The Mafia Godfather's Doting Wife

Chapter 9: Childhood Trauma

Reno, after Richard left, showed Lillian a disdainful sneer, an expression that seemed to regard her as half dead already, with one foot already in the coffin.

Then, Reno turned and opened the door, walking out of the room.

The room became calm again. Lillian looked at Mary, and her temper gradually calmed down. "Mary, could you buy me a newspaper? It's boring lying in bed."

Mary said kindly, "Sure, Miss. But don't always confront the chairman. It's not good for you. And Master Reno, although he was picked up halfway, is still your brother. If you offend them all, who will support you when you're bullied in the future?"

Lillian smiled. "Alright, Mary, I know you care about me. Please go get me a newspaper."

Mary didn't say anything more and walked out.

Lillian casually turned on the TV, and the news about Mariana's suicide was playing. Because she had woken up a bit late, she missed a lot of the content. Hastily, she took out her phone and searched online. Indeed, this event was the latest big news. Online sources claimed that Mariana developed a warped mentality due to being unmarried at an advanced age, leading her to immolate herself on the rooftop of her university building while holding her adorable nephew.

Mariana also left a suicide note, expressing her dissatisfaction with the world.

The letter was widely circulated by gossip-hungry netizens, and the comments that followed mostly condemned Mariana as mentally disturbed. Some netizens used this incident to discuss societal issues, stating that the high-pressure competitive nature of society was driving people to madness. They pointed out that behind every successful person was likely a hidden struggle and a multitude of grievances suppressed.

After reading through the comments, Lillian's face turned as pale as paper, her hands trembling uncontrollably. She knew that the reality was far from what was being portrayed. Mariana hadn't died with the adorable little boy; he had been torn apart by a pack of wolves right before her eyes, leaving Mariana defenseless.

Now, seeing the news, Lillian couldn't shake the feeling that Mariana's suicide might be linked to that cruel man. Was it him who drove Mariana to take her own life? The Mariana she remembered was never someone who would consider suicide.

The man she was about to marry was someone she despised, someone who filled her with fear. She could already sense the nightmares that would haunt her every night. He was like a bloodthirsty beast, devoid of reason and humanity, emanating a presence that was deeply unsettling to her.

Lillian trembled slightly, curling up into a ball. Whenever she thought of Crowley, she couldn't help but recall that night when she was eight years old, the night her father left her alone in the desolate wilderness. She was so young then, with a campfire, a car, and food—it was during a trip to Denali Mountain with Richard, where he had met a seductive woman. Seeking thrills, the two ventured deep into the forest, bringing along the eight-year-old Lillian.

She had always been obedient, and like all daughters, she adored and relied on her father. But Richard left her alone by the campfire and food while he disappeared with the woman to flirt.

Even now, Lillian could still vividly recall the scene. She was terrified—towering ancient trees cast ghastly shadows, unidentified insects and centipedes crawled around as if they owned the place, and when the wind blew, she could almost hear wailing cries. All she could think of were ghost stories, and she trembled uncontrollably, imagining countless terrifying ghosts glaring at her, ready to devour her. She wanted to cry, but she dared not, fearing that her tears would attract the unnoticed ghosts.

But as a child, she was no match for the sinister environment. She choked back sobs, calling out "Daddy" softly, but there was no sign of Richard around. In that moment, she felt abandoned by her father.

She once heard a garbage-collecting old lady tell a story about Little Thumb, but the story was never finished. The old lady was driven away because, although her family was only a second-rate business at the time, they were still considered wealthy, and having the only Miss Bourne associating with a garbage-collecting old lady was unacceptable to the family. It was the first dark story she heard when she was young, so she remembered it. The story said Little Thumb's parents were too poor to raise a child, so they abandoned Little Thumb. Little Thumb then tried to find a way home to her parents.

In that dense forest, young Lillian was especially afraid. At that moment, she thought of Little Thumb, wondering if her father, like Little Thumb's parents, had abandoned her because he didn't want her, leaving her in a place where no one was around. Would she encounter man-eating demons like Little Thumb?

Feeling overwhelmed by the terrifying scene, young Lillian couldn't hold back her tears. She cried out for her father, desperately trying to find her way home, relying on her memory, just like Little Thumb. But the more she walked, the more frightened she became.

The air felt heavy, and she fell into a deep ditch, unable to climb out no matter how hard she tried. In that moment, the sky filled with terrifying lightning and thunderous roars, signaling the impending storm.

A snake with glowing green eyes appeared before her, leaving her petrified with fear. Then, a beast the size of a small hill dashed towards her, its long fur resembling a lion but not quite, its whole body snow-white, and its eyes as black as diamonds in the night. Behind it followed two gray-furred beasts.

She watched in horror as the monstrous creature pounced on the wildly writhing snake, tearing it to shreds. Then, the beast turned its bloody mouth towards her, and she passed out in fear. When she woke up, it was because of the heavy rain beating down on her. The night was pitch black, and she could barely open her eyes as the rain poured relentlessly. The beast was carrying her, running wildly through the rainy night.

After what seemed like an eternity, it threw her into a hole. Inside were over a dozen people, including two uncles who looked particularly fierce and an aunt who could be considered gentle. They were covered in scars, and the aunt had been taking care of her.

In the following days, she witnessed the beasts tearing apart one or two people in the hole, blood splattering everywhere, filling the air with despair and terror. Then, new people would be dragged in by them, their eyes filled with bloodthirsty hatred, as if humans were nothing but playthings for their claws.

Young Lillian experienced a living hell on earth. For a whole month, she watched as the beasts ripped apart human bodies, and witnessed a group of beasts violate the aunt who had been taking care of her, desecrating her until her death. It was so filthy, so terrifying.