active

page.joyreadings.com

Learn more

IMAGE

🎉“The Princess to Eight Uncles”✨Your Next Novel📕

https://page.joyreadings.com/h5-book-share-custom4.html?lang=en&id=4433&brand=2&app=0&ppid=899&pid=FBW2A&campaign={{campaign.id}}&adset_id={{adset.id}}&ad_id={{ad.id}}&utm_source=FBW2A&utm_medium={{placement}}&utm_campaign={{campaign.id}}&utm_term={{adset.id}}&utm_content={{ad.id}}&pixel_id=816574679413893&ori_campaign_id=120216559048540490&ori_adset_id=120216559049830490&ori_ad_id=120216559052370490

The novelette

https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/481923155_1380440409789572_6880634134772542721_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60_tt6&_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=YIQUYmHAn-8Q7kNvgFMwPIc&_nc_oc=AdiGC6MoSZAzoIeLZEr-6J50uPdBcoamLUMeiNfSs7uH4TXCtTzBl8nskB_o3XUZ_nUCJ6OeLFAAf2MEFv9Rjuzo&_nc_zt=14&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&_nc_gid=AjTtEYsLTwqSkUPoFEgR4il&oh=00_AYAyX6Bd6jksZlOUIpesTQOjYZZ2mscKJPnB-qMer8UIfA&oe=67CB8BF5

PERSON_PROFILE

A three-year-old gir who was bulied in the snow accidentally dialed a number. and her 8 uncles and 8000 bodvauards rushed
out in an instant!
Chapter 1 Don’t Get Up Until You Apologize
Lambridge City, Promenade 1st Villa Area - the Hatcher Mansion.
Toda was the Lantern festival. Colorful lights were decorated around the house, giving a touch of warmth to the cold atmosphere of the Hatcher family.

Suddenly, a scream echoed across the mansion.

"Ah-"

Followed by thudding, a large-bellied woman fell from the stairs!

Everyone was surprised and hurried toward her.

Stephen Hatcher, the president of Ador Hatcher Corporation, quickly asked, "Debbie, are you alright?"

The woman's face turned pale when she saw fresh blood trickling down her legs. Horrified, she replied, "Stephen, it hurts… Our baby… Quickly, save our baby!"

The house's madam, Paula Anderson, panicked and asked, "What happened?!"

Debbie looked toward the top of the stairs with tears in her eyes.

Everyone looked up and saw a girl, about three years old, standing at the top of the stairs. Upon seeing everyone's gaze, she hugged the toy rabbit in her arms tightly in fear.

Richard Hatcher roared angrily, "Were you the one that pushed Debbie?!"

The little girl pouted. "It's not me, and I didn't…"

While crying, Debbie begged, "No… Dad, it's not Lilly's fault. She's still young, and she didn't mean it…"

Her words quickly reaffirmed that it was Lilly's fault.

Stephen's eyes darkened, and he immediately ordered, "Lock her in the attic! I'll deal with her once I return!"

The other hurriedly sent Debbie to the hospital while the servants dragged Lilly upstairs.

Even when a shoe fell off, she kept a stubborn face and did not beg or cry for help.

No light or heat could reach the dark and cold attic. The windows squeaked as if a monster would appear at any moment…

Lilly hugged her stuffed bunny tightly and curled up in a corner.

It's so cold…

The truth was she never pushed anyone, but no one believed her.

As it was cold spring weather, the snow and the wind made their way into the attic through the window cracks, piling layers of coldness onto little Lilly.

Soon, an entire day had passed by.

No one cared about Lilly, and no one even knew that Debbie had punished her the day before. She was already in a daze as she had yet to eat anything.

Richard had ordered that she was not allowed to leave until she admitted that it was her fault.

"Mommy…"

Lilly's lips were turning purple from the cold, and she was shivering. She could only close her eyes and mumble, "Mommy… I didn't do anything wrong… It's not my fault…"

She knew that her mother had died from an illness a year ago.

After her mother passed on, her dad found another woman, and soon the woman was pregnant with a baby…

However, the woman was two-faced. She was only nice to Lilly when others were present; otherwise, she would act like a demon punishing her.

Mommy… Lilly thought as she squeezed her toy rabbit's ears before losing consciousness.

Not knowing how long it had been, the door suddenly opened with a loud bang.

Stephen was furious when he picked up the unconscious Lilly, dragging her down the stairs and throwing her outside into the snow!

Lilly shivered from the cold surface and struggled to open her eyes…

"Daddy… I'm hungry…" She muttered.

Stephen scoffed. "You killed Debbie's unborn child, and the first thing you're telling me is that you're hungry?! I can't believe I have such an evil daughter!"

Lilly's eyes were hollow, and she could not speak as she was frozen stiff.

The more Stephen looked at her, the angrier he became. Why is she still acting stubborn despite being at fault? You malicious child!

