Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Meras

Clara held her cake, standing right behind Benjamin. She listened in as he and the guy opposite them hashed out the traffic dispatch system’s project progress. Sometimes, she’d jump in, dropping a quick, pro explanation.

The cake was so soft, so fluffy, it just melted on her tongue. She actually squinted, like it was that good.

This was actually the first time she’d ever felt this relaxed at the Carter’s. No chores, no having to deal with Margaret. Period.

Lucas? Clara had just sent a maid with his allergy meds. And Ethan was right there. What could possibly go wrong?

“Luke! What’s wrong? Don’t scare Grandma!”

Margaret’s shriek ripped through the room, sharp as an ice pick. Clara’s head snapped up.

There was Lucas. Just moments ago, he’d been standing by Olivia. Now his body went limp, sliding straight down. Huge red rashes covered his face. His chest heaved, gasping for air. Tiny whimpers choked from his throat.

Olivia looked absolutely terrified by Lucas, taking a quick step back.

“Call a doctor!”

James snapped to attention, his cane slamming against the floor as he stood.“Get a doctor!”

Margaret lunged for Lucas, but Ethan beat her to it. He dropped to one knee, cradling Lucas, his fingers pressing hard against the boy’s philtrum.

“An allergic reaction?”

The guests started murmuring.“An allergic reaction? Out of nowhere?”

“Don’t the Carters know he’s allergic to mango?”

Olivia’s perfectly made–up face went pale. She scrambled to defend herself. “I didn’t touch him! I didn’t know Luke was allergic to mango. It’s not my fault…”

The family doctor was there in a flash. He peered into Lucas’s wide–open mouth, saw his throat was swollen and purple. Immediately, he ripped open the boy’s collar, his fingers searching for the carotid artery. A sharp gasp escaped him.

“This allergic reaction is extreme! Get a car ready, quick! We need to get him to the hospital, stat!”

“I’ll give him an antihistamine shot first, see if it brings the symptoms down.”

He ripped open the package and swiftly jabbed the needle into Lucas’s thigh.

The second the needle was out, Ethan scooped Lucas up and bolted out.

The little guy’s head lolled against his neck, his tiny hands hanging limply. He couldn’t even whimper.

Olivia bit her lip, hesitated for a beat, then hurried after them.

“Ethan, let me explain…”

With everything going sideways like this, the birthday party was clearly a bust. Grandpa had someone get the car ready, told Margaret to see the guests out, then come with him to the hospital.

Clara stood by the doorway. She’d seen Lucas, so frail in Ethan’s arms. Her feet instinctively took two steps forward.

Then she froze.

Olivia was with them. She’d make sure Lucas was okay.

She wasn’t a doctor. Even at the hospital, she wouldn’t be any help.

Clara felt a sharp gaze. She turned. Margaret was staring, her eyes practically radiating warning.

Clara’s eyes held a mocking glint. How low did Margaret think of her? Even with her own son in a crisis like this, she couldn’t even follow him in public.

Margaret saw Clara still frozen. She had to plaster on a polite smile, her voice only just steadying. She raised a hand, a quick motion for the guests to calm down.“My apologies for the fright, everyone,” she said, her tone smooth now. “The little one got a bit curious, ate something they shouldn’t have. Just a minor allergy.”

“Our doctor already took a look. It’s fine. Nothing major. But we need to get the kid to the hospital, just to be safe.”

“Look, apologies for cutting the fun short today.” She offered a tight smile.“I’ll throw another, much better party to make it up to you all. Promise. Please, bear with us for now.”

With a curt nod, she signaled the staff to guide the guests out.

Heard Ms. Bennett actually baked the cake, someone whispered.“Isn’t she Lucas’s mom?”

< Chapter 15

“And she didn’t even know her own kid was allergic to mangoes?”

Menu

James, leaning heavily on a servant, reached the doorway just as the whispers hit him. He stopped dead.“She is not Luke’s mother,” he declared, his voice cutting through the air.“She’s just a guest the boy invited. I’d advise everyone to watch their tongues.”

That dropped, and the room buzzed with whispers.

“For real? So she’s just…?”

“Shh… didn’t you see how Mr. Carter spoils her? My money’s on her being the one soon, even if she isn’t already.”

“But seriously, she really does seem to care about the little guy. She was practically in tears earlier. No wonder he’s so attached, and even wanted her to cut the cake with him.”

