Betrayed and Dumped She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 423

The fork nearly slipped from Rebecca’s hand.

“Rebecca, are you alright? Don’t like the food?” Liana noticed the look on her face and immediately worried she’d messed up dinner.

Rebecca’s cheeks went red. “No, it’s not that.” She dropped her eyes, poking at the rice in her bowl.

Stephen was sitting next to her, grinning like he was in on some private joke.

Dr. Palmer glanced at both of them, then put on his strictest face. “There’s no rush. You still need to focus on your studies. Don’t even think about dating right now.”

He still hadn’t gotten over the fact that Rebecca had once turned down a university offer for a guy five years ago. The memory clearly still stung.

He was genuinely worried she’d make the same mistake again.

Rebecca looked guilty for a split second. She couldn’t meet his eyes and just mumbled a quiet agreement.

Liana rolled her eyes at her husband and turned to Rebecca with a gentle smile. “Don’t mind him. You’re not that young anymore. If you meet someone wonderful, you should date them. I trust you can juggle school, work, and love just fine.”

Dr. Palmer let out a heavy sigh. “Look at her. She’s got classes, a job, and she’s helping take care of her mother. Where’s the time or energy for a relationship? She should listen to me. Cut out the things that don’t matter for now. Worry about dating after graduation.”

Liana was having none of it. She set her chopsticks down with a sharp clatter. “You know, you’re getting more unpleasant the older you get. What do you mean, ‘things that don’t matter’? Are you saying love isn’t important? Or do you mean you’re tired of me, that you don’t love me anymore, and you want a divorce?”

Dr. Palmer looked genuinely scared. He patted Liana’s back, trying to calm her down. “That’s not what I meant at all. I could never get tired of you. I just love you more and more, really. Please, don’t be mad.”

On the other side of the table, Rebecca stared in disbelief. She never expected Dr. Palmer to act so differently at home.

Cindy shrugged. “I don’t know then. You know he’s the one always telling me what to do, not the other way around.”

George’s frustration was written all over his face. His cane tapped against the floor, sharp and loud.

He turned to his daughter-in-law, Chelsey. “Chelsey, what’s going on here? Didn’t we agree on a family dinner today? Why has Stephen just vanished?”

Chelsey smiled politely, her tone steady and calm. “Maybe a client called him out last minute. It’s not a big deal if he misses dinner. It’s just a meal. We can start without him.”

George’s eyes narrowed. His voice was icy. “This isn’t just any dinner. It’s the first proper family meal since Brett came back.”

Cindy jumped in right away. “Grandpa, you’re forgetting stuff. This isn’t the first. We already had dinner the night Brett got home, remember?”