Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily) novel Chapter 35

Hannah, meanwhile, was so frightened that she stopped crying. Her cries tapered off into hiccups and soft sobs.

Bettany’s temper flared. Her countenance took on an arctic chill. “You like crying, don’t you? Do as you like! You’re not allowed to stop until you fill this bucket!”

The girl, sure enough, burst into full-blown wailing after receiving the scare.

She had cried at first to cause a scene, but now she was downright howling.

Her tears were genuine this time.

The child held the bucket in her hands and kept crying. Each tear fell into the container.

Mrs. Bettany Levine, the Madam of the Crawford household, was, however, an obstinate woman. She silently watched on as the younger cried.

The elder had a childish streak to her. You want to act out? So can I. Both were now stuck in a stalemate until Hannah grew exhausted from her endless whines.

Hannah was too afraid to stop. She proceeded to cry even harder when she finally noticed her tears wouldn’t even fill half a cup.

She choked up as she continued sobbing, “I can’t anymore, Granny. I’m thirsty… I want water…”

Margaret could barely hold in her laughter.

Bettany was as angry as she was amused. “Are you going to keep crying?”

Hannah sniffled and shook her head. Her eyes were bloodshot.

Bettany grunted and went back inside.

Margaret hurriedly approached the child. “Let’s go back inside, Little Miss! Have a glass of water.”

Hannah had cried her eyes red. No one had ever treated her this way.

Her mother would always meet her demands whenever she turned on the waterworks.

She was slowly coming to understand her tears weren’t everything. They meant nothing before her grandmother.

Margaret guided the child to the first floor and sat her down to get her to drink water.

No one else had come home. Her mother had also been driven away. It seemed she was the only one left in the huge manor. Hannah suddenly felt fearful, flustered, and confused.

It was as if the world had left her behind…

Just as she grew helpless, a small figure sprinted down the stairs.

Lilly Hatcher handed her a lollipop. “For you, Hannah.”

She took notice of Hannah crying into a bucket out in the garden after she had woken up.

Hannah sniffled and turned her face away. “I don’t want your candy!”

Lilly didn’t hesitate to stuff the lollipop back into her pocket. “Okay. If you say so.”

“…”

Lilly asked out of curiosity, “Is your bucket full now, Hannah?”

The moment she was reminded of the matter at hand, she had the feeling she wouldn’t be able to fill the bucket even if she were to cry herself blind. She pinched her lips tight as fresh tears began to fall.

Lilly hurried away to fetch the bucket.

“You can do it, Hannah! There’s still so much of the bucket left to fill!”

Hannah protested as she continued to cry. “H-Hold it better! Don’t let my tears fall to the floor…”

Both were sweating profusely. The bucket was only so slightly wet yet Hannah had no more tears to cry.

Lilly immediately brought the cup of water on the table over. “There’s no more water in your eyes, Hannah! Drink more.”

The girl gulped down the cup and tried again but no more tears formed.

Lilly poured her another glass. “Here’s more.”

Hannah ended up drinking four whole cups of water, leaving her bloated.

She tried for a long while. Her voice grew hoarse but the bucket was yet to fill.

Lilly was sympathetic to her plight. “What to do? It’s still not full. Is Granny not gonna give you supper…?”

“Uwahh…”