Abandoned by All I Took It All Back novel Chapter 75

Ethan said all this simply to ease any worries Janina might have.

What parent wouldn't want to be close to their children? But he knew their family's circumstances were a difficult burden for any child to bear.

"Dad, don't worry. This is my home now," Janina said, deciding to test the waters with the truth. "Actually… I'm already divorced. I left with nothing, and I don't have a job. Right now, I don't have anywhere else to go…"

After she spoke, she waited for their reaction - a mix of distance and unease settling in her toward this family. Maybe it was because she no longer held any illusions about family affection.

She laid her difficulties bare to let them know she was no longer a wealthy heiress or a rich man's wife. She was just as poor as they were.

If the Holts truly wanted her back, she would treat them as family.

But if their intentions were impure from the start, hoping to gain something from her, she would walk away and pretend she had been an orphan all along.

Janina's words left all three of them stunned for a moment.

They clearly hadn't expected her life to be so difficult. Grace burst into tears.

She wheeled herself over to them, took her daughter's other hand, and sobbed.

"Nina… don't be afraid. You have Mom and Dad now, and your brothers. We will all love you and protect you. We won't let you suffer any more hardship."

Grace cried until she was out of breath.

She assumed her daughter must have been terribly wronged by her in-laws to get a divorce. Seeing how the Gables had treated her earlier, she guessed that Janina's life with them hadn't been good either.

The more she thought about it, the more her heart broke. She ended up hugging Janina and crying uncontrollably, blaming herself over and over.

Easton said nothing, his lips pressed into a thin line. He raised a hand to wipe his eyes and then walked out of the room.

But Easton was stubborn. Thinking she was refusing because it was too little, he pushed the money back into her hands.

"Nina, just take it. I don't need money here at home."

With that, he strode out of the room. "I'm going to feed the pigs—"

In a flash, Easton was gone.

Janina stared at the money in her hands, unsure what to do.

"Nina, it's a gift from your brother. You should accept it," Grace advised from the side. She was overjoyed. Her eldest son clearly doted on this sister, and she was confident the other children would feel the same way.

Janina had no choice but to hold on to the money for him for the time being. She had over ten million in her own bank account; aside from the five million from the divorce settlement and the 1.2 million from selling her jewelry and bags, the rest was money she had quietly earned on the side over the past two years.