"It is my fault as a parent that you're behaving this way! Now that you've killed your unborn brother, who knows if you will start murdering people when you grow up? As your father, I must teach you a lesson!"

He looked around and picked up a broom from the corner, snapping the broom head off.

The thick broomstick landed on Lilly's body with a thud, causing her to scream in pain!

"Is it your fault?!" Stephen glared.

"It's not me. It was really… not me!" Lilly bit her lips and maintained a stubborn face.

Stephen was getting more furious upon hearing her words. "Then are you saying your stepmother willingly fell down the stairs?! Why would she want to fall after being six months pregnant?!"

He could not help but think back to what happened in the hospital. Debbie was bleeding heavily, and the doctor had declared her situation as critical twice, but even on the brink of death, she insisted on asking him to not blame Lilly!

She said that Lilly was still young when her mother passed away. She was simply afraid that her baby brother might get the attention away from her and did not mean to push her.

Stephen felt angrier as he thought. He beat Lilly while scolding, "You're still trying to deny it! Stop denying it!"

With every sentence, Lilly would get hit by the broomstick.

He was so engrossed in hitting her that he did not even realize that his phone had fallen out of his pocket. When Lilly was severely beaten, he finally stopped, so she lay paralyzed on the snowy ground.

"Stay here and kneel until your stepmother is discharged!"

Stephen tugged his tie after he scolded her and left the broomstick behind before walking away.

He had been feeling irritated recently as his company had been facing a loophole for half a month and had yet to receive help resolving it.

Then today, Debbie fell from the stairs and lost their unborn child, losing the only hope for the Hatcher family.

The consecutive unfortunate events stressed him, and he could not help but vent it all out on Lilly.

Lilly's rabbit toy had already been beaten to pieces. She tried to stand up but fell back onto the snowy ground with a thud…

She felt that she was on the brink of death.

If I die, will I finally be able to see mommy?

At that moment, she heard a blurry voice.

"Lilly, call for your uncle! Your uncle is Gilbert Crawford, his phone number is 159xxxxx..."

"Call…" Lilly opened her eyes and noticed the black phone lying in the snow. Her survival instincts kicked in as she desperately crawled toward it.

"159…"

Lilly stuttered and stammered, her stiff fingers struggling to move, and finally, she managed to make the call…

**

Meanwhile, Hugh Crawford lectured at a courtyard house in Clodston, "Another year has passed. Gilbert Crawford, when will you take the test for the Chief Physician role?!"

The eight brothers of the Crawford family looked at each other while Gilbert touched his nose.

Suddenly the old man changed the topic and asked,

"Also, it's been four years, and have you not found your sister?"

The looks on the brothers' faces changed, with their lips pursed. Their indifferent eyes now had a slight hint of sorrow.

Their younger sister, Jean Crawford, was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia at a young age. Since then, she had been carefully nursed by the Crawford family as she went through blood transfusions, anti-infection treatments, and bone marrow transplants…

However, her condition worsened and even affected her memory.

Then, four years ago, she suddenly went missing.

Gilbert was a physician at the Shercaster Cancer Hospital and was in charge of Jean's treatment.

That day, he had to save a critically ill patient, and it was at that moment… that Jean disappeared.

For the past four years, guilt and regret had been tormenting him. Even with his outstanding medical talent, he had been unable to move forward since then.

The Crawford family had eight sons, and Jean was the only daughter.

After their daughter's disappearance, Bettany suddenly fell ill, and Hugh's temper grew unstable.

A heavy stone lay in the hearts of everyone in the Crawford family, rendering them restless.

The eldest son, Anthony Crawford - the CEO of the Crawford family's business empire - worked day and night tirelessly, causing his health to worsen and requiring him to take daily medication.

The third son, Bryson Crawford - the outstanding pilot of Swift Airlines- failed the psychological tests and had been resting at home for the past four years.

The others…

The study room fell into silence before suddenly, Gilbert's phone rang!

Chapter 2 Get Her Out Of Here

Hugh had his rules, one of which was that phones should be turned off during morning meetings.

Gilbert quickly retrieved his phone and was about to end the call.

Hugh scolded, "Take it!"

Gilbert then coughed. "Dad, it was an unknown number, I…"

Hugh put his teacup aside and ordered, "Take the call and put it on speakers!"

Bryson and Jonas looked pitifully at Gilbert.

Gilbert had no choice but to pick up the call and put it on speakers.

They were taken aback when they heard a small voice.

"Hello… is this uncle? I'm Lilly Hatcher… My mommy is Jean Crawford… Are you my Uncle Gilbert?"

The little girl's voice was weak and indescribably monotonous, like a small robot, with no discernible emotions in her tone.

The looks of the Crawford family changed drastically!

Clack… Hugh's pen cap dropped from his hand.

They could not utter a single sound, as if everyone had their throats strangled.

