Betrayed and Dumped: She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 160

His eyes were hard to read. “We are about to cut the cake. If Judy notices you’re gone, she probably won’t even want to make a wish.”

Rebecca hesitated, biting her lip. Her hand stopped struggling quite so much.

Paul noticed her softening and tried again. “I know you don’t like being around me. You can stay right here. I’ll go stand by the door.”

He let go and, true to his word, walked off toward the entrance.

A few people glanced over, probably curious about her and Paul’s conversation.

Rebecca headed for a quiet corner and started nibbling on her dessert, pretending not to notice anyone watching.

“Rebecca, you came too?” Caleb’s voice broke through the noise. He looked genuinely happy to see her as he hurried over.

“Caleb, hi.” She’d been wondering if he’d show up. Judy liked him so much—how could she not invite him?

Standing next to Caleb, all her nerves and awkwardness faded away.

When the topic shifted to her grad school exam in three days, even Rebecca—usually so self-assured—admitted she was nervous. Caleb patted her shoulder, telling her she’d do great.

Paul, standing at the door, glanced over and frowned. He could guess what Caleb was thinking, but he wasn’t worried. He knew Rebecca wasn’t into guys like Caleb.

What kind of guy was she into now? Paul honestly didn’t know. Still, for some reason, he felt like he had a better shot than Caleb.

Suddenly, the lights in the ballroom went out.

The birthday song started, and a spotlight landed on the upstairs landing.

Judy appeared, dressed up and glowing as she walked down the stairs. All heads turned her way—she was the star of the night.

In the center of the room, a waiter wheeled out a massive cake. It had to be at least two meters tall.

Everyone clapped as Judy approached the cake.

The waiter lit the candles, and a smiling Larson family elder gently patted Judy’s hair. “Go on, make a wish.”

Judy nodded eagerly. Her big, round eyes swept across the room. She finally spotted Caleb and Rebecca near the edge of the crowd.

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