Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

Bettany’s verbal demolition left Mabel with no pride at all! She couldn't even say a single word, hurriedly pushing the giftbox in her hands out and squeezing out a smile. “Old Mrs.

Crawford, | just heard Blake say that you missed your granddaughter too much to the point where it was affecting your health.

That's why | came all this way to see you in hopes of helping you feel a little better... Health is the most important aspect of life no matter what. | don’t think Lilly would want to see you in this state when she comes back either!” Bettany nodded. “You're right.” Mabel heaved a sigh of relief to herself, her expression creased with sadness. “I know how you feel. I'm a mother too, | know how it feels to not be able to see your child.” Bettany glanced at her. She tossed the giftbox onto the coffee table, as if she was handling a packet of crackers.

Yena said at once, “Grandma Crawford, Mom spent so long choosing this gift. It really is pretty!” Bettany glanced at the child before her, not knowing where to start.

It had to be said that the apple didn’t fall far from the try.

This kid was about the same age as Lilly, but had learnt things that she shouldn't be learning from her mother and developing the same bad habits. She had not gone wrong... she had been wrong from the start.

“Is it? | don’t believe so!” Bettany said.

Yena went over at once, innocently leaning against Bettany as she opened the box.

“It's a purple bracelet. Look, Old Mrs. Crawford, isn’t it pretty?” Yena’s eyes shone as she turned to look at Bettany.

Bettany leaned forward. She merely glanced at the bracelet once, and said, “It's not bad. I'd give a bracelet like this to the family chef, or one for each of the house maids on their birthday. It still works.” Mabel: ...

Yena: ...

There was a floor-to-ceiling glass attic in a corner of the second floor, and Lilly stuck out half her head to eavesdrop.

There was another head right above hers. It was Josh.

On top of Josh’s head, was Hannah's.

Behind Hannah's head...

Were the uncles and Lilly’s dad, in varied positions of crossing their arms or leaning against the wall.

They watched the old lady, firing at full force: ...

Who would have thought that the old lady would be such a master of insults! She was truly skilled! Lilly: I've learnt something new again! Yena's face flushed as she lowered her head like her mother.

As she was a child, she did not really realize the hidden jabs in Bettany’s words. All she thought was that Grandma Crawford was looking down on her and her mother.

Bettany’s verbal demolition left Mabel with no pride at all! Yena was sad beyond words. How could Grandma Crawford turn out to be this way? Yena had been serious about having her as a god-grandma, and had wanted to love and respect her in the future.

Yet Grandma Crawford was just like the rest, looking down on her and her mother.

She had walked over, but Grandma Crawford didn’t even hug her.

“Grandma Crawford, | know that you're really sad about Lilly being missing,” Yena said softly. “That's why you're in a bad mood, right?” “Mom said that the dead can’t come back to life, so you shouldn’t be too sad, Grandma Crawford. Lilly's gone to a beautiful heaven for sure, and she’s having a blast!” This was what she had heard the gentle mother on television say to her son whose dog had gone missing.

Alittle boy's dog had died from getting hit by a car, and his mother comforted him by saying: The dog must have gone to a beautiful heaven...

And so Yena was using it now.

The Crawford household looked empty and quiet when they just got here. She had no idea that Lilly was already back.

That was why she was trying to be comforting and caring: “If Lilly was still here, she wouldn't want to see Grandma Crawford like this... Grandma Crawford, if you're sad, how about | keep you company from now?” “Umm... how about | sing you a song?” Yena’s expression was completely innocent, looking at Bettany with her head tilted to the side.

Bettany’s expression darkened at once.

Mabel’s chest lurched. F*ck, what was she saying? Wasn't it a huge offense to say to someone outright that their granddaughter had died! Everyone else said that Lilly was dead, but the Crawfords had refused to give up and continued looking. These words must be terrible to hear! Yet before Mabel could even speak.

A small figure rushed down the stairs! Hannah moved quick as the wind, bolting up to Yena and landing a harsh slap on her face! Slap! Hannah's eyes were wide with fury as she roared, “You're the one who should be dead! Your entire family should be dead! How dare you say that my sister's gone to heaven, I'll be the first to beat you to death!” Yena spun on the spot from the force of the slap. It was obvious how hard Hannah had hit her.

She was dazed from the attack, tearing up the second she returned to her senses. Her hands shrank back, and she looked terrified.

“I'm... 'm sorry... |, | didn’t mean it...” She whimpered, wanting to cry but not daring to. Anyone would feel sorry at the sight of her.

