Woman Sues Husband's Alleged Mistress, Awarded $9 Million

A woman is awarded $9 million after suing her husband's alleged mistress in a North Carolina court for alienation of affection. INSIDE EDITION has the details.

"She maliciously went after my husband with a vengeance," said Cynthia Shackelford.

Cynthia was just awarded $9 million in damages. And you won't believe who she sued...her husband's alleged mistress!

"She knew that he lived with me. She knew that we had a happy marriage. She's the one that really did it, in my opinion," she said.

Cynthia said for more than 30 years her marriage to her husband Allan, a lawyer in Greensboro, North Carolina, was just about perfect.

"I felt he truly loved me, and I really loved him," she said.

When asked if she was happily married, Cynthia replied, "I was happily married and as far as I know he was happily married as well. So it was a big surprise to me that this has all happened."

According to Cynthia, it came to a crashing end when her husband began seeing Anne Lundquist, a dean at Guilford College.

"A few months later he was taking her home from the office to her house. I couldn't understand this 'full service' deal," Cynthia said.

"She knew you were married?" INSIDE EDITION asked Cynthia.

"Yes, I went to a party in her home and my husband introduced me as his wife," she said.

She suspected her husband was cheating so she hired a private detective to tail him while she was out of town.

She said she learned more about her husband's alleged affair from the private detective.

"He picked her up, took her to our home. Driving into the garage, closed the garage door and went inside our home for about an hour, an hour and a half, went upstairs, and downstairs. I just wish my cocker spaniel could talk because they were there together," she said.

When asked how she felt, Cynthia said, "I was devastated. I never thought that it would happen to us."

Cynthia left her husband, moved into a three bedroom home with her two children, and filed for divorce. And then she took an unusual step, going after the "other woman." 

Using a centuries-old North Carolina law, Cynthia sued her husband's alleged mistress for alienation of affection. And after a two-day trial, 12 jurors agreed with the scorned ex-wife, awarding her a staggering judgment: $9 million.

When asked if she thinks she'll ever see a penny of it, Cynthia said, "I expect to see more than pennies. I don't necessarily expect to see $9 million. But I do expect to see something."

She also said she hopes this will be a warning to others who are thinking about cheating on a spouse.

"She knew what she was doing. And that's the alienation of affection. She went in there and alienated his affection to me by getting it to herself and destroyed my marriage," Cynthia said.

Lundquist reportedly plans to appeal the decision.