Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1546

After Shifra’s clarification, she dropped another bombshell: she had initiated the breakup with Keaton! The internet went wild again. A breakup wasn't surprising, but her being the one to do it? That was unheard of! Keaton had dated so many women, and he was always the one to end things. Shifra was the first to ever dump him! The internet was buzzing with questions, wondering why Shifra would ever walk away from such a massive meal ticket. They flooded the live stream with questions, but Shifra offered no explanation. She only said she was the one at fault, gave a respectful nod to the viewers, and ended the stream. The web was buzzing. Some were focused on the reason for the breakup. Others started stirring up trouble, claiming Shifra's clarification was obviously forced and redirecting the hate toward Winona. Shifra’s live-streamed apology did nothing to salvage Winona’s reputation. Nor did it cause Shifra’s own career to tank. In fact, because she was the one who broke up with Keaton, her popularity soared, and her follower count skyrocketed. Everyone was watching her, waiting for the next chapter. After the stream, Shifra was in high spirits, filled with smug satisfaction. Meanwhile, Winona was lounging on Blossom’s bed, munching on an apple and scrolling through the comments. She had expected Shifra to pull a stunt like this, so it wasn't a shock. She just hadn’t anticipated the pre-emptive breakup. Keaton sent her a text: [Don't pay any attention to the online comments. I'm working on a solution.] Winona narrowed her eyes and took another bite of her apple. In the girls' group chat: Elysia vented, [I really hate snakes like her. What was Keaton thinking, falling for her?!] Blossom added: [She's so manipulative. I bet she hired those trolls in advance!] Winona typed: [I knew she'd suddenly announce the breakup to steal the spotlight, but I'm curious... why would she be willing to break up with Keaton?] Keaton was a cash cow. How could she let him go? Elysia couldn't figure that part out either, but she was more concerned about Winona. [What now? This is getting worse for you.] Winona replied, [Don't worry. Keaton just texted me. He said he's handling it and told me not to get involved. I'll see what he comes up with.] Elysia frowned. How could Keaton possibly fix this mess? Since she had dinner plans with Old Mr. White that evening, she typed a few more complaints before leaving the chat. At dinnertime, she took the kids to the most famous restaurant in Silver City. Old Mr. White had made the reservation. As soon as they met, he asked, “Keaton and Winona are your friends, aren’t they?” Elysia was slightly taken aback. “Yes, why?” Old Mr. White smiled. “Keaton’s people reached out to my office today. He wants to discuss a collaboration. He wants to commission a bespoke winter couture collection exclusively for Winona—clothing, bags, jewelry, perfume, lipstick, the works. I’m not very familiar with them, and I have Maria to look after, so I was planning to decline. But then my assistant told me that Keaton said Winona is Emmett’s godmother. He said Winona is in a difficult situation and hoped I could help out for Emmett's sake. He mentioned that the brands currently working with Winona are spooked by the online backlash and are considering terminating their contracts. He was hoping I would step in to help restore her reputation. Since he brought up Emmett and was so humble, practically begging me, I asked Emmett if he knew them. Emmett excitedly told me that Keaton is his daddy’s best friend and Winona is his mommy’s best friend! Emmett even said Keaton is his actual godfather, and Winona is his beloved godmom! He begged me to help them, so I accepted the commission.” Tarquin and Elysia were speechless. Keaton certainly knew how to pull the right strings. Everyone knew Old Mr. White was an aloof and principled man; money and power couldn't sway him. But bring Emmett into it, and he would never refuse. Keaton’s strategy was brilliant. Having Old Mr. White publicly support Winona was the perfect move. As a living legend and a titan of the fashion world, Old Mr. White's position was unassailable. His endorsement was golden.