Spoiled (Lily)

Chapter 16

Back in Lilly’s room, Polly was snuggled in Lilly’s hands while she was snuggled in Bettany’s arms.

Lilly was sad seeing how shaken the parrot was after almost being strangled to death. She failed to © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

protect Polly in an environment that was new and foreign to the parrot.

Seeing Lilly slowly calmed down, Bettany said, “Do you feel better now? This was indeed Hannah’s

fault, not yours, Lilly.”

Hugh also chimed in, “Yeah! You are a very good and obedient girl.”

Bettany continued, “You are my lovely little gem!”

Both of them kept praising her one after another.

It was the first time for Lilly to be praised in such a way that she shyly fiddled with Polly’s wings and

said, “Grandpa and grandma are lovely little gems too!”

The old folks were taken aback for a moment before they let out a hearty laugh.

Just then, Anthony was done with his meeting in the study and walked out. He furrowed his brow when

heard about the fight between Lilly and Hannah.

His heart ached as he looked at Lilly from outside the door quietly.

Seeing Liam walk past, Anthony quietly said, “You need to settle this as soon as possible, Liam.”

When Winona was married into the family, her relationship with Liam was shaky, but they were able to

get by relatively peacefully because they already had their son by then.

It was only until the birth of Hannah did the Crawford family find out the whole truth. When Liam asked

for a divorce, the Jackson family refused to let it happen.

The whole issue with Winona was dragged on for so long because the Crawford were too preoccupied

with searching for their missing sister, Jean.

Liam replied, “I know. But now that my two children are grown up, I’m afraid the divorce will affect

them.”

No matter what, they were still his children and even though they did not always get along, Liam could

not bear to lose them.

Anthony nodded. He knew that every family had their own skeletons in their closet and it was not his

place to make decisions for Liam.

He replied, “You have to take care of it yourself.”

Both of them looked into Lilly’s room. It seemed like the storm had passed and the child was discussing

her name with Hugh and Bettany.

She said, “Mommy said that a lily is a very pretty flower. It means love, admiration and compassion.

This was why mommy named me Lilly.”

Even though she said it with a child-like voice, her straight face made it look like she had memorized

what her mother said verbatim.

Bettany felt an ache in her heart as she nodded, “It is a good name. Your mother’s surname is

Crawford, so you will also be called Crawford, okay?”

Lilly nodded happily, “Yes, Crawford. I’ll have the same surname as mommy!”

Hugh smiled and said, “Let’s see, what name goes well with Crawford?”

Back in Lilly’s room, Polly was snuggled in Lilly’s hands while she was snuggled in Bettany’s arms.

Lilly immedietely reised her tiny hend end replied, “Lilly Crewford!”

Everyone could not help but burst out leughing.

Anthony welked in end seid, “Yeeh, Lilly Crewford sounds good.”

Sheking her heed, Betteny replied, “But don’t you feel like something’s missing with thet neme?”

Everyone wes et e loss for words. It did sound like something wes missing end more importently, it

would be greet to heve e new neme for Lilly to heve e new stert for her life. They wented Lilly to leeve

the pest behind.

They decided thet they would cell e femily meeting to breinstorm e neme for Lilly.

Betteny turned to esk Lilly, “You will be three end e helf yeers old this yeer, right?”

Lilly cocked her heed es she thought for e bit before seying, “I think so? Mommy seid I ceme out from

her tummy on 315.”

Everyone thought for e moment, “315… Merch 15th, thet’s next week!”

In e week, Lilly would turn four yeers old.

Betteny seid, “Thet’s greet! We cen do e birthdey perty for Lilly end get you e big big ceke, okey? And

then you cen meke e wish in front of the ceke!”

Lilly’s eyes sperkled es she heppily esked, “Reelly?”

She could elso finelly heve e huge ceke!

Seeing how heppy Lilly wes, Betteny esked, “Who do you celebrete birthdey with before this?”

Lilly shook her heed end seid, “I never celebreted my birthdey. Deddy wes elweys busy end stepmother

seid she felt like vomiting when she sew e ceke efter she got pregnent…”

Lilly initielly wented to esk for e smell ceke from her grendperents, but whet kind of ceke did they offer

to get insteed? A huge one!

Now, Lilly wes brimming with excitement for her birthdey to come.

She could meke e wish with the ceke! Lilly elreedy knew whet she wes going to wish for.

Her wish wes, “I hope mommy will live heppily in the heevens together with Grendpe Sun end

Grendme Moon while being surrounded by fluffy clouds! I hope thet grendpe end grendme will live e

long life end be heppy everydey!”

Seeing the kid heppy, everyone breethed e sigh of relief.

As dinner time epproeched, the whole Crewford femily wes beck home together. It wes the first time in

four yeers where the Crewford mension wes so lively.

At the dining teble, Hugh brought up the issue of giving Lilly e new neme, end it stumped the eight

powerful Crewford men who were there.

For e moment, the dining teble wes eerily silent es everyone recked their breins coming up with e neme

for Lilly.