The child's tender voice sounded again on the other end of the phone.

"Uncle… I'm so cold and hungry… I didn't push my stepmother, but they don't believe me… Daddy dragged me to the gate to kneel… but I'm cold… Uncle, will you help me…"

As she spoke, her voice grew weaker and weaker.

The sound of the snowstorm blowing could still be heard from the other end of the call, but her voice had abruptly stopped.

Gilbert finally got back to his senses and grabbed his phone, holding it close to his mouth as he yelled frantically,

"Hey, Li-Lilly? Where are you? Tell me your location now!"

However, there was no response.

Hugh, panicked, stood up, and his previously rigid and stern look had already gone as if he had aged in an instant.

"Quick! Quickly! Investigate the number and location now!"

**

Lilly passed out before finishing the call and dropped the phone in the snow.

Stephen then returned to look for his phone and saw Lilly lying there, not moving.

He kicked her and snarled, "It'd be better if she's dead!"

Four years ago, he found a woman on the street who was poorly dressed and in bad condition. He took her back to his apartment out of kindness.

After the woman cleaned up, he discovered that she was gorgeous.

She had amnesia and appeared to be confused. As Stephen was enamored by her cuteness, he took care of her.

Like a fool in love, he doted on her, telling her to not force herself to do anything as he cared for her…

Now that Stephen thought about it, he found it revolting.

Who knows if a female beggar like her was taken advantage of when she was wandering about the streets?

Otherwise, why doesn't Lilly have any resemblance to me?

Although suspicious, Stephen never wanted to do a paternity test because if it turned out that he was not the father, he would be the most foolish man in South City!

Stephen grabbed his phone and walked away. He continuously made calls in his warm study room.

"Hello… Mr. Burton, it's me, Stephen! I'm wondering if you are acquainted with the Crawford family from Clodston?"

"Greetings, Mr. Ledger! Happy new year! Are you acquainted with the Crawford family? Oh, my company's just having a minor issue…"

**

The snowstorm outside the study room was intense, and Lilly was still lying on the snow. It was only a matter of time before the day got dark.

She was a little conscious but could no longer force her eyes to open.

She had never cried since her mother died. Even if her father abused her, she never shed a single tear.

Yet, she wanted to cry at that moment.

When she called her uncle, there was no response from the other end.

Do they hate me too? Then no one likes me at all.

What about mommy? If I die and mommy sees me, will she hate me too?

Lilly's lips, turning purple from the cold, were pressed together as she kept thinking.

Mommy… I won't cry… Lilly's a good girl…

Suddenly, she heard a loud noise.

About seven cars arrived at the Hatcher mansion, and a man wearing a black down coat got out of the first car and opened the mansion's gate!

As there was a massive snowstorm, the snow had already covered Lilly's petite figure.

Gilbert anxiously looked around. On the phone, Lilly said she was kneeling at the gate!

Suddenly his face turned pale as he noticed a small pile of snow at the gate.

He immediately rushed over and shoved the snow away, causing his hands to redden from the cold. Finally, he found a small figure under the snow!

"Lilly?!"

Gilbert hurriedly picked up the young girl, and the moment he saw Lilly's face, he knew that this was their Lilly - her face was a splitting image of their sister when she was young…

Their most beloved and cherished sister's child - Lilly!

Lilly felt as if she had fallen into a warm embrace, and the person had even taken off their coat to wrap her around.

Lilly was numb from being frozen for too long, and after feeling an instant of warmth, she still felt bone-chillingly cold, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.

Lilly struggled to open her eyes and finally saw the man before her - he looked somewhat similar to her mother but also different.

Lilly's lips twitched as she asked weakly, "Are you… uncle… I didn't push anyone… uncle…"

At that moment, Lilly was murmuring as she had lost consciousness.

She was like a cold, emotionless robot compared to Gilbert's agitated self.

Gilbert was on the verge of crying.

The young child in his arms was only wearing thin sleepwear - pure cotton autumn clothing - with no padding at all.

Her small face had already turned purple from the cold, and her lips were cracked and turning dark.

Like a frozen sculpture, her tiny figure could not move, making Gilbert afraid that he would break her with a single touch.

"Lilly… Uncle's here, and I'm bringing you home."

Gilbert choked. He could not imagine how Lilly managed to survive independently with her condition.

He was even scared to think she would have died if they arrived later.

Gilbert carefully held Lilly, focusing solely on her. He rushed back to the car.

"Lilly, stay with me." Gilbert's voice turned hoarse as he urged, "Don't sleep… Lilly, can you say something to uncle? Lilly…”

Lilly had already lost consciousness.

Hugh staggered a little as he rushed over. Seeing Gilbert's piled-up clothes, he anxiously asked, "How is she?"

Gilbert was already panicking. "Quick, we must go to the hospital now!"

The Crawford family felt their hearts were in their throats and immediately headed toward the hospital.

