Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 43

< Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Ethan’s finger barely grazed the screen when a knock hit the door.

Robert and Patricia stood side-by-side in the doorway, their faces still set in angry lines.

They froze, seeing Ethan in the room. Their anger melted instantly, replaced by fawning smiles.

“Clara, you okay?”

Robert’s gaze swept over Clara’s pale face, then darted to Ethan.”Ethan, what happened? Why did our Clara faint like that?”

Ethan’s fingers unconsciously fiddled with his phone. The footage just came through.”

I want to know what happened too. Let’s step outside and watch it.”

Robert hesitated for a beat, then nodded, catching Patricia’s almost imperceptible nod before following Ethan to the smoking area.

Ethan lit a cigarette, pulled up the security footage, and held the phone out to Robert.

The footage showed Olivia had arrived at Nova AI just after 10 AM.

Meni

But instead of using the iris scanner to open the door, she completely ignored Clara’s cries for help coming from the R&D lab. She just turned around and hit the emergency power-off button.

Ethan stared at Olivia’s retreating back on the screen. Lucas’s words from earlier flashed in his mind. His pupils constricted.

Did Olivia really want Clara dead?

And he almost…

Ethan leaned against the wall, took a hard drag from his cigarette, and dialed David’s number.

“Get Olivia to the hospital. Now.”

His voice was low, laced with barely suppressed fury.

Robert’s lips curved. He already had his answer about Ethan’s choice. “Mr. Carter, this… this woman totally screwed Clara over. You this right for her.”

gotta

make

Ethan didn’t respond. He just looked up at Robert. So, you shorted Anderson Industries for the Chicago East Side Development Site. How exactly do you plan to wrap that up?”

Robert froze, rubbing his hands together. “Well, that was… I was just trying to help Ms. Bennett get that property back then…”

He caught the cold glint in Ethan’s eyes.”But Clara’s my niece, my flesh and blood,” he quickly added.”I’ll make sure she’s compensated.”

Inside the hospital room, Patricia waited until the two men were out of earshot. She softly closed the door, then went to sit by the bed, her voice a hushed whisper.

‘Clara, how could you just get rid of a perfectly healthy baby like that?”

“If Emma hadn’t found out and arranged for a doctor to say the baby was lost in the accident, do you seriously think Ethan would have let you off if he knew the truth?”

“Even if you don’t give a damn about your own body, you should at least think about your uncle’s position.”

Clara looked up at Patricia. So that’s what happened.

She pulled at the corner of her mouth.”You two really went above and beyond, huh?”

They were just like leeches, sucking her dry. She couldn’t shake them off as long as she and Ethan were still married.

“Your unde and I were practically scared to death! And you can still crack a smile?”

Patricia pushed her arm.”Are you seriously going to divorce Ethan over Olivia?”

“You’re out of your mind! What’ll you have once you’re out of the Carters?”

Clara watched the liquid drip down the IV tube. Her voice was flat.”Yeah. I’ve wanted to divorce him since the day I found out about Ethan and

Olivia.”

Patricia’s face went white with shock.”You’re insane! Why would you give up being Mrs. Carter? What the hell is wrong with you?”

‘Clara, listen to your aunt for once. Guys are all like that. Just suck it up, and it’ll pass.”

Clara didn’t say anything else.

She didn’t care who Ethan’s heart belonged to anymore. She just wanted to get her mom’s necklace back, then she’d run. Run far away and never see any of them again!

A soft click. The door pushed open.

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< Chapter 43

Patricia had just composed her face when Robert pulled a check from his briefcase. He handed it to Clara, a pained expression on his face. “Clara, this is a little something from your uncle. Take it. It should cover Anderson Industries’ losses.”

Clara shot Robert a glance. She didn’t say anything, just used some force, yanking the check from his hand.

Patricia’s face instantly flushed red. She shot Robert a frantic, warning look.

Is Robert crazy?

Giving Clara that much money, given their history, wasn’t that just throwing money down the drain?! Robert glared back, then gave her a pointed look, subtly gesturing towards Ethan’s expression.

