Chapter 0094
Judy’s POV
The woman, Shelly, hissed in disgust when she saw Gavin. “Ugh, you brought your slimy friend with you? This isn’t a thrift store.” Her voice was venomous. “I’m calling secur—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the manager, Rodrigo, grabbed her arm and yanked her away from us, almost causing her to fall. Her startled eyes darted around, landing on her boss.
“S… sir?” She stammered, her voice shaking as she tried to recover her composure.
“Are you out of your mind?” Rodrigo growled, his voice low but furious. “Do you have any idea who that is?”
Irene stepped beside me, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her narrowed eyes were fixed on Shelly and Rodrigo. The intensity of her gaze felt almost suffocating. I wanted to step away from her and retreat into the background, unable to handle the heat of her aura, but I couldn’t move. I stayed where I was, even though the tension felt too heavy to bear.
Rodrigo cleared his throat before forcing a smile at Irene. “This is Irene Landry,” he said under his breath, though it was loud enough for Shelly to hear.
Shelly’s eyes grew large in shock when she heard Irene’s name. Her face drained of color, and she quickly turned to Irene, bowing her head deeply.
“Miss Landry, I’m so sorry. I didn’t recognize you. It’s such an honor to meet you,” she said, her voice trembling slightly, betraying her nervousness.
Irene didn’t seem to care for the apology. She didn’t even look at Shelly as she dismissed her with a wave of her hand.
Ignoring Shelly completely, Irene turned her cold gaze back to the manager. “Is this how you train your staff, Rodrigo?” she asked, her tone chilling. “Do you really think this will blow over well with my father?”
Rodrigo’s face went pale at her words, and I could see the sweat beading on his forehead. He looked utterly defeated.
“Of course not,” he said with a nervous chuckle, though his voice trembled slightly. “Shelly has been unwell lately, and she’s been lacking judgment. I assure you, Miss Landry, this won’t happen again.”
Shelly, still trying to salvage some pride, muttered, “It wasn’t really you I was aiming to disrespect…” Her eyes flicked to me, and I could see her judgment in the way she looked at me. “It was this woman. She doesn’t belong here—”
“This woman happens to be a dear friend of mine,” Irene cut her off, her voice sharp and unforgiving. Shelly gasped in surprise, her mouth hanging open. She staggered backward, her wide eyes filled with alarm.
“Any disrespect towards her is disrespect towards me as well,” Irene finished, her words laced with finality.
“I… I had no idea—” Shelly stammered, but Irene wasn’t having it.
“And that makes it right?” Irene almost shouted. Her anger flared, and I could feel the weight of her presence like a storm about to break. She had always been composed, but this side of her… this was new. This was the side of Irene that the world feared.
I watched her, a little taken aback. Part of me felt a strange discomfort standing by her as she stood so tall and unbending in this world of luxury. Her commanding presence shone brightly in the boutique, and it felt almost surreal for me to be caught in it.
But these people deserved it. They had been awful to me, and Irene was right to stand up for me.
“No, of course not,” Shelly whispered, her gaze dropping to the floor, her body shaking slightly.
Irene turned back to Rodrigo, her face now entirely void of emotion. “If you don’t do something about this, I’ll call my father. And trust me, you won’t like what’ll happen if I have to call him,” she said in a cold, calculating tone.
Rodrigo swallowed again, his eyes darting from Shelly to Irene. He looked like he might crumble under the weight of her words.
He turned to Shelly, his face turning stone-cold. “P… please,” Shelly nearly wailed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I can change…” She pleaded, her voice desperate.
“It’s too late, Shelly,” Irene said, her words final, like a hammer hitting an anvil. “You’ve been disrespectful enough, and this time, it was towards the wrong people. You must learn from your mistakes. I cannot keep employing you any longer.”
Shelly’s mouth fell open in shock. “What?!” she gasped, her eyes wide.
“I believe he just fired you,” Irene said innocently, her voice dripping with sweetness, but her smile was anything but. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
Shelly looked absolutely horrified. She stood frozen for a moment, realizing that arguing would only make things worse for her. She quickly turned toward me, and I could see the fury burning in her eyes. Her gaze was like a dagger aimed directly at me, and I felt a shiver crawl up my spine.
Irene turned to me, her expression softening, and for a moment, I saw the version of her I was used to. She wasn’t the forceful, unyielding heiress now. She was my friend again, standing up for me in a way I never expected.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Irene said quietly. “Are you okay?”
I nodded slowly, still processing what had just happened. I had never seen anyone wield their power like Irene had just done. And while I appreciated her standing up for me, a part of me couldn’t shake the unease I felt standing in the aftermath of it all. It was clear that Irene was a force to be reckoned with.
“I’m fine,” I said softly, though I still couldn’t shake the feeling of Shelly’s fury directed at me. “But… I didn’t expect that.”
Irene smiled faintly. “Neither did I, but sometimes you have to make people understand that there are consequences for their actions.”
