Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1557

He could only suppress his confusion and listen quietly. Looking at the white at Richard's temples, he felt a pang of sadness. He and his parents had a major disagreement about marriage, and his refusal to compromise had clearly taken a toll on them. They arrived at the study. Richard looked at the portraits of their ancestors and sighed again. "That's all in the past. Dad really does love you." Keaton knew, of course. He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "Alright, Richard, old sport, that's enough. Any more of this sentimental stuff and I'm gonna start crying. You said you love me, so that means no more family discipline, right? If you're mad, you can slap me a few times or give me a kick, but not the formal stuff!" Richard chuckled. "I already swore to our ancestors. I won't hit you again! And I definitely won't use the family discipline!" Keaton's eyes lit up. "Really?" Richard nodded. "Of course, it's true!" Keaton said, "A gentleman's word is his bond!" Richard said, "If I hit you again, I'll… well, you can ground me for a month. How about that?" Keaton immediately replied, "That won't be necessary. Just keep your word." Richard was in a great mood. He smiled and said, " “Alright, first, go offer your respects to the family elders. Let them be the first to know. Tell them the good news yourself.” Keaton asked, "What good news?" Richard reminded him, "About you and Winona, of course!" Richard was referring to the pregnancy, but Keaton thought he meant their relationship. Keaton looked embarrassed. They weren't really dating. Announcing it to his ancestors felt like deceiving them. That was highly disrespectful! If he lied to his ancestors, he'd truly be a terrible son! "Dad, it's a bit too early to announce it. Winona and I haven't gone public yet." But Richard said, "You can still tell them even if it's not public. They're our own ancestors, not outsiders. Just share the good news and make them happy." Keaton shook his head. "No, it's not right. What if we break up later? We'd get their hopes up for nothing! They'd be even more disappointed!" Hearing this, Richard's eyes widened. "Break up? After all this, you can still break up?" Keaton nodded. "You never know with relationships. We might seem all lovey-dovey now, but we could have a falling out any day! The possibility of a breakup is still pretty high." Richard's brow furrowed, his lips tightened, and his face darkened as he stared at Keaton. She was pregnant, and he was already thinking about breaking up? It sounded like he had no intention of keeping the baby! They, the Huber family, had wished on every star for this one heir, and he was thinking of throwing it all away! "You brat! You disappointment! Kneel properly!" Richard was furious, instantly transforming from a loving father back into a strict one. Seeing his dad's sudden change, Keaton quickly knelt properly. "Dad, wasn't I your 'good boy'?" "You rebellious son!" Keaton was speechless. His dad's mood flipped faster than a pancake! One second he was 'good man' and 'my good boy,' and now he was a 'rebellious son' again. Although he didn't want to anger his father, he couldn't back down. He could lie about dating Winona, but he couldn't guarantee the future. The lie would eventually fall apart. He would have to tell Richard and Janelle that Winona didn't like him anymore and had broken up with him. Faking a relationship was one thing, but faking a marriage was out of the question, let alone carrying on the family line! Steeling himself, Keaton said, "Dad, don't be angry yet. Listen to me. I'm not trying to break up with Winona, but relationships are unpredictable. Breaking up and getting back together is normal, I..." Richard roared, "Don't give me that useless crap! Just tell me, are you or are you not going to take responsibility for Winona?"