Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem

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Daphne was sobbing her heart out when Allegra roared, "Don't be afraid of her. You've got the whole Bradford clan backing you up! Now, tell her loud and clear, who do you think she is?!"

"Yeah, tell her!"

With a grit of her teeth and tears streaming down her face, Daphne cried out, "So what if you're his wife? You just stole my spot! I should have been the one to marry him! Me! Me! Sob sob sob..."

So what if you're his wife?

Elysia is Tarquin's wife?

The Bradford folks: "?!?!"

Onlookers: "??!!"

Keaton and the others: "???!!!"

Tarquin: "?????!!!!!"

The kids: "...Guess it's time to spill the beans."

Elysia ignored Daphne, turning to the Bradfords, "Now listen up, who's the real home-wrecker here? You keep talking about defending the right and not the wrong. In your eyes, the legitimate wife is wrong, and the mistress is right? The moral compass of the Bradfords really astounds me, a mere commoner!

Now let me make this clear, it's not that you won't let me and my kids through your grand doors, it's that me and my kids wouldn't want to step foot in there! With your twisted values, I'd rather stay far away from you!"

The Bradfords gasped collectively, their faces turning shades of red, utterly shocked!

Gideon's chest heaved, his face turning a mix of green and purple, and had his legs not failed him, he would've confronted Daphne right there and then!

"You... you... what's the meaning of this?! I personally chose my granddaughter-in-law, and I remember clearly, her name was Daphne, not Elysia!" Allegra also glared at Daphne, demanding, "You better explain yourself now!"

Unable to hold back, Verity stepped up to Daphne, trying to calm her down, "Don't cry now, and don't be afraid of them. You've got the whole Bradford family behind you. Tell me, did Tarquin force you to say this?"

Daphne, following Blake's guidance, fell to her knees in front of Tarquin, sobbing out her story, "Elysia was just a stray child my parents took in. When someone came asking for my hand in marriage with a generous dowry, guessing they were wealthy, Elysia, lured by vanity, insisted on taking my place to marry into that wealth!

Even though she wasn't their biological child, my parents loved her too much to watch her threaten her own life over this, so they agreed to let her marry in my stead..."

The Bradfords: "You...!!!"

Elysia had taken Daphne's place to marry Tarquin!

Now Elysia was Tarquin's lawful wife?!

"I don't believe it! This is impossible!"

The Bradfords collectively refused to accept this reality, their denials filling the air.

Suddenly-

Beautiful music filled the banquet hall, and the big screen on the stage lit up!

A photo took up the whole screen, shocking everyone present!

The marriage certificate of Tarquin and Elysia was glaringly displayed on the big screen, blinding everyone with its significance!

The certificate was in duplicate, one for Elysia and one for Tarquin.

This was an electronic file Elliot had meticulously downloaded from the official website, carefully covering up their social security numbers while leaving the rest for the public to see.

Both certificates bore the official seal, leaving no room for doubt.

The date of the marriage, eight years ago!

Meaning, Elysia and Tarquin were legally wed, their union sanctioned by the state!

Meaning, their four children were not born out of wedlock but came into this world two years after their parents' marriage!

No matter how twisted the journey, how many misunderstandings had occurred, the result was clear!

A buzz of gossip spread among the high society ladies present, "My God, the mighty Bradfords, siding with a mistress over the legitimate wife, it's just unthinkable, their moral compass is so off it's lost!"

"This twist is unbelievable! I'm almost moved to tears by the Bradfords' stupidity."

"Defending the right not the wrong, turns out the mistress is right, and the legitimate wife is wrong? Old man Bradford really has lost it, maybe he's got dementia?"

The Bradfords, staring at the marriage certificate on the big screen, were dumbstruck.

Their hearts, once suspended in hope, now sank in defeat.

They had no choice but to accept the truth, even if unwillingly. They had made a mistake, a grave one!

The Daphne they had painstakingly brought back was nothing!

Tarquin's wife, the one they had insulted and humiliated in front of everyone, was Elysia!