Olive Steele had a complicated feelings toward Mrs. Hoyle. It was half the reason why she couldn’t let
go of her past grievances.
She thought that people should learn to think differently so as not to be eroded by hatred and prejudice.
As for Mrs. Hoyle, Olive Steele saw her as a mother with a great strength. She might have used the
wrong way to raise her sons and daughter, but she couldn’t deny the old lady’s good intention.
“The porridge is ready. Come and eat.”
Mrs. Hoyle turned around when she heard the voice. Sometimes, she couldn’t understand the woman
in front of her. She clearly had the reason to hate her, but she chose to drop the case and embrace her.
Was she really that generous? Or, did she have a purpose?
At least, she didn’t do what the Meyers did to her family.
In the detention center, Ophelia Meyer cried and kneeled and begged her to give her parents a chance
to live, but she left.
She couldn’t forgive the Meyers. They did an ugly crime to the Hoyle family. How could she forgive
her? She was not a fool.
“Why?” she went to Olive Steele and tried to see through her eyes. Her eyes were that of eagle and
they were handy to read people.
Olive Steele was confused, “Why what?”
“Why don’t you hate me?” she said that she wanted to eat porridge and she really cooked it for her.
She didn’t see any reluctance at all. Whatever this woman was hiding, she hid it well.
Olive Steele suddenly realized the meaning of the question.
“Why should I hate you? Everyone has their own responsibility and principles. The way you carry your
responsibility is not necessarily wrong and my principles are not either. Must I hate you because you
don’t like me? As the old saying goes, we’re family. Although you don’t regard me as the member of the
family yet, you’re my husband’s mother and I cannot treat you as an outsider.”
Mrs. Hoyle snorted, “You speak well.”
Olive Steele didn’t argue. She smiled, “Enjoy your dinner. I’ll go out and clean it up for you later.”
“No need. We have maids at home.”
“Well, good night, Mrs. Hoyle.”
When she was at the door, the old lady suddenly asked, “If one day, Alan has nothing, will you still be
with him?”
Olive Steele looked back at the old lady who was stirring his porridge.
“Mrs. Hoyle, first of all, your statement is off. Alan will stand strong to protect the Hoyle family. Second,
we started our relationship in his most difficult time. We were prone to danger but I didn’t hesitate at all
until you forcibly took him out of my life and made me inaccessible to him. I don’t regret giving birth to
Annie. Over the years, I believe Mrs. Hoyle has experience his persistence and patience. As long as
we’re together, unless he betrays me and tells me that he doesn’t want me anymore, nothing will make
me leave him. I have hands and feet to support me and my family. I don’t pursue luxury goods and I
don’t compare myself to others. Therefore, wealth and poverty will not be the reason I am or am not
with him.”
She thought that the life of the wealthy family lacked warmth. They always thought that people had
motives and hidden agenda. She didn’t yearn for it at all. She preferred a grounded life. The middle
class though loud, they had less scheme and conspiracy.
Marrying a daughter-in-law was a happy thing for the commoners, but for the wealthy, they put their
guards up and suspected whether or not they coveted the family’s property. This kind of life was boring
and no fun for her.
When everyone thought that Mrs. Hoyle was fine, no one expected that she woke up early and had
stroke symptoms the next day. Ada Hoyle went to call her upstairs and found that she had high fever
and was in daze. It frightened the whole family. So, she called Doctor Gu for treatment.
The old lady’s health had always been a hot topic in the family. Since she was discharged from the
hospital after surgery, she had been stable. There was no adverse reaction to be seen. Occasionally,
she caught a cold, but it was her first time suffering from a raging high fever.
The doctor kept various medicine in his medical box for various disease the old lady might suffer. The
doctor checked on the temperature and gave her a fever-reducing injection.
“Doctor Gu, how is my mother?”
“This is a stagnation, Ma’am.”
“Is she okay?”
“The old lady has been too calm since the time she learned the truth about the Meyer family. It turns
out it does something to her heart.”
Ada Hoyle whispered, “I thought it was because she couldn’t get along with sister-in-law.”
She sighed.
Olive Steele knew that she probably one of the reason why the old lady was suffering, “Is she okay?”
Doctor Gu said, “It’s not necessarily a good thing to have symptoms like this. She has been depressed
for too long. However, if the fever has not subsided after three hours, I suggest sending her to the
hospital immediately. After all, her condition was special. She had undergone a major surgery.
