TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The mother of an 18-year-old high school student worth NT$500 million (US$16.32 million) said her son fell to his death just two hours after marrying a man he had met just twice.

The 18-year-old Taichung student named Lai (賴) inherited a property portfolio worth NT$500 million from his father shortly before he fell from a building and died, per CNA. Lai’s mother said at a press conference on Friday (May 19) that her son was invited out by a man named Hsia (夏), an assistant to a land administration agent, to discuss with Lai how to manage the properties.

The pair then went to a household registration office and were legally married. Two hours later, Lai was dead.

Lai’s mother said through tears that her son had only met Hsia twice before his death. She added that she knew nothing about the marriage, and that her son was not gay.

Taichung prosecutors said they questioned Hsia and suspected he had committed a crime, but allowed him release on a NT$300,000 bail. Hsia’s father said he knew nothing of the case and would not comment.

Lai’s mother was accompanied at the press conference by legislators Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪) and Lai Shun-jen (賴順仁), and her lawyer. Huang said that Lai’s family believed he was murdered for money, and appealed to prosecutors to place restrictions on Hsia’s movements to prevent him from fleeing.

Lai's mother said her son had no reason to commit suicide. He had recently been admitted to university. He had also made plans to show his mother a new scooter he had bought, a lawyer representing Lai's mother said.

The deceased Lai’s family background is complicated. This has led some to question the mother’s version of events, per UDN.

Lai’s mother reportedly came to Taiwan from China after a man sought her out to marry his disabled son. While married to the son, Lai’s mother developed a relationship with the father, and the pair had their own son — the (now deceased) Lai, at the center of this story.

After the disabled man to whom Lai's mother was married passed away, Lai’s father applied to adopt him so that they could have a father-son relationship under law.

The legal father-son relationship reportedly facilitated the inheritance of the NT$500 million that Lai possessed when he died. An autopsy on Lai has been completed, but a report has not yet been released.

Those considering suicide should immediately call the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center at 1925 or Taiwan Lifeline International at 1995. Foreign residents can call the Community Services Center's emergency hotline at 0932-594-578, 24 hours a day.