Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem



Tarquin's voice was icy as he spoke, "Elysia has been a blessing to the Thorne family, a stroke of luck you guys didn't even deserve. And yet, you squandered it, destroyed it with your own hands. I should have been showing you respect, but now, all I want to do is make you suffer."

Blake's face drained of color.

Juliet, overwhelmed by emotion, let out a shriek and burst into tears again...

It was as if fate had dealt the Thorne family a winning hand with Elysia, and yet, they had played it so terribly wrong.

Seeing their despair and agony, Tarquin felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.

He casually pushed his suitcase, which rolled smoothly over to a group of tough-looking men who were clearly there to collect a debt.

"Tell your boss," Tarquin said coldly, "I'm offering five million for their sorry lives. I don't care how much they owe you or what you want to do with them, but they need to stay alive."

Death would be too kind, too easy an escape for them after over two decades of tormenting Elysia. They deserved to suffer for at least four decades

more.

Getting directly involved in their punishment was beneath him - leaving it to their creditors was the perfect solution. It ensured they'd have no good days ahead and kept them far away from Elysia.

Blake and Juliet, terrified, began to beg for mercy.

"You can't do this to us, the Thorne family. After all, we raised Elysia. We might not have been perfect, but we did our part, we..."

Tarquin's glare silenced them instantly, "If I hear another word, you'll wish you had no tongue! My Elysia is no longer any concern of yours." Blake and Juliet were speechless.

Tarquin extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray and stood up, heading for the door.

"Oh, son-in-law, you can't just abandon us," Blake called after him, shamelessly trying to cling to Tarquin.novelbin

Lowell kicked him away, "Get lost!"

Wishing for a son-in-law's support without even having a daughter's affection to offer in return - absurd.

After Tarquin left, the Thorne family was roughed up by the debt collectors and shoved into a van to be taken away.

Blake and Juliet were filled with regret. If only they had known who Tarquin really was, they would have never alienated Elysia.

Elysia, with her kind heart and strong family values, could have been easily appeased.

Winning her over would have meant securing Tarquin's favor as well.

The thought of having the wealthiest man as their son-in-law had once thrilled them beyond measure.

But now, facing their grim reality, they were filled with despair and regret so intense, it was almost unbearable.

If only they hadn't discovered this shocking truth; the ignorance would have been bliss compared to this torment.

Fearing further consequences and looking at Daphne, who was still unconscious, Juliet, in desperation, suggested, "We can't let them take us. We'll be tortured to death! Especially Daphne, she's young and beautiful, she... maybe we should contact him, he owes us, he'll surely..."

"Shut up!" Blake hissed. "You want to make a deal with the devil? Are you out of your mind?"

"Then what do we do? Maybe we should reach out to the Newsom family. Their daughter hasn't come home; aren't they worried at all? They..."

Blake, seething with frustration, whispered fiercely, "You idiot, just keep your mouth shut!"

Juliet broke down into sobs.

Before Blake could say anything more, the driver suddenly slammed on the brakes, nearly sending them flying forward.

Their van was suddenly surrounded by a group of men wearing matching uniforms.