Chapter 159
Outmaneuvered and outmatched, Mrs. Winters and Rebecca had no choice but to
leave.
“I will get her back for this,” Rebecca seethed through gritted teeth.
Mrs. Winters placed a hand on her daughter’s belly. “As long as you have this child, you have a chance to turn the tables.” She gave Rebecca’s arm an encouraging squeeze, then looked toward the Sullivan house. “Since Penelope kicked us out, it’s only right that we move in with the Sullivans p>
With that, she marched over and began banging on their door. The moment it opened, the mother-daughter duo forced their way inside.
As Penelope drifted off to sleep, she could hear the sounds of a raging argument from across the way, the shouting growing louder and more intense, as if they were trying to tear the roof off the house.
The next morning, as Penelope returned from her run, she saw Mrs. Sullivan pushing a reluctant Zebulon toward her front door.
“You two agreed to go to the courthouse this morning,” Mrs. Sullivan was saying. “She thinks you won’t go through with it because you can’t bear to lose her. She’s testing you. If you don’t go today, she’ll have you wrapped around her little finger forever p>
“But but we’re not really married. How can we go to the courthouse p>
“She’s not actually going to go through with it, you idiot p>
“I think she’s serious this time p>
“I guarantee you, she doesn’t have the nerve! She Mrs. Sullivan stopped mid- sentence as she heard footsteps and turned to see Penelope approaching. She jumped. “Why are you sneaking around like a ghost so early in the morning?” Penelope ignored her and looked at Zebulon. “Give me a minute to change, then we can go to the courthouse p>
Without waiting for a response, she went inside.
The moment the door closed, Zebulon’s face crumpled with panic. “She’s really going! She wants a divorce p>
Mrs. Sullivan Swallowed hard. “No, she won’t. She’s just putting on a brave face. I bet she’s more scared than we are!” She shoved the fake marriage certificate into Zebulon’s hand “Just go with her. I’m telling you, the second you get to the courthouse steps, she’ll see you’re serious and make up some excuse to leave. Son, you need to have more confidence. You’re young
successful, rich, and handsome, and our family has a reputation in Orenth. She’s not stupid. She’d never be able to leave you p>
Her words seemed to calm Zebulon slightly, but then he looked down at the
certificate in his hand. “Any clerk will be able to tell this is a fake p>
“I told you, she won’t actually go inside. She’ll never even see it p>
“But what if p>
Mrs. Sullivan’s lips thinned. To be honest, she was worried about the “what if” too.
Just then, Penelope came rushing out of her house, moving with a sense of urgency. Seeing her, Mrs. Sullivan’s own confidence wavered. What if she’s actually serious?
“Penelope, I don’t think—” Zebulon, even more panicked than his mother, was about to back down.
“I have to go, something came up,” Penelope said, cutting him off. “We’ll go to the courthouse tomorrow.” With that, she jogged to her car and drove off.
Mrs. Sullivan let out a massive sigh of relief. “See? What did I tell you? She would never really divorce you. She can’t bear to lose you, or the status that comes with being Sullivan!” t
Zebulon also relaxed, a smug grin spreading across his face as he watched Penelope’s car disappear. “I knew it. She loves me too much. No matter what I do, she’ll never leave me p>
“Exactly,” Mrs. Sullivan said, patting her son’s shoulder. “That’s the kind of confidence you should have p>
Pleased with the outcome of their morning’s test, the mother and son turned to go back inside, only to see Mrs. Winters and Rebecca emerging from their own front door. Their faces immediately darkened.