Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1044

Nobody could say it louder or clearer, not even his own dad could hide the disappointment he felt towards his son!

All day long, he was up to no good, a real layabout, getting mixed up in every vice under the sun - drinking, gambling, smoking, you name it!

He was about the same age as Clayton, yet he couldn't hold a candle to him. A real deadbeat, a blockhead!

He couldn't even match Helen in smarts or emotional intelligence!

If he wasn't the firstborn, his father would have washed his hands of him a long time ago!

Just as Bobby was about to say something, Roger suddenly went 'thud', kneeling down right in front of Clayton!

It looked as though he was bowing his head in submission.

Bobby: "What?!"

Clayton: "What?!"

"What are you doing?!" Bobby was embarrassed, angrily tapping his cane on the ground.

Roger, just as puzzled, quickly stood up.

But as soon as he did, down he went again with a 'thump', this time actually bowing his head to Clayton!

Clayton frowned, suspicious, not sure what was going on.

Bobby was livid, picking up his cane and starting to smack him with it,

"In this world, you kneel to the heavens, the earth, and your parents. What's this kneeling to Clayton about? Have you no shame? Get up!"

"It's not like I want to kneel, I just..." Roger tried to explain.

"Get up!"

But as soon as Bobby finished speaking, his knees buckled, and he too went down with a 'thump'!

Clayton was taken aback, instinctively stepping aside.

Although Bobby was no saint, he was a generation older. It's said that if a younger kneels to an elder, it could shorten the elder's life.

Roger's eyes widened in shock at Bobby, "Dad, you're kneeling too?!"

Bobby looked around, his face turning dark.

His knee had just given out, making him kneel without realizing it!

But looking around, he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

He was angry, but not because Larry would call Roger dad. He was livid that he'd raised a thankless wretch!

If he had known this would happen, he should have left him to fend for himself as a child!

"When I've settled the score for Pamela, I'll personally see to it that he's delivered to you! Your family, the Murphys, had better stick with him. You're tied to him for life now, better never to part ways!"

"We certainly won't part ways. Larry's been nothing but respectful to me, his future father-in-law. I'm quite pleased! It's a pity your daughter's gone. You won't have the joy of choosing a son-in-law, missing out on the happiness of being a father-in-law in this lifetime."

Roger sighed wistfully,

"When our Lynne and your Irene were born on the same day in the same hospital, I thought to myself, when the time comes to choose a son-in-law, I'd search high and low!

My son-in-law would have to be a thousand times better than Clayton's!

Such a pity, your daughter's gone, and you can't bring a son-in-law into the picture. We can't compare now, alas, no chance to show you up!"

Clayton's brow furrowed. His daughter Irene had always had strong principles. If she were still alive, she'd definitely choose a worthy man, not a traitor like Larry!

But he was powerless to argue.

With no daughter, how could he talk of a son-in-law?