“Okay, let’s head out.”

Benjamin spoke up, following the other guests out of the old mansion and to their cars.“Damn, things really went sideways tonight,” he sighed.“Everyone only got a rough idea of our dispatch system.”

Clara walked out of the old mansion. She glanced back once, then slid into the passenger seat.

“Wasn’t a total bust, though. Saw a few companies seemed pretty into our system.”

“Lewis Al’s dispatch system hit the market first. So, getting folks to hold off, not jump into buying theirs right away? Yeah, that’s a win.”

Benjamin paused. “You’re pretty chill, huh?”

“Man, though, the Carter family drama is wild. Who even is Lucas’s mom? And if she’s here, what’s she thinking, seeing all this go down?”

Clara didn’t answer. She just leaned back against the window, eyes shut.

Outside the ER.

After the guests left, James and Margaret rushed to the hospital. He saw Olivia, red–eyed, practically draped over Ethan’s shoulder. All the rage he’d held in all night finally blew.

He yanked Ethan to the end of the hall, his voice a low growl.“What kind of father are you?!”

“Your son’s in the ER, fighting for his life, and you didn’t even call Clara? Instead, you’re out there with her, practically making out in public!

Shameless!”

Ethan’s gaze was flat.“Grandpa, don’t blame Olivia. She had no idea Luke was allergic to mangoes.”

James slammed his cane down hard, the thud echoing in the quiet hall.

“She doesn’t know, but what about you?!”

Ethan stared at the ER door.“When do I ever have time for this stuff?”

He genuinely had no idea.

Clara always took care of everything before. He never had to worry about it.

She’d stock up on cold meds when the seasons changed. Always made sure his and Lucas’s clothes and meals were ready.

James’s voice was booming. Margaret frowned, feeling Ethan was being put on blast.

She glanced at Olivia, who was sitting there, quiet as a mouse. Any warmth she’d felt because Lucas seemed to like her just vanished.

She almost opened her mouth to rip into her, but caught herself. Olivia was the Bennett heiress from Boston, not someone she could push around as easily as Clara. So, she bit her tongue.

She walked over to James, trying to calm him.“Dad, you can’t blame Ethan for this. Clara usually handles all this stuff.”

“Honestly, it’s all Clara’s fault. She always made Luke’s birthday cakes. This year, Luke even begged me to let her show up, and I agreed!”

“But she just had to be difficult, turned Luke down, and didn’t even bother with a cake.”

“If she’d just made the cake, Luke wouldn’t have had to beg Ms. Bennett to do it.”

“And get this, she was even here tonight! She must’ve seen Luke and Ms. Bennett getting close, that’s why she deliberately didn’t remind us. about his mango allergy!”

“What?!”

James was so furious, his cane almost slipped from his grip.“Clara was here tonight too?!”

“And you still let that woman go up on stage and cut the cake with them?!”

“Didn’t you think about how she’d feel seeing that?!”

“Is that my fault?”

< Chapter 15

Margaret flinched from his yelling. “She was the one who turned Luke down, so Luke invited Ms. Bennett to cut the cake with him.” James was fuming, almost had a heart attack.“Clara has done so much for this family all these years, are you blind? Can’t you just treat her better? Show some goddamn empathy for once?”

“And you!”

James glared at Ethan. “You knew Clara was here, and you did that right in front of her?! Aren’t you afraid she’d get angry?!”

“She’s got a baby on the way, for crying out loud!”

Ethan’s voice was flat. She won’t get angry.”

Menu

Clara had been married to him for seven years. She always seemed the same: never fought, never made a fuss, her voice always soft. He couldn’t even remember what she looked like when she was angry.

“You just keep screwing up, then!”

James pointed a shaky finger at him.“Make that woman leave. Call Clara. Apologize to her. And I mean really apologize.”

Luke still needs her looking after him.”

“Grandpa, don’t get so worked up. I’ll call her now.”

Seeing James was truly furious now, Ethan pulled out his phone.

“The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable…”

The cold automated voice filled his ear. Ethan frowned.

Clara always answered his calls.

Clara? She used to be obsessed with Lucas. He’d sneeze, and she’d go into full panic mode. Now? So much time passed. Even James and Margaret rushed to the hospital. Clara still wasn’t there.

Is she seriously pissed?

B

< Chapter 16