Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 74

Chapter 74

“No way!”

Mason snatched the phone from Clara’s hand, disbelief etched across his face.

The screen lit up revealing the contents of the encrypted folder in stark detail.

The amount and date on the transfer receipts matched precisely the time Emma Anderson had told him Anderson Industries invested in Walker Venture Partners, down to the very moment Emma had readily agreed to forward the money in their messages.

Mason’s pupils constricted, his fingers sliding across the screen unconsciously as he scrutinized the information over and over.

The bank’s official stamp on the receipts, the timestamps on the chat logs-every detail was undeniably authentic.

He kept muttering, “It’s not possible… this can’t be happening,” his voice growing fainter until it was almost a whisper.

But deep down, a voice told him Clara was telling the truth. Clara hadn’t given up on him back then. She had been secretly helping him without his knowledge.

Memories flooded back. He remembered being hunted by the Walker family overseas, his company on the brink of collapse, and lying in a hospital bed, consumed by despair. It was Emma Anderson who had held his hand and said, “I had Anderson Industries funnel twenty million dollars to you. Don’t worry.

It was Emma who, after his recovery, repeatedly emphasized that the money was a gesture of goodwill from the Anderson family, reminding him to remember their kindness. Later, he even developed feelings for her because of that supposed act of generosity.

But now, the evidence was right in front of him. The funds that had helped him get back on his feet had actually come from Clara, the woman he had been misunderstanding and hurting all along!

“Why…”

Mason’s throat felt constricted, his voice rough.”Why didn’t you tell me any of this back then?”

He had thought that she had chosen to break up with him, marry Ethan, and betray him during his most difficult time.

That’s why, after returning to the country, he had targeted her at every turn, not wanting to see her thriving, and doing everything he could to make her life miserable.

Clara looked at his remorseful expression. She had originally thought that after revealing the whole truth to Mason, seeing him consumed by regret, she would feel a sense of satisfaction.

But now that she had actually done it, she felt no satisfaction at all, only a profound desolation.

How had she and Mason reached such a point of animosity, tearing apart their relationship without leaving any room for sentimentality?

The days of their childhood, of being innocent sweethearts, seemed to have vanished like fleeting smoke.

Clara slowed her voice, a hint of mockery in her eyes.”I did tell you, but did you believe me?”

Mason was speechless, instinctively wanting to argue, but then he remembered Clara had indeed mentioned it to him. He recalled Emma’s flustered expression at the time, followed by her visible relief when he said he would no longer believe Clara.

Mason’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, unsure if he was defending Emma or himself.

“But Emma had no reason to do this. She gained nothing from it.”

Without realizing it, he had switched from calling Emma “Emma” to “Emma Anderson.

“She really gained nothing?”

Clara burst out laughing as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world, her laughter filled with icy sarcasm.

“Mason, has Emma Anderson blinded you?”

“She got you! She made you believe she was your savior, so you were endlessly grateful to her, completely devoted, and even hurt me time and time again for her sake!”

“Besides, because of you, the Anderson family successfully climbed into the Walker family’s orbit, and their status in the whole city has skyrocketed. Aren’t those benefits?”

Clara’s words were like a sharp knife, plunging straight into Mason’s heart.

Mason stumbled back, his face paling, yet he still refused to believe it.”No, Emma isn’t like that…” His gaze fell on

Chin and wrist, the red marks there glaringly obvious-marks he had inflicted just moments ago. The memory of his earlier, indiscriminate accusations, the way Clara had looked at him recently, a sharp pang making it hard to breathe.

of

regret

seized his heart,

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<Chapter 74

“Not like that?”

Clara’s smile vanished, her eyes turning cold. “Haven’t you been asking me all this time why I said I didn’t willingly marry

Mason looked up sharply, staring intently at Clara, his breathing becoming rapid.

This issue had been a knot in his heart for years, something he’d never been able to understand.

Ethan?”

They were so in love back then, Clara was even preparing to go abroad for him. How could she have suddenly broken up with him and married Ethan instead?

Clara took a deep breath, as if recounting a past event that had nothing to do with her.

“Because back then, Ethan was drugged, and he forced himself on me.”

Mason’s eyes darkened. Emma had mentioned this to him before, and he had always believed that Clara had drugged Ethan to marry into the Carter family.

“But I wasn’t the one who drugged Ethan.”

Clara gave a bitter smile. Everyone thought she was the one who did it, but she was the biggest victim in all of this.

“Later, I found out I was pregnant with Lucas. Ethan’s grandfather approached me and said that as long as I married Ethan, he would give me twenty million dollars.”

Clara looked up at the shocked Mason.”Do you know who drugged him? Ethan said it was likely Robert.”

“That’s impossible!”

Mason retorted instinctively, “He’s your uncle! The one who raised you!”

Clara looked at him, still unwilling to believe her, and felt a sharp pang in her heart.

She suddenly felt like she had lost her mind, actually telling Mason all of this, expecting him to believe her.

She laughed mockingly, the last trace of warmth disappearing from her eyes.”Mason, you never disappoint when it comes to disappointing me.”

