Mrs Hale, I Surrender
Chapter 129 His mother died by suicide (2nd update)

Chapter 129: 129 His mother died by suicide (2nd update)

Her initiative caught William Hale off guard.

Then, he gripped her hand tightly.

"Zoe," William Hale looked towards the distant horizon, where the autumn sun was intense, but the wind carried a chill that made it impossible to feel any warmth.

"Hmm?" Zoe Bell murmured in response.

"My mother was an excellent person, intellectual and gentle, a pianist, and she translated a few French fairy tale books. She once wanted to publish a book of her own short stories, but she passed away before her wish could be realized."

"When she died, I was still very young and didn’t have a deep impression of her."

"The only thing I remember about her is that she had a beautiful smile."

This was the first time William Hale had brought up his mother on his own accord.

Zoe Bell just listened quietly.

She was young, but she still had some memories, and it was the age when she needed a mother’s love.

Not until they were almost out of the cemetery did she ask in a deep voice, "So, how did she pass away?"

"My mother..." William Hale’s voice was heavy with emotion.

Then he said three words that left Zoe Bell speechless:

"She committed suicide."

His expression was extremely calm, but his voice was filled with sorrow and desolation.

Suicide?

Zoe Bell felt her heart being hammered, experiencing a bewildering sense of cardiac obstruction.

When Vivi Lange humiliated her for seducing Lucas Bell, Zoe Bell had also thought about ending it all.

But suicide,

requires a tremendous amount of courage!

Back then, she didn’t have the courage.

She had never met William Hale’s birth mother, but from what she’d heard, she was truly gentle, could play the piano and spoke French, which suggested her parents must have loved her deeply.

Grandma Hale was a very kind person, and although Grandpa Hale looked intimidating, he was not a bad person, so there probably was no conflict with the in-laws.

Uncle Hale was also extremely nice and not the type to treat his wife poorly, and the children were still young...

A fine lineage, a happy family.

By all accounts, she should have been happy.

Moreover, her favorite, the Glory Lily, was so bright and intense, a symbol of light and bravery.

Such a person should have been very positive and optimistic.

Why would she commit suicide?

William Hale seemed to notice her confusion and added another line:

"It was depression."

Zoe Bell didn’t say anything more.

Not all those with depression show it; some may even seem happier, more active, and more positive than the people around them...

So, it’s easy to overlook.

Zoe Bell had thought his mother’s death would have been due to illness, never imagining she would have taken her own life.

For him,

it was another pang of heartache.

She took a deep breath.

Zoe Bell, oh Zoe Bell, you care for him so much, this might be the end of you.

——

After having lunch outside, they hadn’t returned to Yarden when William Hale received a phone call from Zac Cruz, saying there was an urgent matter and he needed to go there.

His work appeared to be managed effortlessly, but in reality it was full of intricacies that wore him down.

"Find a shopping mall ahead and drop me off. I need to buy some things; the fridge at home is almost empty. I’ll take a taxi back later. You go take care of your business."

William Hale frowned slightly, "I’ll have Kyle Lowe come pick you up."

He had wanted to spend the whole day with her but truly couldn’t get away.

"That’ll work." Zoe Bell smiled.

About half an hour later, Kyle Lowe contacted her, saying he’d arrived at the mall. Zoe Bell told him to just wait in the parking lot while she, pushing a shopping cart, bought quite a few items.

She purchased mostly cooking ingredients, along with some yogurt and snacks.

During that time, she received a call from an unknown number with a Greenland area code. Remembering Lucas Bell’s words, she didn’t answer.

Soon, Lucas Bell’s call came through.

"Sis, did Dad contact you?"

"There was a call, but I didn’t answer."

"That’s fine, the old man’s gone crazy. He just cursed out and chased away a caregiver, insisted that they were abusing him. This is the fourth caregiver he’s driven away. Now he’s just making life difficult for Mom.s

Lucas Bell frowned, "Where are you? It’s kind of noisy around you."

"I’m at the supermarket, buying things."

The siblings chatted idly for a bit, and Lucas clearly sensed that there was something off about his sister’s tone, as if she had something she wanted to say.

"Sis, is there something going on between you and your husband?"

"I just feel like...," Zoe Bell stood in front of the snack shelf, seemingly choosing snacks but actually distracted, "I might like him."

"Oh, and then?"

Lucas’s tone was unusually calm.

"What’s with that tone? I’m being serious," Zoe frowned.

"You’ve only just realized you like him?"

"..."

"After the competition ended, you told me that your husband likes you. During that period when we talked, didn’t you realize how tender your voice was? Like a peacock showing its feathers."

"Did I?"

Peacock showing its feathers?

"Yes!" His tone was certain.

After all, Lucas had once harbored special feelings for her, and having grown up together, he knew her very well.

Only his sister seemed terrifyingly slow when it came to matters of the heart.

"So at the time, I told you to just go for it. What’s there to be afraid of?" Lucas stood in the hospital corridor, "Sis, from a man’s perspective, I can responsibly tell you..."

"Your husband is definitely not just a whim."

"You can trust him with yourself."

"What does it mean, ’seems like I like him’? When you start to have that thought, it means you like him. Don’t doubt it."

Lucas understood his sister very well.

Because their parents practiced suppressive education on her, especially when they found out she had different feelings for someone, they would call her shameless, saying that someone like her didn’t deserve love and wasn’t worthy of being loved.

She was beautiful, and never lacked suitors.

Her mother would always say that she was shameless, liking to attract the attention of men.

So in matters of love, she was afraid to commit.

"Sis, don’t look before and after, overthink it. When love comes, just catch it. And if, retreating ten thousand steps, it comes to divorce, you still have me, your family."

Lucas laughed, "Sis, you have a way out..."

"Go ahead and embrace your new life without worries."

Zoe nodded, "Lucas, I suddenly realize you’ve changed a lot during your years abroad."

"People have to grow up." Even though it was forced, his maturity indeed surpassed that of his peers.

"You don’t seem like my little brother now."

Upon hearing this, Lucas cracked up.

Could it be she thinks he’s mature like her brother?

But then he heard his sister say:

"You’re quite like my best friend, the kind I can talk about anything with."

"..."

Lucas was speechless. Who wanted to be her best friend?

He hung up, huffing, and Zoe continued her shopping.

When checking out, there was a long line, and she aimlessly looked around, inadvertently catching sight of several rows of bright condoms on the shelves near the cashier. She quickly averted her eyes.

Do I need to buy those?

As this question flashed quickly through her mind, Zoe Bell realized she was done for.

She slapped her face:

Zoe Bell, what are you even thinking!

Stay calm, rational!