Yeno wos sod beyond words. How could Grondmo Crowford turn out to be this woy? Yeno hod been serious obout hoving her os o god-grondmo, ond hod wonted to love ond respect her in the future.

Yet Grondmo Crowford wos just like the rest, looking down on her ond her mother.

She hod wolked over, but Grondmo Crowford didn’t even hug her.

“Grondmo Crowford, | know thot you're reolly sod obout Lilly being missing,” Yeno soid softly. “Thot's why you're in o bod mood, right?” “Mom soid thot the deod con't come bock to life, so you shouldn’t be too sod, Grondmo Crowford. Lilly's gone to o beoutiful heoven for sure, ond she’s hoving o blost!” This wos whot she hod heord the gentle mother on television soy to her son whose dog hod gone missing.

Alittle boy’s dog hod died from getting hit by o cor, ond his mother comforted him by soying: The dog must hove gone to o beoutiful heoven...

And so Yeno wos using it now.

The Crowford household looked empty ond quiet when they just got here. She hod no ideo thot Lilly wos olreody bock.

Thot wos why she wos trying to be comforting ond coring: “If Lilly wos still here, she wouldn't wont to see Grondmo Crowford like this... Grondmo Crowford, if you're sod, how obout | keep you compony from now?” “Umm... how obout | sing you o song?” Yeno'’s expression wos completely innocent, looking ot Bettony with her heod tilted to the side.

Bettony’s expression dorkened ot once.

Mobel’s chest lurched. F*ck, whot wos she soying? Wosn't it o huge offense to soy to someone outright thot their gronddoughter hod died! Everyone else soid thot Lilly wos deod, but the Crowfords hod refused to give up ond continued looking. These words must be terrible to heor! Yet before Mobel could even speok.

A smoll figure rushed down the stoirs! Honnoh moved quick os the wind, bolting up to Yeno ond londing o horsh slop on her foce! Slop! Honnoh’s eyes were wide with fury os she roored, “You're the one who should be deod! Your entire fomily should be deod! How dore you soy thot my sister's gone to heoven, I'll be the first to beot you to deoth!” Yeno spun on the spot from the force of the slop. It wos obvious how hord Honnoh hod hit her.

She was dozed from the ottock, teoring up the second she returned to her senses. Her honds shronk bock, ond she looked terrified.

“Im... 'm sorry... I, I didn’t meon it...” She whimpered, wonting to cry but not doring to. Anyone would feel sorry ot the sight of her.

Not Hannah, though.

“Stop pretending! You want my sister to be gone so you can replace her, don’t you! All that talk about keeping my grandma company, even singing to her?” “Our family has plenty of children! | have three brothers, and I'm still around! You can jolly well wait your turn to come to my family and sing to my grandma!” Hannah was furious.

She had been scared out of her wits ever since Lilly had gone missing, hiding in her blankets and crying every single day.

There was a time and place for everything! Yena’s tears shone in her eyes. She stared at a ferocious-looking Hannah, not daring to make a sound.

She tried to explain weakly, “That wasn’t what | meant. | just thought that | was good at singing, and wanted to sing for Grandma Crawford.” Hannah harrumphed. “Are you saying | can’t sing, then?” Yena was teary-eyed, not daring to speak as she looked at her mother.

Mabel was panicking herself. “I'm so sorry, Old Mrs. Crawford. Sometimes children don’t know what they're saying... she didn’t mean it.” Bettany took a sip of tea, not saying anything at all.

This only made Mabel feel even more wronged, feeling that the situation was unfair.

Yena had said something inappropriate, but Hannah was definitely in the wrong for hitting her.

Yet Hannah piped up again, “I could care less if she was a child! Listen up, the next time | hear you say anything bad about my sister, I'll beat you up everytime | see you!” Her hair was not long yet, and she glowered at Yena like a tattooed gangster.

Yena was scared, indignant and jealous.

She was jealous that her cousin's sister was so kind to her.

She had a sister too, but her sister was nothing but terrible to her.

She was kind on the surface, but would make her kneel when no one was around, slapping her and cutting her hair.

Why was her sister like a demon, but this cousin of hers could have such a good sister? Why was everyone so kind to this cousin of hers? They were both little girls alike, but her cousin could live in a palace like a princess! On the other hand, she was laughed at wherever she went and called the daughter of a mistress...

It wasn't her fault that her mother was a mistress. It was her mother’s! Distance was not the issue, but competition was.

For the first time, Yena felt like she had been ‘wronged’ in her heart...