Chapter 10 A Lesson To Be Learned

Eight security guards rushed forward and forcefully removed the Hatchers when they saw Anthony's signal. They complained as they dragged the Hatchers out of the mansion. "Mr. Anthony asked you to leave. Are you deaf?" "Why do you cause trouble everywhere? What a bother!" The commotion caused by Crawford's entrance piqued the interest of the nearby houses. Some pretended to have tea on their balcony, while others acted as if they were taking their dog for a walk. They were all expecting the Hatchers to embarrass themselves. Richard and Paula were red-faced with embarrassment and anger. This is our house. How dare the Crawfords chase us out? They are so unreasonable! The Hatchers were used to living a luxurious life and couldn't tolerate such disrespect. However, they had to endure the mistreatment as they were dealing with the reputable Crawford family. They had to stand at their gate and wait for the Crawfords to leave their house. Meanwhile, Lilly continued to entertain the parrot now that the Hatchers were no longer present to distract her. "Come on, Polly! Look at this!" She lifted her palm and revealed half a piece of apple. She had hidden the apple that Gilbert had peeled before leaving the hospital this morning. Polly started swirling on the branch as though it was assessing the Crawfords, who stood at a distance. Hugh held his walking cane solemnly, although there was a glint of apprehension in his eyes. Gilbert was also concerned about the situation. He wished he had wings so he could grab the parrot. He felt sorry for Lilly, who had to raise her arms until they hurt. "Here's some delicious grains. Do you want them?" Gilbert managed to find some parrot feed and held it in his palm. Lilly nodded fervently and said, "Uncle Gilbert is a good man. Come down so that we can leave, Polly." The Crawfords watched Gilbert and Lilly's close interaction with jealous envy. They had no idea when the pair had become so well-acquainted. Suddenly, Polly flew away from the tree and landed on Gilbert's head. The Crawfords looked at Lilly in disbelief as she giggled at the amusing sight. Since they had met her, she had spoken with no emotion and behaved like an emotionless robot. She had remained expressionless and cautious during her ten-day stay in the hospital. Hugh's eyes glistened with tears; he believed that old age had made him more emotional, and he frequently found himself sobbing uncontrollably. "Bastard! Bastard!" Polly croaked as he flapped his wings delightfully. It seemed arrogant to have succeeded in making Lilly grin. Lilly couldn't help but giggle once more. She then corrected Polly with a solemn expression, "It's Uncle Gilbert, not Bastard!" "Gilby! Gilby!" Polly squawked. Gilbert's mouth twitched, wanting to rip the bird to pieces. Although he thought it was absurd to have a colorful parrot on his head, he wasn't upset when he saw how happy Lilly was. He opened his palm to reveal the bird's feed, and while the parrot was focused on eating, he grabbed its feet. The bird chirped, "Save me! Save me! Don't eat me! Don't eat me!" Everyone was annoyed by the parrot's behavior. Finally, they managed to chain the parrot and leave the Hatcher mansion. Lilly patted the parrot and whispered in its ear, "Don't worry, it's just a chain. You look great in it, Polly! I'll take it off for you once we get home." Hugh leaned on his walking stick and surveyed the mansion. This was where my precious daughter lived before she died. I wonder if they fed her well. Did she sleep well? Did anyone take care of her when she was ill? Did she often play in the backyard? Did she often stare out of the window to look at the trees? The old man's heart ached when he thought of Jean; the Crawford brothers felt a pang of sadness when they saw their father in such a miserable state. The Hatchers approached the Crawfords as they exited the mansion. They decided to try their luck with Lilly, since the Hatchers had ignored them. Richard praised, "Our in-laws are truly brilliant. They managed to catch the parrot!" Stephen added, "Does Lilly like parrots? I promise to buy you many more parrots in the future, okay?" The little girl lowered her head to avoid looking at her father's fake smile. She hugged her rabbit and parrot tightly as she thought, I don't want many parrots. All I longed for was a hug from Daddy ever since Mommy died. But instead of showing me concern, all he has done is hit and scold me. I thought Daddy was going to beat me to death the other day. I always believed Grandma's remarks that I was an unlucky girl loved by no one. However, during my stay at the hospital, my grandpa and uncles were extremely kind to me. They talked to me and said it wasn't my fault. I... I don't want Daddy anymore. Lilly didn't know if it was wrong to have such negative thoughts. However, she gathered her courage and said, "No! I don't want you to buy parrots for me. I don't want you anymore." Stephen was stunned by his daughter's sudden outburst. Richard and Paula were also astonished at Lilly's decision to turn her back on them; they thought she had been swayed by the Crawford's wealth. Stephen frowned and bellowed, "Lilly Hatcher!" Although he knew his daughter was stubborn and would only give in to beatings, he made an effort to avoid physical punishment in front of the Crawfords. Paula sighed disapprovingly and said, "Even though your father may be a little strict with you, you shouldn't have said such disrespectful words! Every child needs a father." Richard tried to change the topic by suggesting, "What an ignorant child! Shall we have lunch, our dear in-laws? We can take the time to get to know each other better." "That's right! It's so rare for us to meet. Jean hardly talked about all of you," Stephen added cheerfully. The Hatchers took turns pandering and emphasizing their close relationship with the Crawfords. Edward could no longer control his anger when he heard Stephen reminisce about Jean and how he had been a good husband. He cracked his knuckles and grabbed the man by the neck, slamming him hard against the mansion gate. He yelled, "Are you done with this nonsense? You are unworthy of being our in-laws! Stop with this nonsense." The force of being struck against the metal fence caused Stephen's head to bleed heavily. "We will wait in the car." Gilbert carried Lilly and left without looking back. The Crawford family did not condemn Edward's actions. If they didn't have to focus on Lilly and her parrot, they would have intervened themselves. Stephen was shocked by the sudden attack. He was careful with his words and didn't know when he had offended the man. "Stop!" Boom! "Please, stop!" Boom! Boom! Richard and Paula watched in horror as their son was brutally beaten. It was clear that someone like Edward, an architectural engineer, didn't care about his behavior. He repeatedly grabbed Stephen's head and smashed it against the wall. Paula cried out, "Stop! Let's talk like civilized people. We are family!" "Please calm down, Edward," Richard urged. Edward glared at the elderly couple and threatened, "I usually don't hit women and the elderly, but I might if the situation calls for it. Don't blame me for being cruel if you dare speak another word." He spat on the ground and gathered his strength to smash Stephen's head against the wall once more. Then, he kicked the victim in his most vulnerable spot, causing immense pain. Many neighbors gathered to witness the commotion when they heard Stephen's loud cries echoing throughout the estate. Finally, Edward had settled the score. How dare you betray my sister. You will suffer for the rest of your life. You will never have children again. As they saw their son being tormented, fear gripped the elderly couple. They only dared to burst into tears when the Crawfords left. "Are they insane? How can they be so cruel!" Paula shrieked. Richard, too, was startled because he had never encountered such an irrational person as Edward. He said, "Stop crying. Let's hurry to the hospital." Paula immediately took out her phone to call an ambulance. To her dismay, her phone line was disconnected due to late bill payment. The Hatchers could only watch Stephen suffer as they had no money to see a doctor.