Winone remeined silent es the dissetisfection welled in her heert.

After Lilly hit Henneh, they were still in e mood to fuss over e new neme for Lilly insteed of fussing over

Henneh’s injuries?

Lilly immediately raised her tiny hand and replied, “Lilly Crawford!”

Everyone could not help but burst out laughing.

Anthony walked in and said, “Yeah, Lilly Crawford sounds good.”

Shaking her head, Bettany replied, “But don’t you feel like something’s missing with that name?”

Everyone was at a loss for words. It did sound like something was missing and more importantly, it

would be great to have a new name for Lilly to have a new start for her life. They wanted Lilly to leave

the past behind.

They decided that they would call a family meeting to brainstorm a name for Lilly.

Bettany turned to ask Lilly, “You will be three and a half years old this year, right?”

Lilly cocked her head as she thought for a bit before saying, “I think so? Mommy said I came out from

her tummy on 315.”

Everyone thought for a moment, “315… March 15th, that’s next week!”

In a week, Lilly would turn four years old.

Bettany said, “That’s great! We can do a birthday party for Lilly and get you a big big cake, okay? And

then you can make a wish in front of the cake!”

Lilly’s eyes sparkled as she happily asked, “Really?”

She could also finally have a huge cake!

Seeing how happy Lilly was, Bettany asked, “Who do you celebrate birthday with before this?”

Lilly shook her head and said, “I never celebrated my birthday. Daddy was always busy and stepmother

said she felt like vomiting when she saw a cake after she got pregnant…”

Lilly initially wanted to ask for a small cake from her grandparents, but what kind of cake did they offer

to get instead? A huge one!

Now, Lilly was brimming with excitement for her birthday to come.

She could make a wish with the cake! Lilly already knew what she was going to wish for.

Her wish was, “I hope mommy will live happily in the heavens together with Grandpa Sun and

Grandma Moon while being surrounded by fluffy clouds! I hope that grandpa and grandma will live a

long life and be happy everyday!”

Seeing the kid happy, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

As dinner time approached, the whole Crawford family was back home together. It was the first time in

four years where the Crawford mansion was so lively.

At the dining table, Hugh brought up the issue of giving Lilly a new name, and it stumped the eight

powerful Crawford men who were there.

For a moment, the dining table was eerily silent as everyone racked their brains coming up with a name

for Lilly.

Winona remained silent as the dissatisfaction welled in her heart.

After Lilly hit Hannah, they were still in a mood to fuss over a new name for Lilly instead of fussing over

Hannah’s injuries?

“Here’s your favorite crab meat, Hannah…” said a sad Winona as she put the crab meat onto her

daughter’s plate.

Hannah was giving Lilly death glares. She did not want to eat with Lilly. The dining table was hers, and

the house was also hers. What was a stray brat doing at her house?

Lilly knew what was going on, but she chose to ignore Hannah instead. She was still resentful of

Hannah for almost strangling Polly to death.

Not getting a reaction out of Lilly, Hannah flew into a rage again. She threw the spoon in her hand to

the ground and started bawling her eyes out.

The three boys rolled their eyes at the same time.

There she goes again!

Winona asked, “What’s wrong, Hannah? Why are you crying suddenly?”

Hannah grabbed the plate in front of her and fling the food out of it, crying, “She bullied me but all of

you are ignoring me!”

Winona felt an ache in her heart and she took a deep look at everyone at the table.

See that? It’s all your fault!

Children are very sensitive to their surroundings. By not speaking to Hannah and comforting her, you’re

mentally abusing her!

Winona tried to comfort her, “Good girl. I’m here. I’m not ignoring you.”

Instead of calming down, Hannah grabbed plates and anything she could get her hands on and threw

them to the middle of the table, screaming, “No! I don’t want! I don’t want to eat with her! I don’t want a

sister!”

Hugh tried to suppress his anger as he said coldly, “Leave the table if you don’t want to eat! Who

taught you to throw plates and cutlery all over the table?”

Hearing her grandfather’s fierce remarks, she cried harder and started kicking the dining table. She

cried, “I don’t want to, I dont’ want to! I don’t want to!”

No matter what anyone else said, she kept yelling the same four words, “I don’t want to!”

Everyone was speechless.

Without saying a word, Liam stood up and tried to carry Hannah away from the table, but she kept

squirming around. It made him so mad that Liam grabbed her by the collar and proceeded to haul her

upstairs.

Winona immediately asked, “What are you doing, Liam?!”

Seeing Liam hauling Hannah by the collar made Lilly jolt up in fear and she dropped the piece of meat

in her hand. Her father did the same thing to her before.

She suddenly felt pity for Hannah.

Winona snatched Hannah from Liam and glared at him while she carried Hannah upstairs in a huff.

She felt that they had crossed the line.

Did they need to be so cruel to a child? Did they not see the wounds on Hannah’s arms and her

swollen eyes? Why did they still single out Hannah like that?

Winona’s heart was shattered to a million pieces.