Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem

Clayton groggily woke to the sound of his phone ringing. "What's going on?"

"Betty's gone!"

Clayton's eyes snapped open, instantly alert. He sat up in shock. "Gone? But wasn't she at the cabin in the woods? How could she just vanish?!"

"Late last night, a wildfire broke out. It wasn't until dawn that they managed to put it out, and that's when they realized Betty was missing."

Clayton's breathing grew heavy. "Missing, or...?"

"She's missing. They got her out of there when the fire started. She wasn't hurt."

Clayton let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good she's not hurt. First, let's call the authorities, then organize a search party!"

After hanging up, Clayton carefully slid out of bed, trying not to wake Pamela who was still asleep.

He took his phone to the bathroom to continue making calls.

He called his mother's personal assistant, the local church, and the security guard he had stationed at the cabin.

several calls, there was

Carl, but got

head out when his phone rang. It

a close friend of Clayton's father. Clayton quickly answered, "Hello,

have a moment? I need to talk to you about

missing, I'm trying to find her. Can we talk over the phone, or

you because of your

Clayton paused, "Recently? Today?"

talk when you

ended, leaving

into the cabin in the woods not long after Irene disappeared, turning her back on worldly matters

had been years since she last

she suddenly go to the

fresh clothes and rushed out

Clayton

only Albert was there, but Florian Miller was

friend of Clayton's father, Randal Hawkins. Though they had no business

to look out for them. Though the Watson and Miller families hadn't been able to assist Clayton

were advanced in age, with limited influence in

greeted the elderly gentlemen,

nodded, motioning for