The Year I Was the Other Woman To Myself novel Chapter 21

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As Penelope left work for the day, Rebecca caught up, linking an arm through hers.

“Mrs. Sullivan just called,” she said brightly. “She invited me over for dinner.”

Rebecca and Mrs. Sullivan often put on a grand performance of their ‘mother-daughter bond’ right in front of her. Penelope could practically recite their lines by heart.

“The first time I saw Rebecca, I just knew she was special.”

“If I had a daughter as sweet and thoughtful as Rebecca, I’d think I’d been blessed for lifetimes.”

“Rebecca is my little ray of sunshine. If Zebulon had met her first, who knows, she might have been my daughter-in-law. Oh, but I shouldn’t say such things. Someone might get the wrong idea.”

That last line was Mrs. Sullivan’s favorite refrain—pretending to be considerate while twisting the knife every single time.

“How nice,” Penelope said, raising an eyebrow with a cool smile.

When they arrived back at the Sullivan estate, Penelope was about to unlock the door, but it swung open from the inside. Mrs. Sullivan, who must have heard the car, beamed as she stepped out to greet them.

“Rebecca, you’re finally here! I’ve missed you to death!”

“I missed you too!”

The two of them bypassed Penelope completely, wrapping each other in a hug that was more affectionate than any she’d ever seen between a real mother and daughter.

“I made your favorite beef bourguignon and scallops in a rich wine sauce,” Mrs. Sullivan cooed. “Oh, and I’ve had a rich chicken broth simmering all afternoon just for you.”

“You know I love your cooking more than anything. You’re too good to me.”

“You have to eat plenty tonight, so the baby gets all the nutrients it needs.”

“I’ll eat until I burst!”

Rebecca’s comment made Mrs. Sullivan laugh, and she lovingly steered her inside, leaving Penelope to follow in their wake. She felt like she’d just been forced to watch the climax of a particularly nauseating play. Once inside, the two settled onto the living room sofa, their chatter so warm and intimate that Penelope thought it would be a cosmic injustice if they didn't end up as mother and daughter-in-law.