Meanwhile, Stephen, who had just received the news of their arrival, hurriedly rushed downstairs with a mixture of excitement and elation on his face.

When the Crawford family was rushing into the mansion, they were stopped by the security guard. Once Anthony revealed his name, the guard quickly went to inform Stephen.

As he was wracking his brains trying to find a way to be acquainted with the Crawford family, Stephen was taken aback by the news!

Although he did not know why the Crawford family suddenly appeared before the mansion, he knew he had a chance as long as they were there.

There's hope for the Hatcher family, after all!

Suddenly, Stephen remembered something and quickly turned to a servant, saying, "Is that deadbeat still lying in the yard? Get her out of here immediately!"

That jinx had cursed her mother to death, and now my company will go bankrupt from her curse too.

Stephen would not allow her to ruin this opportunity to meet with the Crawford family.

Chapter 3 Lilly's Eight Uncles To The Rescue!

Everything happened so fast that the Hatchers had no time to react.

By the time Stephen rushed out, he saw Anthony preparing to get into his car and drive off. However, he had not been in time to see Gilbert brushing the snow off Lilly and picking her up from where she had been kneeling by the gate.

"My goodness! It's Mr. Anthony Crawford!" Stephen plastered a bright smile onto his face and greeted the other cheerfully. "What brings you here? It's an honor to have you visiting our humble abode!"

By then, Richard, Paula, and some of the Hatcher servants had hurried out to join Stephen as well, their faces wreathed in smiles of welcome.

When they saw Anthony's stern, aloof countenance, they became even more fawning and obsequious.

Anthony Crawford was the current head of the Crawford family's business empire and the CEO of Crawford Holdings!

The Crawford family was one of Clodston's four influential families; everyone wanted to butter them up and curry favor.

A true aristocratic family like this with old money and such deep ties to Clodston was rare. The Crawfords were an elusive, mysterious entity; they kept themselves out of the limelight. The only thing anyone in Clodston knew for sure was that the Crawfords had eight sons, but even then, few had even set eyes on them.

Anthony was occasionally featured in the headlines of the financial news, which was why the Hatchers had recognized him.

"Mr. Crawford, please come in! It's freezing out here. We'd love to have you stay a little while if you don't mind such humble surroundings," Richard said enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, please do come in and have something hot!" Stephen chimed in, smiling.

Now that they were in the presence of a truly distinguished person, all the Hatchers could not help trying to ingratiate themselves with him.

The Ador Hatcher Corporation was in dire straits; for the Hatcher family, this was a catastrophe.

However, just a word from Anthony would revive their flagging fortunes!

If luck favored them, they might even become one of Clodston's top ten influential families…

Anthony's face betrayed no hint of expression; instead, he studied Stephen with keen eyes.

Was this Lilly's father?

Still without expression, Anthony declined Richard's offer coolly and enigmatically. "Very well, Mr. Hatcher and family."

Without another word, he got into his car and drove off.

The Hatchers stood there, confused and dazed, watching him leave.

Paula was the first to speak. "Mr. Crawford said very well… Does that mean he's intending to help us?"

Richard frowned. "Given his expression, I don't think he meant anything complimentary."

Stephen ordered the servants to enlighten him about what had happened earlier.

They related how the Crawfords had shown up en masse at the Hatcher Mansion and taken Lilly away, and that a man in black had stripped off his coat and wrapped it around her, cradling her in his arms. He had also identified himself as her uncle…

When Stephen heard this, he was thunderstruck. Suddenly, everything became terrifyingly clear.

It was common knowledge that the Crawfords had eight sons and a daughter. However, the daughter's health was frail, and she had never appeared in public before.

Did this mean that the woman he had rescued four years ago was the Crawford family's one and only precious daughter?!

The rest of the Hatcher family felt their hearts sinking. How they bitterly regretted their actions!

Paula's lips trembled. "So Jean was the Crawfords' daughter… hurry, we need to go and get Lilly back…"

They would never have forced Lilly to kneel in the snow if they had known!

In fact, they would have treated her like a goddess and worshiped at her feet!

Stephen regretted his actions as well; when he recalled how he had disciplined Lilly so harshly, he felt uneasy.

Angrily he snapped, "How are you going to get her back? Do you think we can walk in and take her away just like that?"

Richard frowned so hard his brow looked like a wrinkled prune. After a long moment of consideration, he said, "Well, regardless, we're still Lilly's blood relations. We're her grandparents, after all! The Crawfords can't deny that, no matter how angry they are. Then again, Lilly did cause Debbie's miscarriage, that's a fact…"

All they had wanted to do was to teach Lilly not to be an irresponsible little liar!

