Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1614

When Tarquin arrived at the hospital, Janelle had just been moved from the emergency room.

She lay quietly on the hospital bed, unconscious.

Richard Huber sat beside the bed, guarding her. His face was dark with an emotion that was either extreme worry or pure rage.

Keaton, looking frail, was kneeling beside the bed, his face a mask of guilt.

Tarquin was stunned by the scene. On the phone, Keaton had only said there was trouble, not what it was.

Entering the room, Tarquin asked softly, "Mr. Huber, what happened to Janelle?"

Richard looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "The shock... she fainted from the anger."

Tarquin said, "...She was fine when I left. What could have made her so angry all of a sudden?"

Richard shot a cold glare at Keaton, his voice filled with fury. "Ask this son of mine! It's all because of him! The mess he's made! What a disaster!"

Keaton remained kneeling on the floor, silent.

Tarquin frowned, then turned back to Richard. "Why don't you stay with Janelle? I'll take Keaton outside for a chat."

Richard waved a dismissive hand. "Get him out of here! I don't want to see him. Out of sight, out of mind!"

Tarquin was at a loss.

He walked over, pulled Keaton to his feet, and led him out of the room. As soon as they were in the hallway, Tarquin demanded, "What the hell happened? Did you tell them about Winona being pregnant?"

Keaton let out a long, weak breath. "Let's go downstairs. I need some air."

They went down to the small hospital garden and sat on a bench.

"You got a cigarette?" Keaton asked.

Tarquin handed him one and lit one for himself.

"It's hard to say."

"...What does Beatrix want?"

Keaton's face was a mask of frustration. "She's using this baby to force me to marry her. If I don't, she says she'll abort it."

"The worst part is, she didn't talk to me. She called my parents directly! And she told them everything... including the fact that Winona isn't pregnant..."

Janelle and Richard had been under the impression that Keaton and Winona were secretly dating. They had been over the moon thinking Winona was pregnant. Then, an hour ago, Beatrix had called them, claiming she was carrying Keaton's child.

Beatrix had laid it out plainly: if Keaton didn't marry her, she would abort the baby and send it to them. The fetus was already well-formed. If Keaton refused to marry her, she would send the Huber family the remains of the child. She also told them to forget any other fantasies they had, claiming Winona was never pregnant and she and Keaton were never together. It was all a lie Keaton had told.

After hanging up, Janelle and Richard had immediately confronted Keaton, demanding to know if he was really dating Winona and if she was actually pregnant. Seeing their agitated state, Keaton hadn't dared to answer. But his silence was as good as a confession. The shock and anger were too much for Janelle, and she collapsed on the spot. Richard, heartbroken for his wife and furious at Keaton's recklessness, was beside himself with rage.

After hearing the story, Tarquin frowned. "If Beatrix wants to use the baby to marry into your family, shouldn't she at least confirm that the baby is actually yours?"