Save your apologies, Olivia

Old Mrs. Sullivan broke the tension with a composed yet decisive tone.

"Olivia, dear, please take your suitcase back to your room," she instructed calmly, her voice carrying an underlying authority. "You're not going anywhere."

Olivia nodded slowly, her facade of sadness and resignation deepening. She glanced at the children with a look of supposed anguish, then turned to Old Mrs. Sullivan with a faint, grateful smile that masked her true satisfaction.

"Thank you, Mrs. Sullivan," Olivia murmured softly, her voice trembling slightly as if overwhelmed by the emotional turmoil. She picked up her suitcase with deliberate slowness, every movement calculated to convey a sense of inner turmoil and defeat.

Old Mrs. Sullivan watched Olivia closely, her eyes betraying a hint of admiration for Olivia's skillful manipulation. Meanwhile, Mindy remained quiet, her anger simmering beneath a mask of calm as she observed Olivia's every move with a discerning gaze.