Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1396

Elysia frowned. She didn’t buy Punikon’s story for a second.

No one knew her own kids better than she did.

Sure, Elijah wasn’t exactly the social butterfly type, but he always had good manners. If Punikon genuinely wanted to be friends, there’s no way Elijah would just ignore him.

And Emmett? That sweet, soft-hearted kid wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone start a fight.

Evan might be a bit of a scrapper, but he knew when to stop. “Beat him to a pulp”? Please, that was a stretch.

“So, what did Evan, Emmett, and Elijah say?” Elysia asked, crossing her arms.

The teacher looked exasperated. “Elijah won’t say a word. I’ve asked him over and over—nothing.”

Elysia’s heart ached at the thought of Elijah just clamming up, holding everything in.

“What about Evan and Emmett?” she pressed.

The teacher sighed, glancing at her notes. “Emmett said he saw Punikon trying to stab Elijah with a pencil, so he jumped in to protect him. Evan said Punikon’s been picking on Elijah for ages—he’s had enough, so he stepped in and, well, things got physical.”

Elysia’s brows knit even tighter. She took a breath and said firmly, “Kids get into scuffles. It happens. If it turns out my kids were in the wrong, I’ll make sure they apologize to Punikon, and I’ll personally apologize to his parents. If there’s compensation needed, we’ll take care of it.”

“But if my kids aren’t at fault, I don’t care who Punikon’s family is—they’ll have to face the consequences.”

The teacher, well aware both families were well-off and influential, just nodded quickly. “Of course, of course.”

Meanwhile, in the lounge, the kids were huddled together, crying their eyes out in the arms of Clayton and Pamela.

The moment Elysia walked in, the dam burst. The kids ran to her, sobbing even harder, all piling around her, desperate for comfort.

“Mommy! Waaaaaah…”

Elysia’s heart broke. She blinked back tears, kneeling down to check them over.

Elysia wiped her eyes and looked Evan straight in the face. “Don’t apologize just yet. I know I always say you shouldn’t fight, but sometimes there’s a reason.”

“You’re the big brother. If someone hurts your brothers, you stand up for them. If it wasn’t your fault, I’ll be proud of you. But if you did something wrong, well… this time I really will have to punish you.”

Emmett burst out, still crying, “Mommy, don’t punish Evan! It wasn’t his fault—it was Punikon’s!”

Baby, sniffling and clutching Tarquin, joined in, “Don’t hit Evan, Mommy, please! Don’t hit him!”

Tarquin soothed, “Of course not. Mommy would never hurt Evan, right?”

Pamela hugged Evan tight. “Irene, you can’t punish Evan. If you’re mad, take it out on Tarquin or your dad, not Evan.”

Elysia held up her hands, exasperated. “I’m not actually going to punish Evan. I just want to understand what happened.”

She gathered the kids around, her voice gentle but firm. “Alright, tell me the truth. What exactly happened today? Tell me what you remember, no making things up. Just be honest. Elijah, you first.”