Chapter 131

**Chapter 131**
How foolish she felt for trusting them. A fierce anger and deep jealousy bubbled in her stomach. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears. She watched as her father noticed what was happening and marched over.

Irene watched in shock as someone pulled Ethan away from Judy and punched him in the stomach. She wanted to rush over to Ethan to check if he was okay, but she couldn’t make herself move.

She felt frozen in place, her body unwilling to cooperate. Her eyes were glued to the man who had hurt Ethan, the man she cared for so deeply.

Irene was so focused on Ethan that she hardly noticed when Judy walked back into the house.

“Hey, Irene…” Judy said, a little surprised.

“I didn’t know you were here…” she added, taking a breath.

“Oh, um… hello, Judy,” Irene replied, finally turning to face her.

“Irene said with a tight-lipped smile, “I was just looking for Ethan. Have you seen him?”

Judy glanced over her shoulder out the door and then turned back to Irene with her own forced smile.

“I haven’t seen him,” Judy replied.

“I think he’s talking to your father,” she said, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Is everything okay?”

Irene stared at her for a moment. Judy thought she was her friend. How wrong was she? Was she really going to…

Could she really look her in the eyes and lie? She desperately wanted to understand what was happening between Judy and her fiancé. Just the thought made her heart ache, and it took all her strength to hold back tears.

Emma had given up so much for Ethan, including her dignity. She made a big deal about being with him and ended up looking foolish in front of her father. Now, it felt like everything she built was falling apart around her, leaving her feeling lost and unsure.

Irene felt helpless and more alone than ever. “Yeah,” she said, forcing a smile, even though she was lying. “I’m fine… um… Ethan’s family is having their annual barbecue tomorrow night. I’m a little nervous.”

She tried to keep her voice steady, but inside, she was struggling. The thought of the barbecue made her anxious.

“I never met them before,” Judy said, looking a bit uneasy.

“They are an interesting bunch,” she continued. “They never liked me.” Judy glanced at Irene, hoping to catch her attention. “But my family goes to…

Every year, they hosted their barbeque.

One day, a bright idea popped into Irene’s head. She thought that if she could impress Ethan’s family and make them like her more than they liked Judy, Ethan would see that she was the right choice for him.

Judy could finally have some time to herself! But she needed to be there so Ethan could see the comparison.

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Irene said, pouting. “Why don’t they like you?”

Judy looked surprised by the question.

the question.

“Oh, I’m not sure,” she said with a shrug. “They are pretty stuck up. If you don’t fit their image, then they won’t like you. It’s no big deal.”

“You’ll be at…

“The barbecue is tomorrow, right?” she asked. “You said your family goes every year.”

“Yeah, but I think we might skip it this year because of my dad’s situation,” she replied, fiddling with her fingers.

Trene was feeling nervous. She grabbed Judy’s hand tightly.

“I don’t want to go there alone, Judy. Please tell me you’ll be there…” she pleaded.

Judy blushed and stepped back a little.

“You won’t be alone… you’ll be with Ethan,” she reassured Trene.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” she said.

“I need someone who will be on my side if things go wrong,” she told me. “I could really use your support. We are friends… aren’t we?”

Judy fell silent for a moment.

After a moment, she sighed and nodded.

“Yes,” she said softly. “We are friends.”

“So, you’ll be there?” Irene asked, her eyes wide with hope. “For me?”

Judy forced a smile and said, “I’ll be there.”