Unfortunately, Stephen had let his temper get the better of him and had disciplined her more severely than he should have…

The Hatchers felt confident that they would be able to clear up any misunderstandings with the Crawfords. All they had to do was to have a satisfactory explanation for everything. Once that was settled, they would be able to look forward to a future of wealth and prestige…

…

Instead of returning to Clodston after rescuing Lilly, the Crawfords went straight to the nearest hospital.

The hitherto vacant VIP suite in South Town's best hospital was now a hive of frantic activity.

No one dared to raise their voices. The atmosphere was extremely tense, punctuated by the sounds of hospital equipment beeping and doctors and nurses hurrying to and fro.

Hugh Crawford paced back and forth with the help of his walking stick. "Why are they still in there?" He muttered fretfully.

Anthony glanced at the time, then gently told his father, "Dad, you should sit down."

Lilly had immediately been whisked off to the emergency room as soon as they reached the hospital. Gilbert had gone with her; up until now, neither of them had emerged.

In the emergency room, Gilbert examined Lilly's bruised body with shaking hands.

Broken bones were the worst thing that could happen in cases of severe frostbite. A more detailed examination revealed that Lily had been badly beaten; in fact, her arms, ribs, and shins had been fractured.

There were numerous patches of frostbite all over her body. Some of the areas were so severely frostbitten they would require surgical intervention.

Lilly was only three or four years old, and she had been made to undergo such torment…

Hot tears stung Gilbert's eyes. Leaning down, he murmured, "Lilly, this is your Uncle Gilbert. Can you hear me? If you can, please hang in there. You'll make it through, I promise…"

Lilly's eyes were tightly closed, but she had the oddest sensation of her body feeling very light and warm all over. It was the first time she had ever felt so comfortable.

Everything was very quiet, except for a voice by her ear that constantly murmured, "Lilly…Lilly dear…little Tulip…Can you see me? Can you hear me?"

Who was this mysterious person?

Lilly tried very hard to open her eyes, but she was unable to do so.

She wanted to reply that she could hear this person talking to her as well, but she could not make a sound, no matter how frantically she tried.

…

It took three hours of surgical procedures before Lilly was out of danger, and the doctors all felt this was a miracle!

The little girl was wheeled into a hospital room, IV tubes plastered all over her body.

Gilbert's face was stony as he handed Anthony the report from Lilly's examination. When the Crawfords read it, they were incensed.

Hugh growled in fury, "A fine, upstanding bunch, these Hatchers! They even had the nerve to lay hands on a three-and-a-half-year-old child!

Anthony had already done a background check on the Hatcher family. In a frosty voice, he replied, "The Hatcher family's business goods are under suspicion of being contraband. The company is in pretty desperate straits. Recently they've been trying to find some point of connection so that we'll help them."

Hugh merely laughed derisively. "Help them? They can count themselves lucky if I don't ruin them entirely!"

The old gentleman was so enraged that he wanted to tear the entire Hatcher family to pieces there and then.

"Don't worry, Dad," Anthony answered. "They won't last long."

Hugh bit his lower lip and fell silent. After a while, he murmured, "Then how about Jean…what's happened to her…?"

Anthony did not say anything, merely stayed silent.

Clodston and South Town were around 1200 miles apart.

Four years ago, Jean had somehow found her way to South Town, seriously ill and having lost her memory. Stephen had found her, and taken her home.

She had almost died giving birth to Lilly but miraculously recovered and held on for another two years before succumbing to her illness, leaving Lilly alone in the world.

The Crawford brothers' beloved sister had died quietly in some remote town without a nod to her status or even a mention of her name…

Anthony's fists clenched tightly as his anger grew; the expression on his face became even stonier.

Hugh did not dare probe any further; he was afraid he would not be able to handle the truth.

Gilbert asked, "Why would they beat Lilly like that?"

Anthony replied in a voice as cold as ice, "Stephen Hatcher's wife, Debbie, fell downstairs and had a miscarriage. Stephen believed that Lilly pushed her."

The other Crawfords could not help frowning at this.

While this discussion was taking place, the Hatchers had finally tracked Lilly to the hospital.

Anthony's assistant hurriedly entered the room and said in low voice, "Mr. Anthony, the Hatchers are here. They want to see their granddaughter…"

Anthony gave a scornful bark of laughter, then ordered, "Turn off the heating outside on this floor and open the windows. Let them wait."

**

Stephen, Richard, and Paula waited outside on the top floor corridor for a very long time.

The VIP suites on this level were located inside an access-controlled door; the Hatchers were in the outer area, so they were unable to go in.

Anthony's assistant had arrived earlier, asking them to wait for a while, then had left. The Hatchers had not seen him since.

Paula grumbled, "Why won't they let us in? Lilly's our granddaughter, after all! Why would they make us wait outside here?"

Stephen snapped, "Oh, just wait!"

He had beaten Lilly more severely than intended; it was understandable that the Crawfords would be angry.

