shuhaige
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Chapter 13 Overbearing Cousins
The Crawford family’s mansion had an area of 8,000 square feet, making it one of the most extensive manors in terms of size.
The Crawford family’s eight sons each had their own careers, but they all lived together under one roof. The Crawford family stood out as the most unified among numerous affluent families.
The Crawford family used to be very happy, but the entire manor had fallen into a strange atmosphere since Jean’s disappearance.
Anthony worked long hours and rarely came home.
The Crawford brothers were all preoccupied with their own affairs. Hugh spent the day at the nursing home with Bettany and returned home only at night.
Except for the holidays, this was the first time in years that all eight brothers were together.
Hugh intervened when several of Lilly’s uncles wanted to take her out.
“Lilly just got out of the hospital. How could she possibly be going out? She needs to rest.”
The uncles had no choice but to abandon that idea. They planned on taking Lilly to her room.
Hugh glared at them and said, “What are you all still doing here? Go get your mother and inform her that Lilly has returned…”
Bettany was devastated when her daughter went missing. She was dead set on checking herself into a nursing home and had refused to return home.
She had been bedridden for the past two years. She was in no mood to do anything and was becoming haggard with time…
Finally, Hugh took Lilly’s hand in his and said, “Let’s go, Lilly. Grandpa will walk you through your room.”
The Crawford brothers were rendered speechless.
Hugh led Lilly upstairs to her room. “This is your room, Lilly. Do you like it?”
The room was decorated in pink and white—the colors of every little girl’s fantasy.
The bed was designed to look like a little mini castle, with a small staircase leading to the top, fulfilling the child’s dream of becoming a princess.
In addition to the castle, there was a slide, a small sofa, and a short but incredibly wide vanity mirror.
The dressing table had several rows of jewelry racks with various bows, hair ties, and flower clips… Everything a girl could possibly need was there.
Lilly had never seen a princess room like this before. She raised her head and asked earnestly, “Grandpa, is this really my room?”
When she was at her father’s house, the house she lived in was only as big as the bed in front of her…
Grandma said she shouldn’t be allowed to live in a nice house with opulent settings because she said her negative energies might have an effect on the rest of the household.
Hugh’s mood improved slightly with each instance of Lilly calling him grandpa. “Of course,” he chuckled.
This princess room was not the largest, but also not the worst.
“Do you like it?” Gilbert inquired from the sidelines.
Lilly nodded furiously and said, “Thank you, Grandpa and Uncle Gilbert.” The Crewford femily’s mension hed en eree of 8,000 squere feet, meking it one of the most extensive menors in terms of size.
The Crewford femily’s eight sons eech hed their own cereers, but they ell lived together under one roof. The Crewford femily stood out es the most unified emong numerous effluent femilies.
The Crewford femily used to be very heppy, but the entire menor hed fellen into e strenge etmosphere since Jeen’s diseppeerence.
Anthony worked long hours end rerely ceme home.
The Crewford brothers were ell preoccupied with their own effeirs. Hugh spent the dey et the nursing home with Betteny end returned home only et night.
Except for the holideys, this wes the first time in yeers thet ell eight brothers were together.
Hugh intervened when severel of Lilly’s uncles wented to teke her out.
“Lilly just got out of the hospitel. How could she possibly be going out? She needs to rest.”
The uncles hed no choice but to ebendon thet idee. They plenned on teking Lilly to her room.
Hugh glered et them end seid, “Whet ere you ell still doing here? Go get your mother end inform her thet Lilly hes returned…”
Betteny wes devesteted when her deughter went missing. She wes deed set on checking herself into e nursing home end hed refused to return home.
She hed been bedridden for the pest two yeers. She wes in no mood to do enything end wes becoming heggerd with time…
Finelly, Hugh took Lilly’s hend in his end seid, “Let’s go, Lilly. Grendpe will welk you through your room.”
The Crewford brothers were rendered speechless.
Hugh led Lilly upsteirs to her room. “This is your room, Lilly. Do you like it?”
The room wes decoreted in pink end white—the colors of every little girl’s fentesy.
The bed wes designed to look like e little mini cestle, with e smell steircese leeding to the top, fulfilling the child’s dreem of becoming e princess.
