Chapter 58

**Chapter 0058**
**Judy’s POV**

“That jerk!” Nan gasped as we stood in line at the campus coffee shop, waiting to place our orders. “I can’t believe he had the nerve to do that!”

It was the morning after Ethan visited me. I had just finished telling Nan about what happened last night. I was still in shock that Ethan had the nerve to come over.

“Did you really want to involve your mother?” I asked, trying to understand his intentions.

Nan listened closely, her expression curious. I couldn’t shake off the feeling of disbelief. Ethan’s boldness surprised me, and I wondered what he was thinking when he decided to show up.

I was asked to go to my house and take care of my mother. In return, I was supposed to agree to be his mistress. This made me feel disgusted, and I also felt a bit guilty. I felt bad for Irene; she didn’t deserve to be treated like that.

“Even if she didn’t know about it,” I thought.

“I told him to leave,” I finished my story with a shrug.

“What can I get for you ladies this morning?” asked Nicole, the barista. She was friendly and always ready to help.

I met a girl in a couple of my classes, and she was a pretty good fighter. I sparred with her a few times, and we had some fun matches. She worked at the coffee shop every other morning, and she always made my drinks just right.

“Just a…”

“Vanilla cappuccino,” I said to the barista.

“Make that two,” Nan chimed in, taking out her wallet.

I shook my head and reached for my own wallet.

“I’ll pay,” I insisted. “You got me a coffee last time.”

“Remember last time?” she reminded her.

I handed my card to Nicole. After the transaction went through, she gave it back to me.

“Coming right up,” she said, turning to make the drinks.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“Do you think we should do something about the whole Ethan situation?” Nan asked as we stepped aside to wait for our cappuccinos.

I frowned at her.

“What can I do?” I replied. “He doesn’t seem to understand the word ‘no.’”

“I just need to keep working so I can pay off my father’s debt,” I said.

“Are you going to tell Irene what her fiancé is up to?” Nan asked, raising her eyebrows.

I paused and considered her question.

I shook my head for a moment. This wasn’t my problem, and Gavin had made it clear. He told me not to do or say anything that could ruin his daughter’s upcoming marriage. If I was the reason she got hurt, he would never forgive me.

“Please forgive me, or I might lose my job,” I said.

“It’s really not my place, and I don’t want to get involved,” I added.

“Your cappuccinos are ready,” Nicole said as she slid two cups across the counter.

“Go grab the cups in our direction,” I said.

“Thanks,” I replied as I picked up both cups and handed one to Nan. “I’ll see you in class later.”

Nicole waved goodbye as we left the coffee shop.

Nan started to walk across the campus. She chose not to ask any more questions about what had happened last night or whether she should tell Irene. As far as Nan knew, I didn’t know Irene any better than anyone else. The Landry’s…

Irene had always kept her feelings tightly locked away. Although she was often in the spotlight, few people really knew her. She didn’t have many friends and stayed away from the social circles that others enjoyed. To those outside her family, Irene was a mystery, which only added to her allure.

Chapter 0056.

This secrecy made her more intriguing to those who watched from a distance.

If Nan knew that I actually knew Irene and was getting to know her even better, she would start to question how I knew the famous Irene Landry. Then, I would have to tell her the whole truth. It would feel like a breach of my privacy.

I was worried about my job. If I didn’t keep it, I could lose everything. I needed to hold on to this job as if my life depended on it—because it really did. My father and I relied on this job for our survival.

“I still have 30 minutes before…”

“Do you want to go to the lounge for a bit before my class starts?” I asked as we walked closer to the buildings.

“Sure,” Nan replied.

We entered the busy lounge, a popular spot where many students gathered before their morning classes. As soon as we stepped inside, the lively chatter and laughter filled the air.

As I walked in, I noticed something felt off. Students were whispering to each other, like they were gossiping about something important.

When we entered, their eyes turned towards me. I frowned as their whispers got louder, and I could feel the tension in the air.

I could tell they were all talking about me.

But what had I done?

“She was the one who got Carol expelled from the school,” I overheard one of them say.

“I can’t believe she walked in here with…”

Her head was held high, proud and defiant.

“She has some nerve after the stunt she pulled!” someone exclaimed.

I felt my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. I looked over at Nan, who was watching everyone closely, her frown deepening as she took it all in.

“What’s going on?” I wondered aloud, trying to understand the tension in the air.

“What’s going on?” I asked her.

“Carol was expelled from school,” she replied. “And it’s clear that everyone is blaming you for it, even though it wasn’t your fault!” She said this loudly enough for everyone to hear.

We walked through the crowded hallway, feeling the weight of the situation hanging in the air.

We walked into the lounge and headed to our usual table by the window. Carol’s friends stood nearby, arms crossed over their chests, looking upset.

“How dare you show your face here after what you did!” one of them said, sneering.

“Carol worked hard on this,” another added, clearly angry.

“I worked hard for that scholarship, and you stole it from her!”

I turned around to face them, my eyes narrowing.

“She cheated,” I said through clenched teeth. “She didn’t work hard at all. Someone else did the work.”

“You’re just pretending to be poor,” she said, her voice sharp. “You’ve been fooling everyone into thinking you have nothing.”