However, the Hatchers soon realized that something was amiss. The corridor was rapidly getting colder. Not only that, their waiting area was beside the windows, and the frosty winter wind blew in, causing them to shrink away and shiver from the cold!

"This weather is dreadful! Nobody can wait around like this!" Paula, who had been pampered and sheltered her entire life, could not take it anymore.

"Stephen, you'd better find someone and ask what's going on!" Richard agreed, frowning heavily.

If the Crawfords were angry, deliberately making the Hatchers wait for a while was understandable. However, they had already been here for half an hour; that was a bit too long.

No one would be able to stand waiting in such bitterly cold weather.

Chapter 4 Would They Abandon Her Again?

Stephen went around the hospital looking for people, trying to find out what was going on. However, everyone he encountered told him that they did not know what was happening either.

By now, the Hatchers were so cold they were shivering uncontrollably in the icy corridor. The Crawfords would not see them either. It was becoming unbearable to wait there.

Paula was the first to admit defeat. "I'm going to see Debbie…"

Debbie was also warded at this hospital, but she was in the maternity wing.

Stephen and Richard could not stand it any longer either, but they did not want to leave so they had no choice but to keep on waiting in the interminable cold…

Incessant complaints filled their minds. They had no idea, however, that this was only the beginning of their troubles!

…

Lilly could hear the quiet beeping of machines around her. There were also people talking, but very indistinctly.

However, there was one voice in particular that was very clear.

"Lilly…Lilly dear…hey, little Tulip! You have to wake up soon, okay? If you don't, I'll…"

Lilly felt as if a small swarm of bees was buzzing beside her ear and chattering to her. It was just a little bit tiresome.

Who was this person talking to her?

Lilly's eyelids fluttered slightly and she finally opened her eyes, only to see a snowy-white wall right in front of her.

A group of people surrounded her bed. Pursing her lips, she carefully scrutinized them.

Gilbert reacted enthusiastically; he was also the first to speak. "Lilly! You're awake now! I'm your Uncle Gilbert…"

The rest of the Crawfords did not even dare to breathe; they watched Lilly tensely.

Lilly found herself at a loss. "Uncle Gilbert?"

Her pretty little face was expressionless and wooden. She looked just like a fragile porcelain doll.

It sounded as if she were repeating a foreign phrase.

Hugh's mouth tightened into a hard line. Lilly was very thin; she was so tiny that the hospital bed seemed very large.

It hurt to see her like that, so much so that it was hard to breathe.

Gilbert spoke more gently. "Lilly, I'm your mother's brother. My name is Gilbert. You telephoned me earlier, do you remember?"

Lilly furrowed her brow. After a moment, she let out a soft "Ohh."

She remembered now.

She had called Uncle Gilbert's phone number.

He had ignored her though.

Didn't her uncles want her?

"Did you…did you come to look for me?" Lilly asked in a thread of a voice.

All the men around the bed nodded vigorously. Bryson added, "Lilly, I'm your Uncle Bryson. We're all here to take you back home with us."

Hugh felt as if something were constricting his throat. He drew a deep breath, then said, "That's right. We're here to take you home, Lilly. In the future, no one will dare to bully you or harass you. If anyone tries, your Grandpa Hugh will have something to say about that."

Lilly looked at each of the men in turn.

They were going to take her home?

She wasn't sure if they would abandon her again once they brought her home.

Would they beat her and starve her?

Seeing how silent she was, the Crawfords felt even more tense than ever.

None of them had much experience handling children. One by one, they looked at Anthony and Liam.

Anthony was the eldest Crawford boy; he was 40 years old and had two children. Liam, the second son, was 38 and also had two young ones.

However, Anthony was not very good at interacting with children; after hesitating for a moment, he asked bluntly, "Lilly, what are you worried about?"

Since he said this in his customary inflexible, rather harsh way, his siblings all glared at him.

Liam coughed slightly in embarrassment. By nature, he was a taciturn person and found it difficult to say much.

The tension in the air was so thick one could cut it with a knife.

Gilbert gave a deep sigh. He inched closer to Lilly's bed and very tenderly caressed her hair. In as gentle a voice as he could muster, he asked, "Lilly darling, why don't you tell us all what your proper name is?"

Lilly stared at the ceiling in silence for a while before replying, "I don't have any other name except Lilly."

Daddy had told her that she didn't need a proper name; they'd discuss that when her stepmother gave birth to her baby brother.

Lilly had been what Mommy named her. She didn't have any other name besides that.

Gilbert felt a dull ache in his heart. How had this child passed her days in the Hatcher household without even a name?

Suppressing his anger, he asked, "Well then, Lilly, can you tell your Uncle Gilbert what you're thinking right now?"

Lilly finally turned her gaze in his direction with an effort, staring at this person who called himself her Uncle Gilbert.

That day, her entire world had been so very dark but this man had broken through that darkness like a ray of light and rescued her.

