Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 827

In the countryside where the Tylers lived, not having kids after marriage was a topic of ridicule.

Back in the day, three years into their marriage, Aiden's folks hadn't had a child. This became fodder for gossip among some spiteful neighbors who whispered that the couple must have committed sins in their past lives, hence their barrenness.

Aiden’s father, known for his temper, blamed his wife for their childlessness, leading to domestic disputes that were far from rare in their household.

Eventually, the couple vanished, rumored to have gone to the city in search of medical help.

Years later, they returned, their pride and joy Aiden in tow. They paraded him around like a trophy, not just because they'd finally had a child, but a boy at that—and a strikingly handsome one, no less. In their poverty-stricken community where sons were prized over daughters, Aiden was a slap in the face to their detractors.

But then, it became apparent that Aiden couldn't speak. The same folks who'd been silenced by his birth now jeered, calling him defective despite his good looks.

Then, Ms. Gonzalez, a new teacher, arrived in town. Aiden, not yet of school age but eager to learn, would listen to her lessons from outside the classroom. Ms. Gonzalez invited him in, and it was she who named him Aiden, insisting it was improper to call him "the mute boy."

The Tylers, seeing her kindness, confided Aiden's plight to her, hoping her education could make a difference. Ms. Gonzalez even clashed with Aiden's parents, offering to take him in herself.

Everyone thought Aiden's parents would refuse, clinging to their only child to avoid the shame of having no heirs.