He Does Not Deserve My Devotion-Chapter 31: I Don’t Want the Baby Anymore

Afraid of running into Clara Jacobs at the hospital again, Declan Grant took matters into his own hands shortly after Nina Walsh woke up and brought her back to Michelle Quinn’s small apartment.

The entire time, Nina kept demanding that he help her get rid of the baby.

The child she had once considered her pillar of strength had now become the greatest burden on her heart.

Declan cajoled and fibbed, telling her she wasn’t in good enough physical condition for the procedure. He promised to arrange it for her as soon as she recovered.

Only then did Nina give up the fight, obediently leaving the hospital and returning to the small apartment.

In the days after she was discharged, she ate and slept obediently, but she moved like a zombie, her eyes completely devoid of life.

Several times, Michelle Quinn waited until Nina was asleep to secretly call Declan Grant. The Nina of today was like a wilted flower, with no vitality at all.

Nina had given up. She’d given up on wanting to live, and she’d given up on wanting to die.

She thought of her mother, Rose Walsh. Rose had worked so hard, fought so desperately, yet in the end, Brian Sherman had ruined her, leaving her destitute. She had died of illness in that tiny, dark rented room.

She wasn’t greedy. All she wanted was to build up the Walsh family’s small company through her own hard work, just so she could have something to show for herself to her mother.

It was such a small wish, yet she had still ended up in this humiliating situation, toyed with and shamed by others.

’I’m already in such a wretched state. I don’t want to bring another life into this world to endure its malice. It’s just too tiring.’

Nina passed a few days at home in a daze. Then, one day, Michelle Quinn invited her to go out.

"Lemon, I have to deliver a wedding dress to a shop. Why don’t you come with me?"

After resigning from Lawson Group, Michelle had started her own studio, taking on private custom design jobs.

Nina replied listlessly from the bed, "I don’t want to move."

"Alright, then. You rest at home. I’ll bring you back some chocolate cake."

Michelle drove to the largest bridal shop in Crestfall.

Carrying the wedding dress she had designed, Michelle pushed open the door to the bridal shop and handed it over.

"It’s gorgeous, Miss Quinn! You’re so talented. Please wait a moment, Miss Quinn. I’ll go get our boss."

"Okay, no rush."

The clerk took her dress to find the owner, and Michelle, bored, started to look around.

The shop was filled with all kinds of beautiful wedding dresses, but a mermaid-style gown that seemed to glow with a soft light caught Michelle’s eye.

She walked over, liking it more and more the closer she looked.

The structure and design of the gown were exceptional; you could tell at a glance that it was the work of a master designer. What was even more stunning was the fabric. She couldn’t tell what it was made of, but a soft light seemed to emanate from its very texture, shimmering as if bathed in starlight.

Michelle couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it.

"Miss Quinn," the clerk said, returning to her side. "I just showed the dress you designed to a client, and she loves it. She wants to wear it for a photoshoot. Could you please come over?"

Michelle pulled her hand back and said happily, "Oh, of course."

Michelle followed the clerk to the VIP lounge. When she pushed open the door, she immediately saw the man and woman sitting on the sofa.

The man was exceptionally handsome, dressed impeccably in a bespoke suit. Sitting right beside him, her face beaming with joy, was Clara Jacobs.

"Clara, the dress you just fell in love with was designed by this very Miss Quinn. If there’s anything you’d like to change, you can tell her in person."

The owner of this bridal shop was none other than Clara Jacobs’s good friend, Shirley Thompson.

Michelle stared at Clara Jacobs and Aiden Sinclair, rage boiling up inside her.

’Wasn’t Clara Jacobs poisoned? How did she recover so quickly?’

’Nina’s been tormented to the point of breaking, but this scum of a couple is here enjoying themselves. God must be blind!’

"Boss Thompson, this dress is no longer for sale."

Without another word, Michelle snatched the wedding dress and stormed out of the VIP lounge.

Shirley Thompson chased after her, blocking her path with an angry expression. "Michelle Quinn, what was that attitude? Are you trying to ruin my business on purpose? When you were at your wit’s end, hitting walls everywhere, I was the one who recognized your talent and chose to work with you. Is this how you repay me?"

