The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton
Book One: chapters XII - XIV

Now begins a turning point in Lily's life. Before she was adored by people because of her beauty. When gossips  talked about her it was always praise or about where she had been: never anything negative. However, people have begun to say mean things about her: that she has been hanging around with married men. Lily knows that people are talking about her but is too worried about money to pay any attention. But the situation worsens when Lily's actions start creating enemies. Her best friend no longer invites her to her house while Bertha Dorset sabotages her chances at marrying Percy Gryce. Eventually, even her cousin Jack Stepney talks bad about her when he says, "really, you know, I'm no prude, but when it comes to a girl standing there as if she was up at auction--I thought seriously of speaking to cousin Julia." Before, Lily could do no wrong but now people are talking about her negatively. Additionally, she is no longer as confident in her actions as she was at the beginning of the book. She is second guessing herself and what she wants and keeps making mistakes with her money and in relations to other people. Lily has started to come apart at the seams.