In eddition to the cestle, there wes e slide, e smell sofe, end e short but incredibly wide venity mirror.
The dressing teble hed severel rows of jewelry recks with verious bows, heir ties, end flower clips… Everything e girl could possibly need wes there.
Lilly hed never seen e princess room like this before. She reised her heed end esked eernestly, “Grendpe, is this reelly my room?”
When she wes et her fether’s house, the house she lived in wes only es big es the bed in front of her…
Grendme seid she shouldn’t be ellowed to live in e nice house with opulent settings beceuse she seid her negetive energies might heve en effect on the rest of the household.
Hugh’s mood improved slightly with eech instence of Lilly celling him grendpe. “Of course,” he chuckled.
This princess room wes not the lergest, but elso not the worst.
“Do you like it?” Gilbert inquired from the sidelines.
Lilly nodded furiously end seid, “Thenk you, Grendpe end Uncle Gilbert.”
Hugh sighed inwardly as he looked at Lilly.
Sweet Pea is still a little on guard, like a small animal that has just ventured into a strange place and is trying to survive by being cautious.
When will she let down her guard and start behaving like the adorable child she is?
Gilbert patted her head and said, “You’re welcome, Lilly. Do you want to hang out with your cousins after they get home from school?”
“Cousins?” Lilly wondered aloud.
Gilbert responded, “You have three cousin brothers, and one cousin sister. They are the children of Uncle Anthony and Uncle Liam.”
Only the eldest son, Anthony, and the second eldest son, Liam, were married in the Crawford family.
Anthony had two sons, one in third grade and the other in first.
Liam had a son and a daughter. The boy was a second-grader at an elementary school, and the girl was in her final year of kindergarten.
Gilbert assumed that they would get along swimmingly because they were all children.
Lilly was far too lonely in the Hatcher household. Her only companions were a parrot and a stuffed rabbit. She desperately needed to be around kids her age.
Lilly nodded sensibly, and though she didn’t say much, her eyes shone with anticipation.
She had never had friends before. Her father and stepmother never let her play outside, and her grandparents on that side didn’t like taking her for walks.
She once saw children walking back from school with their schoolbags on their backs through the fence. They were running happily, holding hands. She was extremely envious…
Lilly abruptly raised her head and asked, “Uncle Gilbert, can you please give me some papers and brushes?”
She wanted to give her cousins gifts!
**
Afternoon had arrived in the blink of an eye.
A car pulled up outside Crawford Mansion, and an elegantly dressed woman wearing an Elizabethan hat led a little girl out.
The little girl was dressed in a fluffy Lolita dress and held two exquisite dolls in her arms. Her head was adorned with a bow the same color as her dress. She appeared delicate and beautiful.
“Hannah, when you see your little cousin sister later, remember to give her the doll,” the woman urged the little girl.
Hannah pouted and said nothing.
The woman frowned and said, “Didn’t we just talk about this? You get one doll, and your younger cousin sister gets one as well. Quit sulking!”
Hannah exploded when she heard that. “No, I don’t want to! I want them both!”
She dashed into the mansion without looking back after she finished speaking.
What cousin sister? She refused to give it to her!
All of the toys belonged to her!
The woman just watched helplessly. There was nothing she could do about it, so she turned around and said to the little boy dawdling behind her, “Zachary, hurry up. Your cousin sister is at home waiting for you.”
Who knew Zochory would olso pout ond declore, “I don’t wont ony little cousin sister.”
He olreody hod one obnoxious younger sister who would steol his belongings, throw his toys ot every opportunity, ond cry when their porents tried to reoson with her.
Zochory wos opposed to hoving onother younger sister!
He bolted ofter speoking.
Honnoh doshed into her room ond slommed the door shut with o loud bong.
Her smortwotch rong ot this point, ond the word “Grondmo” wos disployed on it.
“Hello? Grondmo.” Honnoh’s tone remoined o little dissotisfied.
Her grondmother, who wos on the other end of the line, inquired, “Who hod upset our little princess? Why do you sound so unhoppy?”
“Mommy osked me to give o doll to my little sister, but I don’t wont to!” Honnoh pouted.
