Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 45

< Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Meri

“What are you watching?”

Ethan walked to the bedside.”The doctor said you still need plenty of rest.”

He said, and gently took the tablet from Clara’s hands. His eyes widened, recognizing the scene on the screen.

“Just checking out the international AI market.”

Clara snatched the tablet back from Ethan. She scrolled the progress bar back to where she’d been watching. On screen, the woman wore a sharp white suit. Her eyes lit up when she talked about AI. Her voice was steady, every word precise. She even knew the ins and outs of its military applications.

“Natalie is seriously good,” Clara said.”No wonder she’s an Cambridge grad. She doesn’t just get where Al’s headed globally; she’s also completely clued in on AI militarization and how it’ll control future warfare.”

Clara’s gaze darkened. If only she hadn’t gotten married back then. If only she’d accepted that Cambridge invitation instead.

Ethan followed her gaze to the screen. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Clara’s fingertip traced the edge of the screen.”Someone with her talent is wasted at Apex.”

“Too bad she’s American-British. She can’t join Blade research because of it.”

“Still, I heard she never officially graduated from the Cambridge.”

Ethan’s face darkened.”I’ve dealt with her. She came from nothing. Everything she has, she built herself.”

“Unlike you, who had it easy since day one.”

Clara froze, a sharp, stinging pain exploding in her chest.

Had it easy?

At six, her parents split. At nine, her mom died, an accident. She moved in with her uncle, basically a charity case, always giving in to Emma.

Now, her uncle had even shorted a company just to suck up to Ethan, and they were practically enemies.

If that was ‘everything,’ she sure as hell didn’t want it.

Clara lowered her gaze, long lashes casting shadows that hid the bitter turmoil in her eyes.

She didn’t argue. Didn’t even want to.

In Ethan’s eyes, she’d probably always be that pampered girl, spoiled by her family, even ruthless when it came to their interests.

Ethan saw Clara’s silence. Thinking of everything lately, he realized his words had been too harsh.

He wanted to comfort her but didn’t know how.”I didn’t mean anything by it,” he finally said.

He remembered Diane’s call. If the Bennett family truly wanted to back Olivia, then the Carters would definitely be up against the Boston Bennetts.

“I heard your uncle say your father is Richard from Boston, and you two…”

‘My father died when I was six.”

Clara snapped, cutting him off.

She remembered her mom taking her and leaving the house. Richard, he couldn’t wait to bring Olivia and her mother home then.

Later, when her mother died, Richard didn’t even show his face at the funeral. For years, they’d had zero contact.

She’d considered him dead for ages.

Ethan looked at her tightly pressed lips. He thought about how she’d been toughing it out alone all these years. Then he remembered the shit he’d pulled before. A weird pang of sadness hit him.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. He wanted to say something comforting, but his phone rang.

“Boss.”

It was David. “Boss, the Bennett family in Boston just pulled the plug on several of our joint projects. The shareholders are freaking out, demanding an explanation.”

“Got it. I’ll be right back at the office.”

He hung up, then looked at Clara.”Something came up at the office. I gotta go.”

He paused, then added, ‘Get some rest. Nothing’s more important than your health.”

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His footsteps faded out the door, and the hospital room fell silent again.

Clara stared at the IV drip stand. A sudden surge of irony hit her.

For seven years of marriage, he’d always been distant, indifferent. Sometimes, the way he looked at her was even laced with disgust. No matter what she did, or how she did it, she’d never gotten a single word of genuine concern from him.

But now, she’d finally gotten her head straight. She was done revolving around him and the Carters, ready to divorce him. And just like that, his attitude flipped.

Was it guilt over the baby she lost?

Or maybe he just wasn’t used to her cold shoulder lately?

Clara closed her eyes, shoving those useless feelings down. She didn’t care about his attitude anymore. Hadn’t cared since the second she’d decided to divorce him.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of it. Clara answered.

“Ms. Bennett, all the court documents are squared away. I just need to firm up your availability so we can set a date for the hearing.”