Her mouth trembled slightly and she asked, "Uncle Gilbert…when we go home, am I…am I allowed to eat?"

All the Crawfords were dumbfounded when they heard this.

This child was asking if she was allowed to eat when she arrived home…

Before they could muster up a response, Lilly asked again in a tiny voice, "Will you hit me?"

Those simple four words almost made Hugh weep.

The little girl was afraid she would be starved and beaten.

What sort of abuse had she endured in the Hatcher household?!

She was half-starved and inadequately dressed for the winter.

When she had nightmares, no one would be there with her when she awoke in fright, and in summer no one would bother when she was drenched in sweat from the heat.

Hugh turned away, biting his lip until he almost drew blood so he could suppress the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.

The Crawford brothers were so enraged they clenched their fists tightly. However, they did not dare give vent to their anger for fear of scaring Lilly.

Gilbert reached out and took Lilly's tiny hand, placing it against his cheek. Hoarsely, he murmured, "Lilly darling, when we go home, you can eat whatever you want, and no one will hit you. Look, that's your Uncle Anthony there. That one's your Uncle Liam, and that's your Uncle Bryson…All of them are tough, strong men. All of us will protect you and no one will ever hurt you again."

Lilly clutched at the covers tightly with her other hand and was silent for a long time.

Just when the Crawfords thought that she was not going to say anything else, she suddenly burst out, "Uncle Gilbert, I didn't push anyone. Daddy and Grandpa kept telling me to own up, but I wouldn't…"

She repeated this stubbornly, a look of determination on her little face and a downcast expression in her eyes.

Did her uncles truly like her?

Now that she had told them she wouldn't own up despite being asked to, would they still want a disobedient child like her?

Gilbert felt as though a wad of cotton was constricting his throat. Tears welled up in his eyes, and even Hugh could not help brushing away his own tears.

Anthony said firmly and calmly, "Your Uncle Anthony believes you didn't do it. That was the right thing to do, not owning up to something that wasn't your fault."

Gilbert nodded as well. "They're the ones who are in the wrong. You didn't do anything wrong Lilly; you did the right thing."

When Lilly heard this, her mouth twisted briefly and tears began pouring down her cheeks.

It was as if all those bottled-up tears had finally found an outlet and refused to be suppressed any longer.

Lilly's little face still maintained that stubborn expression but her voice was punctuated by gulping sobs.

"But…but Daddy doesn't believe me. Daddy said I killed my baby brother and that if I didn't own up, he wouldn't let me out."

It seemed as if Lilly had finally found someone she could unload her grievances to, even as she sobbed these words.

Even a three-and-a-half-year-old child could feel ill-used no matter how stubborn or determined they were.

Gilbert's fury got the better of him. "He's not fit to be your Daddy!"

"Gilbert!" Anthony rapped out prohibitively.

Gilbert subsided into reluctant silence, but his rage was unabated. At the thought of Stephen still waiting outside, he wanted to tear the hospital bed apart, grab one of the metal tube supports and give that man the beating of his life.

Lilly sobbed out a few more things, cried a little longer, then fell asleep.

Once they were outside the room, Gilbert asked indignantly, "Anthony, are we really going to let those Hatchers off so lightly?"

Bankruptcy alone was not enough for the likes of them!

Anthony slowly unbuttoned his shirt sleeves and rolled them up. Blandly, he returned, "Eight against one, Gilbert. Is that enough for you?"

There would be eight Crawfords swearing vengeance against the Hatcher family!

Chapter 5 A Family

The rest of the Crawford brothers narrowed their eyes when they heard Anthony's words.

Gilbert loosened his wrists and cracked his knuckles; Edward, an architectural engineer with a fiery temper and tanned skin, scoffed and grabbed a rebar from nowhere.

"We're law-abiding citizens. How can we openly assault someone in public?" Bryson, the good-natured Captain, said gently. He interjected a nurse nearby and said, "Hello, do you have a gunny sack in the storeroom?"

The nurse stuttered, "Yeah… yeah… we have a polybag and some paper boxes in the pharmacy." She suggested the paper boxes instead, assuming they wanted to store something.

Bryson smiled and said, "Thank you. A gunny sack will be sufficient."

The Crawford brothers thought, a sack will be useful to beat up someone.

Meanwhile, Stephen shivered in the cold as he waited outside the VIP wards. He swore in his heart, I've been up all night, and it's almost daylight. Where the hell are the Crawfords?

Richard left earlier because he could not stand the cold any longer. He reminded Stephen to stay put and demonstrate their sincerity before he left.

Spring nights were colder than winter nights. Stephen could feel the biting cold filling his lungs with every breath of the stale air. The long wait had also left him hungry and exhausted. All he wanted to do was return home, take a warm, relaxing shower, and sleep the rest of the day away.

Things became even more unbearable when he considered the cozy environment he could be at. Stephen decided it was pointless to wait any longer after another hour had passed.