Ethan watched their little actions. He knew their ‘care’ and ‘love’ for Clara was all fake.

Seeing Clara watch them, completely unfazed, his heart clenched. His breath hitched for a second.

For years, he’d seen Clara as superficial, marrying him only for the Carter family’s help to the Andersons. He never once considered the Andersons were using her, too. Plotting against her.

Once Robert and his wife left, the hospital room went silent.

Ethan walked to the bedside, his voice rough.”I saw the security footage. Olivia did it.”

“I’ve already sent someone to get her. Don’t worry, I won’t take her side anymore.”

She looked up, her eyes wide with surprise.

Wasn’t Olivia Ethan’s first love?

He loved her so much he even did the whole surrogacy thing for her, didn’t he?

So now he’s all defensive of her? Who’s that for?

Before Clara could even wrap her head around it, Olivia showed up.

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Olivia came in, carrying a fruit basket. Her face was etched with a perfectly practiced look of concern, eyes all red, like she’d just been crying. “Ms. Bennett, I am so, so sorry. Something urgent came up that day, and I couldn’t get back to Nova AI in time. That’s why you had to go through all this pain.”

Then Olivia looked up at Ethan.”Eth,” she pleaded, “seeing Ms. Bennett like this, all because of me, my heart just aches. Please, help me talk to her. Tell her not to be too sad, and to really focus on getting her strength back.”

“Oh, really?”

Ethan tossed his phone right in front of her.

“Check this out first.”

Olivia fumbled to catch the phone, then looked at Ethan, totally confused.

He just nodded, his voice firm.”Tap it open.”

Olivia looked down. Her face instantly went white.

Remembering the words she’d just spoken to Clara, the footage on the screen was a literal slap, smaXXing her hard across the face.

“No, Eth, I can explain…”

“Explain what?”

Ethan’s voice was ice cold.”Explain why you cut the power? Explain why you left Clara to suffer?”

“Or explain why you manipulated Lucas into hurting Clara?!”

“I… I…”

Olivia stumbled back a step, hitting the wall, as Ethan’s words hammered her.

He knows everything… It’s over, everything’s ruined!

‘I just wanted you to notice me.”

Olivia tried to reach out, to link her arm with his, like she always used to.

‘Lately, your eyes have only been on her. You’ve gotten so cold to me. I just wanted you to see me.”

Ethan frowned, taking a step back.”Olivia, you’re crossing the line. I never wanted to be with you.”

“Then why were you so good to me?”

Ethan’s calm words made Olivia want to burst into tears.

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“All this this time, you always stood up for me, you always had my back. I don’t believe you don’t feel anything for me.”

Ethan’s gaze flickered past Clara, then he nervously looked away.”Olivia, we were clear from the start. This was always just a business arrangement.”

“I let you use my name to establish yourself in Chicago. You helped the Carter Group transition. We both got what we needed. That’s it.”

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He paused, his tone hardening with anger. “But that doesn’t mean you get to hurt Clara. No matter what, she’s still my wife. I warned you about this.”

Olivia’s face went completely ashen.

She grabbed Ethan’s sleeve, her voice a desperate plea.”Eth, I messed up. Please, just forgive me this one time? I swear I’ll never do it again…”

Ethan yanked his arm away.”When you went after her and the baby, why didn’t you think about forgiveness?”

He looked towards the door.”David, arrange for someone to take her back to Boston. And tell Mr. Bennett everything she’s done.”

“No! Eth, don’t tell my dad, please! I’m begging you!”

If Richard found out she hurt Clara, she and Diane would definitely be kicked out of the Bennett family!

“Yes, boss.”

David walked in, grabbing the limp Olivia and practically dragging her out.

As Olivia’s wails faded into the distance, Ethan let out a shaky breath. He turned to Clara, his voice trembling in a way he didn’t even notice. “I’m sorry, Clara. I never thought things would go this far.”

Clara was still reeling from Ethan and Olivia’s conversation.

If Ethan and Olivia were just business partners, then whose baby… was that?