Abandoned by All I Took It All Back novel Chapter 168

West beamed and nodded. Ten minutes later, the four of them left the house.

Grace's legs were well enough for her to walk short distances, but she wasn't fully recovered yet, so she was still in a wheelchair, with West pushing her.

"Mom, Dad, Nina, I'm taking you to the mall to buy clothes. The New Year is coming, and we all need new outfits," West said as he pushed the wheelchair toward the door.

It was the main reason he had come home today. The hotel was incredibly busy, and he likely wouldn't have another chance to visit before the holiday. Hotels were always swamped during festive seasons. His boss had slipped him some extra cash yesterday, a pretty clear sign he'd be working through the holidays again.

Ethan, walking behind them, chuckled. "You just worry about getting something for Nina. We don't need anything. Our closets are full of clothes we haven't even worn. It would be a waste."

Grace immediately agreed. "Your father's right. Young people need to look presentable when they're out. Just buy something for Nina. We haven't even worn the new clothes we got last year."

The family didn't know about Janina's design work. In their minds, she was struggling financially, unemployed and pregnant. Ethan and Grace were trying to save every penny. The brothers had already agreed to pool money each month to put into a savings account for Janina. Of course, Janina was completely unaware of this.

She was just about to tell them about her job when a soft female voice called out from across the way. "Grace, Ethan, West! Is that really you?"

Grace, aware of Abigail's nature, never bothered to confront her. In her view, there was no need to care about what others thought. The two families had once been close, so Abigail's daughter, Marjorie Sullivan, had grown up with the Holt children, especially the third son, West. Marjorie was three years younger than West and used to follow him everywhere. They were childhood sweethearts and had been in a serious relationship since high school, until Ethan and Grace's accident, after which they broke up.

Abigail's gaze shifted from Grace's legs to Ethan's face. Seeing him wearing sunglasses, she said sarcastically, "Well, Ethan, you're looking quite fashionable."

Ethan's eyes had only recently healed, and Fairchild had advised him to avoid strong light for the first month. He was only wearing the sunglasses because it was sunny. Unaware that his sight had returned, she was feeling quite smug.

Before Ethan could reply, Abigail's eyes landed on Grace's legs again. She sighed with feigned pity. "Oh, Grace, you too. With your legs like that, you should just stay home. Why come out and be such a bother? West works at a hotel, doesn't he? He has to support this whole family. You shouldn't be such a burden on your son. I don't mean to be harsh, but you should really think more about your children."