Complications may happen. The hospital’s equipment and medicines are much more adequate than a
family doctor.”
Alan Hoyle nodded, “I’m sorry for troubling you, Doctor Gu.”
Fortunately, by noon, the high fever subsided. The Hoyles breathed a sigh of relief. The old lady was
still sleeping. They dared not bother her.
At three o’clock, the lawyers arrived at the Hoyle’s residence and came to talk about the Meyer’s case.
Alan Hoyle met them in the study.
“Mr. Hoyle, the materials are ready. Please, have a look and see if there is anything to add.”
“I think I can count on you on this.”
Alan Hoyle didn’t intend to forgive the Meyers and he couldn’t wait to pay it back.
Kent Bai once said, “Why should a normal judicial process be so complicated? From obtaining the
evidence to executing, people like Finn Meyer can still earn a few days to live. It’s too merciful for them.
It is better to use their game on them and send a hitman. Eye for eye. A gun will solve it.”
But, Alan Hoyle didn’t agree. Kent Bai was a savage. He couldn’t be dragged into this matter again. A
payback by taking lives was popular. In fact, Alan Hoyle himself wanted to kill Finn Meyer and the other
with bare hands, but no matter what manner it would be, no one could escape the crime against the
Hoyles.
As a matter of fact, the evidence owned by the police was enough for Finn Meyer and his colleagues to
be sentenced to death.
However, no one thought that Mrs. Hoyle would wake up and plead for Ophelia Meyer.
Mrs. Hoyle woke up at dusk. Olive Steele was the only one in the room when she woke up.
The curtain was slightly opened. She sat there in the light penetrated through the crack with book in her
hand. She was quiet and so peaceful that there seemed to a halo on her head.
Mrs. Hoyle was in a trance for a moment, “Why are you here?”
Obviously, the old lady didn’t remember that she had a raging fever.
Olive Steele closed the book, stood up, and sat down by the bed, “You have a high fever and have
been in a coma for a day.”
Mrs. Hoyle sat up and felt her body weak, “What happened to me? Am I ill?”
“Yes. Your fever was nearly 40 degree. You were in daze. Fortunately, there was Doctor Gu. How do
you feel now?”
“Dizzy.”
“I’ll fetch Doctor Gu for you.”
Dr. Gu was next door. Soon, the doctor checked on the old lady’s temperature, “There was still a little
fever, but it’s okay. I will prepare two pills and it will be better in two hours.”
“I’m thirsty. Pour me a glass of water.”
Olive Steele gave her a cup of warm water.
After taking the medicine, Mrs. Hoyle asked, “What time is it?”
“It’s already seven o’clock in the evening, Madam. You slept all day, but Miss Steele was with you all
the time.” Doctor Gu complimented Olive Steele.
During summer, the night came late. At this moment, the sun was setting outside. Olive Steele pulled
the curtain open showing golden light spread across the horizon. It was a beautiful scene, but this time
she had no time enjoying it. The old lady asked, “Why are you alone? Where are the others?”
“Lawyer Chu and Lawyer Zhang are here. They are talking in the study now.” she believed that the old
lady knew what they were talking about.
The old lady was silent for a moment. She shrugged her blanket off and said, “Help me walk to the
study.”
Olive Steele reached out her hand. The old lady’s body was a little thin. If she happened to fall sick
again, it seemed that a gust of wind could blow her away.
The study was on the third floor and Mrs. Hoyle’s bedroom was on the second floor. When holding her
upstairs, Olive Steele felt that the old lady was leaning completely to her. She didn’t know whether the
old lady as really weak or that she was trying to be domineering.
Their arrival interrupted the conversation in the study.
The two lawyers greeted the old lady, “Hello, Mrs. Hoyle.”
Aoba Hoyle who was sitting far on the side quickly gave up his seat, “Mom, sit here.”
Olive Steele helped the old lady to sit down and stood aside.
Although the old lady was sick, her eyes were still sharp, “Are you talking about the Meyers?”
Everyone nodded. Lawyer Chu said, “The Meyers case will be made public the day after tomorrow.
Let’s see if Mr. Hoyle has something to add.”
“Alan, I know that you are determined to turn over the Meyers. I don’t care what you want to do to
them, but Ophelia, spare her.”
When the old lady said this, Ada Hoyle immediately shouted, “Mom, I think you’re not thinking
straightly.”
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