If one day Jasper doesnât want William to play the piano anymore, then William naturally wonât play it anymore either.
Jason clearly understood this, so he didnât say anything more.
On the day before leaving Emerald City, Philip took William to Lilyâs grave.
Looking at the black and white photo of Lily Atkinson on the tombstone, Philip felt like he was looking at a stranger.
He had no feelings for this woman, not even a hint of emotion, to the point where he couldnât even remember what she looked like.
But it was this woman who gave birth to his only offspring in his entire life.
So his feelings towards Lily are a bit complicated.
Standing next to Philip, Williamâs young face was tense and his beautiful eyes were fixed on the tombstone in front of him. His hands hung tightly at his sides, his small fists clenched, showing the tension in his spirit at this moment.
âOffer incense to your mother. After all, she is the one who gave birth to you,â said Philip.
âI donât want to,â William refused, to him, the woman he should call âmommyâ never truly loved him.
Sheâs just using him, and even in the end, sheâll use his background to deceive people.
Before, he had never felt warmth, so he didnât really care.
But only after truly experiencing warmth, will one know the difference between sincerity and insincerity.
Upon hearing this, Philip didnât force it and simply lit three incense sticks and placed them in front of Lilyâs grave.
As the smoke rose, William suddenly said, âIs the child of a criminal, with criminal blood in their body, going to become a criminal in the future too?â
Philip looked at his son with surprise, âWhy do you say that?â
âSomeone said that to me before,â the little boy bit his lip with a hint of embarrassment.
It was when he was with the Reed family before, the children of the servants would mock and tease him, saying things like that to his face.
This time, when he returned to the Reed family, his status was different, and those who used to despise him would naturally not say anything to his face.
But he accidentally overheard them talking behind his back, saying that he was the child of a criminal and that even though he was now a rich kid, he would definitely commit crimes in the future, just like his mother.
The child of a criminal⦠it was like an indelible mark on him.
Philip touched his sonâs head and said, âWhether someone becomes a criminal is not determined by the blood in their body, but by their own choices. If the child of a criminal were to become a criminal, then everyone would have to trace their ancestors back eighteen generations. Itâs likely that even those who have never become criminals cannot be found.â
William blinked his eyes, as if he had never thought about this before.
âYou are my son, and I will do everything in my power, as well as the Barlow family, to provide you with opportunities. However, your future and the kind of person you become is ultimately up to you.â After a pause, Philip added, âYour motherâs situation is in the past. You are my son, Williamâs son, and you donât need to feel inferior in front of anyone.â
The little one nodded his head.