Too late, Ex. NOW WATCH ME RISE
Lillian Harper dropped out of nursing school to become a housewife to Nathaniel Brooks, through a contract marriage arranged by their families
During their marriage, Nathaniel brought other women into their home and made it clear that their union was nothing more than a contract agreement.
Then one evening, he handed her divorce papers and sent her packing out of the house.
But the next morning, he was standing on her mother's porch, begging her to come back.
What changed overnight?
William Brooks is dead. And his will contain a single clause that neither of them saw coming. If the couple divorced within twelve months after his death, every controlling share of the Brooks Group of Companies transfers to entirely to Lillian Harper.
The empire Nathaniel was born to inherit now sits completely in the hands of the woman he divorced.
Will Lillian sign the papers and walk away with empire he never thought she deserved? Or..... will she give Nathaniel a second chance, knowing his motives may never be entirely pure?
Lillian Harper is done being weak. She will not sign the divorce papers and set him free. She will not take him back and make things easy. She is going to finish her degree, live life to the fullest, and watch Nathaniel Brooks watch every single moment of it while he slowly comes to understand what he has lost.
But there is a problem!
Vanessa Clarke, Nathaniel's current girlfriend and the woman he humiliated Lilian with for three years, has no intention of watching quietly. She wants Nathaniel, she wants the empire, and she wants Lillian goen by any means necessary.
What follows is twelve months of social warfare, failed schemes, family secrets, and a love story that neither of them planned for
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Chapter: Chapter 1Chapter 1Lillian heard the front door open and felt her shoulders relax for the first time all day. She was not sure what made her do it.Maybe it was the strange feeling she had carried all day, that quiet anxiety in her chest that told her something bad was about to happen.She had spent the entire afternoon cooking jollof rice and grilled chicken, Nathaniel’s favourite. She had also cleaned the house from top to bottom, ironed his shirts, and left his evening clothes folded neatly on the bed. The same routine she had kept for three years.She and Nathaniel had met when she was thirteen and he was sixteen. He was the son of William Brooks, her father’s closest business associate.Back then, Nathaniel barely acknowledged her. But Lillian had fallen for him completely. She had carried that feeling all through her teenage years.When their fathers sat them both down at twenty and twenty-three and proposed the marriage arrangement, Nathaniel had agreed without much expression.His fath
Last Updated: 2026-07-02
Chapter: Chapter 2Chapter 2Lillian sat on the cold marble floor for a long time. She did not know how long she had been there. Minutes? Hours?The divorce papers remained on the table, taunting her with their white edges and bold black letters.Dissolution of Marriage.She read those three words repeatedly until they blurred together.The house felt enormous without Nathaniel in it. It always did. Their home in Oakfield was a grand estate, a wedding gift from William Brooks. Five bedrooms, a private garden, a pool. Everything a young bride could want. Everything except a husband who didn't want to be there.Lillian slowly picked herself up from the floor. She walked to the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying. Her blonde hair was disheveled. She looked exactly how she felt.Pathetic.“Pull yourself together,” she whispered to herself.She gripped the edge of the sink and breathed slowly. In and out. In and out.Her phone ran
Last Updated: 2026-07-02
Chapter: Chapter 3Chapter 3The next morning, her phone woke her up at seven. It was not her alarm.It was a call from a number she did not recognize. She almost ignored it, but something made her pick up.“Hello?” Lillian answered grudgingly.“Lillian Harper?” The female voice was almost too calm.“Yes. Who is this?”There was a short pause and then, “It’s Vanessa Clarke, Nathaniel's current girlfriend.”Lillian’s whole body went still. Of all the things she had expected this morning; her mother calling her for breakfast, maybe a follow-up from Nathaniel’s lawyers, this was not it.Lillian sat up slowly, her fingers tightening around the phone. “How did you get this number?” She asked.“That doesn’t matter,” Vanessa said. “I think we need to talk.”“I have nothing to say to you.”“Maybe not,” Vanessa replied. “But I have something to say to you. Something important. Something that will make this easier for both of us.”Lillian laughed, but it came out hollow. “Nathaniel told you already?”“He told me
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
Chapter: Chapter 4Chapter 4Lillian did not invite him inside. Instead, she stepped out onto the front porch, pulling the door halfway closed behind her. She did not want her mother to listen to their conversation.Margaret Harper had never hidden her feelings about Nathaniel Brooks, and today was not the day for that conversation.The morning air was cool. Lillian crossed her arms and looked at him.Nathaniel stood a few feet away. Up close, he looked worse than she initially thought. The tiredness around his eyes was deep. His jaw was unshaven. He was still wearing the same shirt from last night with the top button undone.“You look terrible,” she said flatly.He almost smiled. “I couldn't sleep.”“That’s not my problem.” She tilted her head. “You said you needed to talk. So talk. You have five minutes.”Nathaniel exhaled and pushed both hands into his pockets. He looked at the ground for a second, then back at her. “I came to apologize.”Lillian stared at him confused. “For which part?” she asked.“
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
Chapter: Chapter 5Chapter 5Lillian’s phone nearly slipped from her hand. “I’m sorry,” she said slowly. “Can you repeat that?”“Mr. William Brooks passed away early this morning,” attorney Gerald Haines repeated. “And you are named as a beneficiary in his will. We would like you to come in at your earliest convenience.”Lillian pressed her back against the kitchen wall. Her mind was moving in three directions at once.William Brooks was dead.The man who had arranged her marriage with Nathaniel. The man who, despite everything, had always treated Lillian with a strange kind of fondness that she never fully understood.Dead!?“When did it happen?” she asked.“Early this morning. Around four a.m.,” the attorney said. “He died from a cardiac arrest.”Four a.m. Lillian thought about Nathaniel showing up at her mother’s door looking like he had not slept. Now she understood why.“Does Nathaniel know?” she asked before she could stop herself.There was a brief pause and then Gerald Haines said. “Mr. Brooks w
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
Chapter: Chapter 6:The Price of an EmpireThe glass doors of the office building slid open, letting in a rush of humid city air that did nothing to cool the anger burning in Lillian’s chest. She walked quickly, her heels clicking against the concrete sidewalk. She needed to breathe. She needed to get away from the air of that conference room, away from the smell of expensive leather and greed, and most of all, away from Nathaniel.“Lillian! Wait!”She heard his voice over the rumble of midday traffic, but she didn’t slow down. She kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, navigating through the crowd of office workers on their lunch break.A hand caught her elbow, firm but careful not to pull too hard. She stopped abruptly and spun around, yanking her arm back. Nathaniel stood there, breathing heavily, his tie slightly crooked. The pristine facade he usually maintained was completely gone.“Do not touch me, Nathaniel,” Lillian said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Do not even come near me.”“Lillian, please, just look a
Last Updated: 2026-07-08
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