop wasting my time or my daughter’s time. She’s not deaf or dumb, no broken body parts and also, she’s a very beautiful girl. Men chase after her left and right. She’ll find someone who’s better for her. Someone who deserves her. And it’s definitely not you.”

From the very beginning, when Savannah, Nolan’s girlfriend, introduced Nolan to her mother, She never liked him. He had shown up wearing clothes so old they were almost falling apart. And worse, he rode a bicycle to visit.

A bicycle.

In this age?

Mrs. Whitmore had been deeply embarrassed and ashamed that her daughter could even consider dating someone like him.

“Things are definitely going to get better,” Nolan said quietly. “I just need…”

“Oh, please! Spare me the excuses,” Mrs. Whitmore said, cutting him off. “I won’t let some dog become part of my family. I won’t let you ruin our reputation. Get out of my house immediately, you good-for-nothing, shameless thing!”

Before Nolan could respond, Mrs. Whitmore had already called for security to throw him and his aunt out of the house.

His aunt stood frozen, too stunned to speak. She never imagined they’d be treated like that.

“I’m so sorry about this, Aunty,” Nolan said softly, his eyes fixed on the floor. He couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze. “I’ll meet you at home later… There’s somewhere I need to be.”

He turned and walked off quickly. The moment he was out of sight, he pulled out his phone and called Savannah.

“Savannah, please,” he said the moment she picked up. “Help me talk to your mum. Apologize to her for me. Tell her I’ll find a way to get all the money needed for the wedding. I’ll handle everything, I just need some time.”

There was a pause… and then Savannah replied coldly

“There won’t be any need for that. You don’t have to worry.”

“What do you mean by that?” Nolan asked, confused.

“It’s very clear you don’t love me anymore,” Savannah said, her voice flat. “You really don’t care about me.”

“What are you saying, Savannah?” Nolan asked, his heart pounding. “You of all people know how crazy I am about you. Without a doubt.”

“You’re all talk, Nolan. Just words, no action,” she replied sharply. “The list my mother gave you was small, and the money wasn’t even that much. But you’re already complaining and trying to cut costs. Am I not worth spending money on?”

Nolan wiped the sweat from his forehead. He was starting to feel light-headed.

“You’re worth more than any amount of money,” he said softly. “But right now, things are just really hard. I’m trying.”

“What about that land you told me about last month?” Savannah asked. “If you sell it, you can afford everything for the wedding and more. If I really matter to you, why are you hesitating?”

“I told you already,” Nolan said, trying to stay calm. “That land doesn’t belong to me. It’s the only property my aunt and her husband have. I can’t just take it from them. That’s their future.”

Savannah went silent for a moment, and then her voice turned bitter.

“All you care about is your aunt and her husband. It’s obvious I mean nothing to you.”

Nolan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

“I can’t do this anymore,” she said coldly. “This was your last chance and you still messed it up.”

“Don’t ever contact me again. You pathetic fool. It’s over between us.”

The line went dead.