Clara slapped her forehead. So much had been going on, she’d totally forgotten.

Once the hearing was scheduled, the court would notify Ethan immediately.

But her mother’s necklace was still with Mason. He’d promised to get it back.

If the hearing started… he probably wouldn’t bother.

“Hold off on it.”

Clara said, “I’ll let you know when.”

She hung up the phone, threw off the covers, and got out of bed. She was heading to Nova AI.

Clara pulled her car out of the hospital parking lot. The afternoon sun was blinding, so she teached up and adjusted the visor.

Just as she rounded a corner, a black sedan appeared in her rearview mirror.

At first, she didn’t pay it any mind. But after three consecutive turns, the car was still there, keeping its distance.

Who sent them?

Ethan?

Or someone else?

Clara frowned, a flicker of irritation sparking inside her. She pressed the gas, trying to shake the car.

But the car was like a shadow, glued to her bumper. She sped up, they sped up. She changed lanes, they immediately followed.

A sense of dread coiled around her heart like a vine. Her hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.

When she stopped at a red light, Clara took a deep breath. She was just about to turn her head to check the car’s license plate when a massive crash exploded behind her!

The violent impact sent the car lurching forward. Airbags burst open instantly, filling the air with a pungent chemical smell.

Clara’s forehead slammed into the airbag. A dull ache shot through her.

In the chaos, her mom Linda’s face suddenly flashed before her eyes.

She was nine that year. It was a sunny day, just like this one, when Linda drove her to meet Richard.

Clara remembered it vividly. Linda’s smile back then? It was pure anticipation, like she’d just gotten the best news of her life. Something huge was about to drop.

But then, a truck suddenly came barreling out. Mom screamed, yanking the wheel. In the last moment, she clutched Clara to her chest with all her strength.

When Clara came to, she was lying by the side of the road. Linda was slumped over in the car, covered in blood.

“Mom-!”

Clara gasped, a sharp, ragged breath. Her heart clenched, an invisible hand squeezing it tight. Suffocation slammed into her, stealing her air. She gasped for air, but it felt like a boulder crushed her chest. A choked sound ripped from her throat. Her vision flickered, going dark at the edges.

All the buried fear and despair consumed her in an

instant.

She slumped in the seat, trembling. Through her blurry vision, the car door suddenly yanked open.

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< Chapter 45

“Are you okay?”

A dear female voice rang out.

Clara struggled to turn her head, her vision still a blur. She barely made out a woman in a cream-colored trench coat bending over her.

“The driver of the other car is hurt too. Someone already called 911. Hang in there, the ambulance will be here any minute…

The woman’s voice faded. Clara’s vision blurred further, then everything went black.

Nearby, Emma, holding her stomach, stood at the mall entrance.

A screech of brakes ripped through the air. She instinctively looked up, instantly recognizing Clara’s car.

She took a step forward, then froze. Mason. She bit her lip, spun on her heel, and practically bolted into the mall.

No way. Mason couldn’t see this.

But just as she stepped inside, she collided right into Mason, who was coming in right behind her, arms full of shopping bags.

“What’s wrong?”

Mason reached out, steadying her arm. You look awful.”

Emma glanced back at the intersection, her voice a shaky whisper. There was a car crash. A rear-end.’

Mason looked up, his eyes immediately going to the glass doors.

A crowd had gathered at the intersection. It was hard to see what was happening clearly, but he could vaguely make out a man, covered in blood, being pulled from the crumpled black car.

Emma saw Mason’s eyes were still glued to the scene. She latched onto his arm. Mason, I’m scared.*

‘Don’t be scared, I’m here.”

Mason saw how genuinely freaked out she looked. He turned back to her, raising a hand to shield her

‘Mhm.”

eyes.

Emma raised a hand to her belly. The small bump wasn’t obvious under her loose dress. “Let’s take another exit. Our baby’s scared too.”

“Alright, whatever you need.”

Mason held Emma close, leading her to a different exit.

Without thinking, he glanced back. In the crowd, a limp woman was being carried out of the driver’s seat of a white car.