Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1147

In the morning, after visiting Maria at the hospital, Elysia and Tarquin took Emmett for a somber trip to the funeral home to arrange the details for Claire's funeral the next day.

Elysia even let Emmett personally select a plot for Claire's final resting place.

On the third day, it was time for Claire's funeral.

Emmett attended as her son, deeply feeling the weight of the moment.

Elysia and Tarquin were there as friends, their presence a silent support.

Pamela and a few of the younger kids came along too.

Blossom and Hollis made their appearance, a gesture of respect and closure.

No matter what had transpired in Claire's life, now was not the time for judgments. Everyone came together to pay their respects, acknowledging the dead's dignity and thanking her for bringing Emmett into the world.

Bertram made a point to come in person, bowing deeply to Claire in gratitude for her contributions to the Gibson family, leaving behind good children despite everything.

What Elysia didn’t expect was the arrival of Claire's uncles and aunts.

A few of Claire's cousins also showed up, their arrival filling the chapel with genuine sorrow. Their cries and heartfelt grief tore through the somber silence.

The girls who once adored him disappeared, and his friends turned their backs, leaving only Claire by his side, tirelessly working to clear his debts.

The Yeagers, a well-to-do family with a successful local business, had welcomed Cecil with open arms, treating him as their own. But Cecil saw this not as a gesture of acceptance but an opportunity to exploit.

His relationship with Claire was a means to an end, a way to secure a comfortable life without lifting a finger.

Cecil's lack of ambition and responsibility placed all financial burdens on Claire, and by extension, her parents, Barnaby and Nora. Despite their generosity, Cecil remained a leech, manipulating Claire for money to cover his gambling debts.

In a desperate bid to settle his dues, Cecil convinced Claire to persuade her parents to sell their business, a decision that would strip the Yeager family of their livelihood for his sake.