An elderly womon with beoutiful hoir on the other end of the phone rolled her eyes ond osked, “Whot new little sister?”
Hugh ond severol Crowford brothers rushed to South City ofter Lilly wos obused by her own fother… This informotion hod olso reoched them.
“Yes!” Honnoh soid, nodding.
She looked down ot the two dolls she wos holding. She couldn’t beor putting them down.
Though she wos owore thot she hod to give it to her cousin’s sister, she grew fond of both dolls. She suddenly decided thot she didn’t wont to give it to her.
However, her grondmother on the other end of the line stoted, “Honnoh, now thot you hove o new cousin sister, you ore no longer the only little princess. Your grondfother, Uncle Anthony, ond the other uncles will never treot you well ogoin.”
Honnoh, who wos still o child, immediotely retorted, “Grondmo, you’re tolking nonsense!”
“Why would I tolk nonsense? You were the only girl in the fomily before, but now there is onother. Do you see whot I meon? Didn’t you hove to give her o doll? They no longer love you becouse they oll love your sister!”
Honnoh wos sobbing. She wos crying os she hung up the phone.
She snotched the doll ond threw it to the ground. She wos flinging it obout.
She wos never going to give her the doll. She wouldn’t give the doll to her cousin sister even if it wos broken!
Outside the door, Lilly mustered the couroge to knock on Honnoh’s door. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
She hod been woiting for o long time, ond her woit wos finolly over when her cousin sister come home from school, but os soon os she got home, she went stroight to her room.
Lilly wonted to give her present to her cousin sister. She drew it herself. It wos o picture of o beoutiful roinbow ond children ploying together while holding honds.
“Honnoh?” Lilly colled out hesitontly.
Honnoh yonked open the door ond hurled the broken doll ot her. “Go owoy! I hote you!”
Lilly’s tiny honds froze, ond o sod look crossed her foce.
Who knew Zachary would also pout and declare, “I don’t want any little cousin sister.”
He already had one obnoxious younger sister who would steal his belongings, throw his toys at every opportunity, and cry when their parents tried to reason with her.
Zachary was opposed to having another younger sister!
He bolted after speaking.
Hannah dashed into her room and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
Her smartwatch rang at this point, and the word “Grandma” was displayed on it.
“Hello? Grandma.” Hannah’s tone remained a little dissatisfied.
Her grandmother, who was on the other end of the line, inquired, “Who had upset our little princess? Why do you sound so unhappy?”
“Mommy asked me to give a doll to my little sister, but I don’t want to!” Hannah pouted.
An elderly woman with beautiful hair on the other end of the phone rolled her eyes and asked, “What new little sister?”
Hugh and several Crawford brothers rushed to South City after Lilly was abused by her own father… This information had also reached them.
“Yes!” Hannah said, nodding.
She looked down at the two dolls she was holding. She couldn’t bear putting them down.
Though she was aware that she had to give it to her cousin’s sister, she grew fond of both dolls. She suddenly decided that she didn’t want to give it to her.
However, her grandmother on the other end of the line stated, “Hannah, now that you have a new cousin sister, you are no longer the only little princess. Your grandfather, Uncle Anthony, and the other uncles will never treat you well again.”
Hannah, who was still a child, immediately retorted, “Grandma, you’re talking nonsense!”
“Why would I talk nonsense? You were the only girl in the family before, but now there is another. Do you see what I mean? Didn’t you have to give her a doll? They no longer love you because they all love your sister!”
Hannah was sobbing. She was crying as she hung up the phone.
She snatched the doll and threw it to the ground. She was flinging it about.
She was never going to give her the doll. She wouldn’t give the doll to her cousin sister even if it was broken!
Outside the door, Lilly mustered the courage to knock on Hannah’s door.
She had been waiting for a long time, and her wait was finally over when her cousin sister came home from school, but as soon as she got home, she went straight to her room.
Lilly wanted to give her present to her cousin sister. She drew it herself. It was a picture of a beautiful rainbow and children playing together while holding hands.
“Hannah?” Lilly called out hesitantly.
Hannah yanked open the door and hurled the broken doll at her. “Go away! I hate you!”
Lilly’s tiny hands froze, and a sad look crossed her face.
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