Michelle knew she had been rash. "Ms. Thompson, I’m sorry," she said apologetically. "I was being impulsive just now. You can have my dress back, but you can’t sell it to that woman!"

"’That woman,’ ’this woman’... what are you talking about? The customer is always right! With an attitude like yours, I can’t work with you anymore. That’s it. We’ll settle our accounts today."

Shirley Thompson couldn’t accept a partner with no sense of customer service, so she had her finance department settle Michelle’s payment.

Shirley Thompson was Michelle’s biggest client. Acting on impulse, she had lost The Moneybags. Michelle paid a heavy price for her rashness.

When she came out of the finance office and ran into Aiden Sinclair again, Michelle felt a pang of regret.

’I shouldn’t have just said those angry words. I should have rushed up and slapped that scumbag couple!’

"Is she okay?"

Michelle thought she had misheard. She stopped and looked at Aiden Sinclair, her eyes scanning him up and down. His frosty face showed no emotion other than cold indifference.

’I must be hearing things.’

Michelle started walking again, but Aiden spoke from behind her, "Is Nina Walsh okay?"

He had rushed to the hospital that day, but Nina had already been discharged.

Michelle turned to face him. "Your fiancée is inside trying on wedding dresses, and yet you’re out here asking me about another woman, Mr. Sinclair. Is that appropriate?"

"You’re asking about Nina? She’s doing great. She’s getting married, too. Her fiancé is her childhood sweetheart. He’s loved her for over a decade and cherishes her to the bone."

Michelle wasn’t just making it up. Declan Grant had discussed it with her, saying he wanted to get engaged to Nina soon so he could take her abroad to have the baby without hiding.

A dark glint flashed in Aiden Sinclair’s eyes. "She can’t marry someone else."

"And why not? A scumbag like you has no business wanting a good girl like Nina."

After her scathing remark, Michelle turned and strode coolly toward the entrance.

But just as she reached the main door, the shop’s alarm suddenly blared.

A clerk ran over and blocked Michelle’s path.

...

Nina was sleeping groggily at home when her phone began to ring relentlessly.

It was a call from Michelle. She pressed the answer key. "Shelly?"

"It’s me."

’That voice?’

Nina was suddenly wide awake, her hand gripping the phone tightly. "Aiden Sinclair, how do you have Shelly’s phone?"

Aiden’s mechanical voice came through the line. "She damaged a valuable item of mine. I told her to compensate me and apologize, but she’s not cooperating. I’m preparing to call the police and have her taken to the station."

"Don’t!" Nina leaped out of bed and quickly threw on some clothes.

"Aiden Sinclair, don’t you touch her! If you dare lay a hand on her, I swear I’ll never be done with you!"

...

The taxi hadn’t even come to a complete stop before Nina jumped out and rushed into the bridal shop.

Inside, Michelle was arguing with someone. She was stunned to see Nina appear. "Lemon, what are you doing here?"

"Shelly, are you okay?"

Seeing that Michelle was unharmed, Nina felt her heart settle.

"I’m fine. They’re falsely accusing me of damaging their wedding dress. I was just confronting them about it."

Nina followed Michelle’s finger and saw Clara Jacobs. Her hair and makeup were exquisite, and she was wearing a strapless, mermaid-style wedding gown. The white skirt seemed to be dusted with starlight, shimmering so beautifully it looked otherworldly.

Her arm was linked with Aiden Sinclair’s. A handsome man and a beautiful woman—anyone would say they were a perfect match.

What a pity. The hem of such a gorgeous dress had a large tear in it, the fabric pooling on the floor, ruining its beauty.

This must be the "valuable item" Aiden had mentioned.

Shirley Thompson pointed an angry finger. "Stop making excuses! I’ve reviewed the entire day’s security footage. No one else went near that dress but you. You’re the one who ruined Ms. Jacobs’s gown. Michelle Quinn, do you have any idea how expensive this dress is? It’s five million! You couldn’t afford to pay for it in a lifetime. Apologize to Ms. Jacobs right now!"

"I admit I went up and touched it, but it was for less than two seconds! How could I have ruined the dress just by touching it?"

The argument continued. Nina licked her dry lips, took a breath, and said, "I have proof that she didn’t do it."