Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1763

Callum offered her a gentle smile.

"Everything I did, I did willingly. You did not force me into anything. Even if the worst had happened, it would have been on me, not you. You have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. Besides, I am sitting right here, perfectly fine. So please, stop crying."

Winona's lips trembled as she stared at his missing fingers through tear-blurred eyes.

Callum chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

"I am a grown man. Losing two fingers is hardly the end of the world. I still have eight left. It does not affect my life at all."

Winona only sobbed harder. Watching her break down, Keaton felt his chest tighten with a mix of heartache and sheer panic.

His heart was in his throat, terrified that her intense emotional distress would harm the pregnancy.

Unable to hold back any longer, he chimed in.

"Callum coming back is a cause for celebration. Stop crying. If you make yourself sick over this, Callum is going to feel like the bad guy."

Catching on, Callum played along.

"He is right. You are practically royalty around here now. If my return causes you to end up in the hospital, I will never forgive myself."

Winona sniffled hard, desperately trying to pull herself together. She wiped her eyes and looked at Callum, her voice trembling but sincere.

"I will remember what you did for me for the rest of my life."

Callum smiled warmly. "Deal. If I ever need a favor, I know who to call."

Winona nodded vigorously. "Anything. Whatever you need, I will do it."

Sensing an opportunity to shift her focus, Keaton looked over at Callum.

"Alright, tell us. How exactly did you make it out alive?"

Callum settled back into his chair beside Winona and began his story.

When Callum finished, a heavy silence blanketed the room.

He had recounted the nightmare with such casual ease, but everyone at the table was completely horrified.

The summary sounded simple enough, but the reality of living through it was undeniably terrifying.

If he had not been incredibly lucky, he would be dead.

Callum let out a sigh.

"I honestly never imagined Zane was capable of such depravity. I never liked the guy back in college, but I always assumed my hostility toward him was just because of Winona."

"Turns out, men have a sixth sense too."

"Deep down, I must have known he was a monster and that he would destroy her. If I had known how bad it would get, I would have thrown my pride out the window and done whatever it took to break you two up. Even if you never looked my way, at least you would have been safe from a psychopath like him."

He looked at Winona, his eyes filled with profound tenderness and regret.