Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1787

"Come on, Janelle, you have to tell us," one woman pressed. "What is your secret to straightening him out?"

Janelle chuckled. "He's barely a boy anymore; he's thirty! Honestly, Richard and I are just as surprised. We noticed he's become more grounded and mature, but we have no idea why."

"He rarely comes home, and we don't see him often. It just feels like he suddenly grew up out of nowhere."

Mrs. Wallace leaned in and lowered her voice. "Could Keaton be secretly dating someone? Love has a way of making a man grow up."

Mrs. Sewell let out a harsh, mocking laugh.

"Oh, Mrs. Wallace, when is Keaton not dating someone? The man never takes a break between women. He's a notorious romantic; the number of girlfriends he's had probably rivals the number of hot meals we've eaten. His reputation precedes him."

She took a sip of her drink, eyes glinting with malice. "But young girls are too immature to change a man. Only an older woman has that kind of power."

Mrs. Miller eagerly jumped in. "I've heard a lot of men these days have mommy issues. You better watch out, Janelle. Your son is a handful. What will you do if he brings home a woman old enough to be your sister?"

These women were experts in social warfare; everyone caught the stinging sarcasm, and the atmosphere shifted uncomfortably.

Janelle frowned, but Mrs. Miller offered a fake, honey-sweet smile. "We're just looking out for you, don't be mad."

A flash of annoyance crossed Janelle's eyes. She offered a tight, plastic smile in return.

"If you two have enough free time to gossip about my son, maybe you should spend it keeping an eye on your own husbands. Remind them to practice basic hygiene and stop frequenting shady clubs for cheap women. It would be a nightmare if they caught something out there and passed it on to you."

Everyone in their circle knew that Mr. Miller and Mr. Sewell were notorious for their sleazy escapades.

The color instantly drained from Mrs. Miller's and Mrs. Sewell's faces as they glared at Janelle in fury.

Maintaining her flawless smile, Janelle parroted their own excuse back to them. "I'm just looking out for you, don't be mad."

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify