A Life Debt Repaid novel Chapter 1231

Every guest was staring at Cordy, convinced that she was going to declare her love for Jay because her affection for him was all too visible.

And given Zoe's personality, she would want nothing less than to announce it to the whole world.

And yet, when she began, she said, "There are two people I want to thank. The first is Clara Gooding, my mother."

Clara was sitting below stage, her body obviously stiffening when Zoe suddenly mentioned her.

She was holding Yelena in her arms after she got off the stage.

"Yes, she's my mother," Zoe said. "But I never called her that, because there was a time I hated her. If not for her, I wouldn't have gone through the worst moment of my life—I mean, who would've thought that an heiress of the great Levine family would turn out to be just a maid's daughter?"

Her words were calm, but everyone could empathize with her pain and despair of the time.

"I really did not want to acknowledge her. I really wanted to disown her…" she continued even as she looked at Clara.

Clara's eyes were red, her eyes welling with tears.

She certainly knew that Zoe held considerable grievances against her, but Zoe was too kind and ultimately kept Clara with her.

"Fortunately, I didn't," Zoe finished. "If I had done that back then, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."

Clara quietly shook her head—she was the one who had been regretting her actions all this while.

She did something in the heat of the moment and committed an irreparable mistake.

"In the end, she's the best mother in this world who has given me all her love in a way that no one else could accept," Zoe said, looking at Clara then. "The world might not understand you, but I do, Mom."

Indeed, many of them who were laughing themselves a moment ago now had tears welling in their eyes—their feelings seemingly all grasped within Zoe's palm.

"I love you too, Mommy!" Yelena answered Zoe from beneath the stage then.

She was upset to see her mommy cry and wanted to offer her comfort, even adding loudly, "Grandma says she loves you too!"

Zoe smiled despite her tears, feeling at once emotional and relieved.

Earnest feelings always stir the heart.

With that, Zoe took a long while to compose herself.