The man spoke on the phone while walking to the underground car park. "Remember to call me once the Crawfords leave…" Before he could continue, he experienced total darkness surrounding him. He was covered in a gunny sack!

"What the hell! Who are you?" Stephen screamed in agony as his attackers landed forceful punches.

The perpetrators were none other than the eight brothers from the Crawford family. They did not typically get their hands dirty but could not help themselves when they considered Lilly's unfortunate situation. Their resentment grew as they remembered Lilly's body of injuries and how she had cautiously asked if there would be food when she returned home and if they would hurt her.

"Stop it!" Stephen begged. He was helpless and at his captors' mercy. "Do you know who I am? I'm the President of Ador Hatcher Corporation. How dare you attack me! I swear that I'll…"

Anthony scoffed and loosened his tie. He then motioned for his brothers to stop the assault. Everyone complied with his instructions, and Edward clung to the rebar as he prepared to resume the attack.

Stephen heaved a sigh of relief after his opponents appeared to have backed down. However, the rebar landed forcefully on his leg, much to his surprise.

"Ahh!" His agonizing cries rang out throughout the parking lot.

Although Stephen survived the attack, he was injured so badly that he had to be carried into the hospital. What made matters worse was that he had no idea whom was to blame and had no way of finding out. His adversaries did not leave any clues suggesting their identity.

"Are you feeling better, Stephen?" Debbie sobbed beside the man's bedside. If he were awake, he would notice the lack of sincerity in her eyes. The woman appeared to be a worried wife, but she was secretly distraught over Lilly's unexpected newfound identity in the Crawford family.

Debbie was appalled when Paula told her of the news yesterday. She fumed inwardly, how did that bastard become the only beloved daughter of the Crawford family?!

In truth, Lilly was not responsible for the miscarriage; Debbie had intentionally caused the fall so that she could get rid of the baby. She knew that the Hatchers were experiencing financial difficulties and that Stephen was on the verge of bankruptcy after incurring numerous debts. Debbie believed that a young and beautiful lady like her had a good chance of finding a new husband; one who was wealthier and more powerful than Stephen. If she had a child, remarriage would be more difficult for her. As a result, she needed to find a way to make the baby vanish while avoiding responsibility.

Debbie knew that Lilly was a lonely child loved by no one. Since her birth, the Hatchers had never been kind to her. Stephen had even admitted in his drunken stupor that he despised her presence. Hence, Debbie felt that it was safe to pin the blame on her lost child on Lilly. Little did she know that the girl was part of the Crawford family.

Debbie's spine tingled at the prospect of offending one of the four greatest families. What should I do? I'll be in trouble if they find out the truth. I need to figure out how to keep Lilly silent forever...

At the VIP ward, Lilly opened her eyes once again. This time, the room was completely empty and deathly quiet. She was feeling insecure and uneasy as she thought everyone had left.

A few moments later, there was a soft knock at the door. Her face lit up when she saw Gilbert enter the room. Hugh had instructed them to wait outside the ward in order to avoid crowding the room, and improve ventilation.

"How are you feeling, Lilly? Shall I get you some breakfast?" Gilbert said warmly. When Lilly nodded, he gave the order to serve breakfast.

The rest of the Crawfords were awokened by the noise and went into the room to check on Lilly.

"What do you like to eat, Lilly? There are sandwiches, donuts, oatmeal…" Hugh asked tenderly.

Edward pushed his way in and exclaimed, "How about meatball spaghetti? It's delicious!"

Hugh reprimanded Edward by hitting his leg with his walking cane. "Lilly has only just awoken. How is she going to eat the meatball spaghetti?" He picked up a plate and suggested, "How about some sandwiches? It's tasty."

Bryson smiled as he picked up a bowl. "Or some oatmeal would be good too."

Lilly pursed her lips, and tears shimmered in her eyes. Recognition dawned on her that she may now have a family. She sniffled and said cautiously, "I would like to have some sandwiches, Grandpa."

"Great! Come, have the sandwiches!" Hugh nodded fervently, his tear-reddened eyes fixed on Lilly, who reminded him of a younger Jean. However, unlike Lilly, Jean was willful and hyperactive when she was a little girl. She led a carefree life and often bickered with her brothers. However, the little girl before him was melancholic, and careful with her words. She must have been through a lot to be this mature at the age of three and a half.

The Crawfords only left the room after Lilly had finished her meal and tucked into bed. However, the moment Lilly closed her eyes, a voice sounded in her ear. "Tulip! Tulip!"

She opened her eyes, but the room was empty. Lilly tried to sleep again, convinced that she was dreaming. The voice spoke again as she closed her eyes. "Lilly, Lilly, Tulip!"

Lilly clutched the sheets nervously as she searched for the source of the voice.

The novelette

https://www.facebook.com/100085412887736/

LEARN_MORE