Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1778

Penny glared at him. "What more do you want?"

Keaton's expression hardened.

"First, respect for the dead is paramount. You severely disrespected Aunt Jade, and you need to go to her grave and apologize, lest karma catches up with you. Second, you stood there screaming at us like a lunatic. You owe us all an apology, especially Caroline. And third, the old Gould estate legally belongs to Shane. None of you have any right to occupy it. You need to vacate the premises immediately."

Penny's face turned red with fury. Apologize?! Not only did she lose out on the expensive city apartment, but now she had to give up the old estate too?

"I'm already doing you a massive favor by letting you cross my property!" Penny shrieked. "You have no right to make demands! We won't do it!"

"That's fine," Keaton replied smoothly. "But just know that from this day forward, anyone associated with you will never see a good day again."

The moment the words left his mouth, the Phelps family surged forward, shoving and berating Penny. "What do you mean you won't do it?! Are you really trying to destroy us all?"

After a few moments of relentless pressure from her own blood relatives, Penny finally broke. Weeping uncontrollably, she stumbled forward.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to steal the apartment, and I shouldn't have taken over the estate. I apologize. I'm so sorry, Jade..."

She dragged her feet toward the cemetery, the rest of the battered Gould family limping behind her. As soon as they reached the edge of the grave, they broke down completely, sobbing out their apologies.

"We're sorry, Jade. We were wrong. We shouldn't have disturbed your peace, and we shouldn't have made things so hard for your sister and your son..."

Caroline stood nearby, tears streaming down her face. In that moment, the overwhelming relief of justice was mixed with a profound, aching grief for her late sister.

Keaton gently placed a hand on Caroline's shoulder. "Caroline, the cemetery director said the best time for the exhumation is approaching. How about we leave these people to their misery and focus on moving Aunt Jade?"

Caroline took a deep, shaky breath and grabbed Keaton's hand tightly. "Keaton, I owe you a massive debt."

"Please, don't say that," Keaton replied softly. "I was more than happy to step in."

Caroline was incredibly moved. "If you don't mind... I'd love to treat you like my own son from now on. I will see you as my own flesh and blood. If anyone ever tries to cross you, they'll have to go through me first!"

The rest of the process went smoothly. Once the casket was brought up, the priest said a final prayer, and the remains were carefully loaded into a specialized transport vehicle bound for the Gresham family's private cemetery.

Following Keaton's advice and with his financial backing, the old Gould estate was designated to be transformed into a public library for the local children.

Before leaving, Keaton handed Penny a crisp thousand-dollar bill to cover the damages to her lawn. He liked to keep things strictly business.

But he couldn't resist one final parting shot. "I honestly pity you. Look at you—you raised four sons, and combined, they still don't amount to a fraction of the success of one daughter. And yet, you still favor boys over girls. Caroline raised an absolute star, while you raised a pack of failures. What a miserable life."

Penny let out a choked gasp, clutched her chest, and passed out cold. The paramedics had to cart her away.

The Gresham family estate was a three-hour drive from Haverbrook City. Due to limited seating, Keaton drove his own car.

During the ride, Caroline sighed wistfully. "That Keaton... he seems so carefree usually, but when it comes down to business, he's incredibly reliable. He stayed calm, collected, and had everything completely organized."

Shane glanced at Winona and couldn't help but put in a good word for Keaton. "You can't judge a book by its cover. Keaton is a solid guy all around. I bet he'll make a great dad someday."