After a moment of deliberation, she tossed her pride to the wind. “That’s right,” she declared loudly. “I am his father’s mistress! He loves a passionate, fiery woman like me! He says his wife at home is as exciting as a brick, and that I make him feel young again!”
If Penelope’s initial accusation had stunned the room, Mrs. Winters’s confession left everyone utterly shell-shocked.
“Mom!” Rebecca shrieked.
“You son of a…” Zebulon trailed off, speechless.
Mrs. Sullivan was the last to react. She lunged at Mrs. Winters, screaming, “You old witch! I’ll rip that lying mouth off your face! I’ll kill you!”
The police officer, having just been served a massive dose of drama, quickly intervened to separate them. “Alright, that’s enough! Both of you, calm down!”
“I… I can’t believe this… Rebecca, you… you are the bane of this family’s existence…” Mrs. Sullivan’s words were a jumbled mess of fury and frustration, each phrase a potential landmine she couldn’t fully articulate. She was left grinding her teeth in silent rage.
“How could you destroy a family like this? You’re a shameless homewrecker!” Penelope yelled at Mrs. Winters. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand, pretending to be horrified, but she was really hiding a smile.
Mrs. Winters, however, was thick-skinned. The insults rolled right off her. “So what if I am? Is it illegal?”
“Mom, please, stop talking!” Rebecca wished the floor would swallow her whole.
The officer cleared his throat. “So, about this situation…”
Zebulon gritted his teeth. “It is… a family matter.”
An hour later, they were all back at the Sullivan mansion. Mr. Sullivan, who had been out, was clueless about the day’s events and annoyed to find the house empty upon his return.
“Where has everyone been?” he demanded, frowning.
Penelope strode past the others and planted herself in front of him, her face a mask of righteous anger. “Dad, I have always respected you, but how could you do something so shameless? How could you betray Mom? Betray our family?”
Mr. Sullivan was completely bewildered. “What are you talking about?”

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