“I really feel sorry for my younger self, wasting my sincerity on a worthless person.”

Clara glanced at Mason one last time, her eyes filled with a mixture of bitterness and resolve that he would never comprehend.

“Mason, I’m telling you all this today not to gain your sympathy.”

“I just want you to know that I, Clara Bennett, owe you, Mason Walker, absolutely nothing.”

“From now on, we’re even. Let’s go our separate ways.”

1. Let’s go

“If possible, I hope we never cross paths again.”

With that, Clara turned and walked into the apartment, not once looking back.

As Mason tried to follow, the only thing he heard was the resounding slam of Clara closing the door.

Mason froze, as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He leaned against the cold wall for support, barely managing to stay upright. Clara’s words echoed in his mind, each one hitting him like a hammer blow, making his head spin.

Deep down, he knew there was a high possibility that what Clara said was true.

When he first returned to the States, he had people investigate Clara’s life over the past few years, but before he could even open the file, Emma destroyed it.

Later, after learning that Clara hadn’t willingly married Ethan, he grew suspicious of her marriage to Ethan and secretly sent people to investigate what happened back then.

He had even tracked down the waiter who had drugged Clara, and discovered Robert Anderson’s shadow lurking behind that car accident. But back then, Emma was pregnant with his child, and he didn’t want to believe that Robert was capable of such a thing. So, he forcibly suppressed his doubts and didn’t pursue the matter any further.

Looking back now, everything clicked into place.

Robert Anderson had Clara drugged, forcing her to marry Ethan Carter, while Emma concealed the source of funds, making him mistakenly believe that the Anderson family had saved him.

Making him resent Clara while being moved by what Emma did, and for her sake, he supported the Anderson family.

“Emma, why would you do this…”

Mason muttered to himself, his eyes filled with pain and confusion.

He had always thought he knew Emma well, but now he realized he had never truly seen her for who she was.

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Just then, his phone suddenly rang, shattering the silence of the hallway.

Mason picked up the phone with trembling hands, and when he saw Robert Anderson’s name, his expression darkened. He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calm, and pressed the answer button.

“Mason, dear.”

Robert Anderson’s gentle voice came from the other end of the line, “How did it go with Clara? Did she agree to help save Emma?” Mason gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning white as he fought to keep his emotions in check. He spoke slowly, deliberately. “Uncle Robert, Clara didn’t agree.”

“By the way, do you know why Clara married Ethan Carter back then?”

Robert Anderson on the other end of the line was clearly taken aback. There was a pause before he feigned nonchalance and said, “Didn’t Emma tell you about that?”

“She drugged Ethan, got pregnant, and when the Carter family came to propose, she agreed.”

“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly asking about this? Is she refusing to help Emma because she and Mr. Carter are fighting again?” The trace of panic in Robert’s voice didn’t escape Mason’s notice.

Mason’s heart sank. He was almost certain that Robert was involved in drugging Ethan Carter.

He let out a cold laugh, but suppressed his emotions and continued to speak calmly into the phone.

“Yeah, probably. She looked pretty upset.”

Mason’s voice turned cold.”Uncle Robert, don’t worry. I’ll figure out another way to help Emma.”

He hung up and leaned against the wall.

The phone slipped from his hand, and he stared at Clara’s name on the screen.

Recalling all the misunderstandings and hurts he’d inflicted on her over the years, the icy coldness and mockery in her eyes just now, a wave of intense regret and pain washed over him.

If he had known the Anderson family only intended to exploit Clara, he never should have left the country so impulsively, leaving her alone. All these years, he had made one wrong step after another, each more absurd than the last.

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Mason Walker lit a cigarette, the white smoke curling and obscuring his features, leaving only a hint of red in the corner of his eyes, mirroring the ember’s glow.

His heart clenched with pain countless times as he lit one cigarette after another, the ground at his feet littered with spent butts.

The motion-sensor lights in the hallway flickered on and off, on and off.

He finally saw the truth, recognized his own foolishness and cruelty.

After a long while, he crushed the cigarette under his foot, took one last look towards Clara’s door, and then left.

Acknowledge your mistakes and correct them-a lesson taught in elementary school.

He would find his own way to make it up to Clara.

Clara said they were done? Absolutely not!

He remembered Clara was already processing her divorce from the Carter family. That meant his and Clara’s story was only just beginning. The stars twinkled above as Mason looked up at the sky, a wry smile playing on his lips.

Meanwhile.

Back at her place, Clara forced herself to stop thinking about Mason.

After a bath, she collapsed into bed, but no sooner had she closed her eyes than her phone rang.

The word “Aunt Patricia” flashed on the screen, and Clara frowned.

Knowing that her aunt was probably calling about Emma, Clara hung up without hesitation and sent a text instead.

“Don’t involve me in Emma’s situation. I can’t and won’t help.”

Patricia, seeing the message, angrily threw her phone onto the bed. “That Clara! Emma’s in trouble, and she doesn’t even offer a word of concern, let alone answer the phone!”

“Even if she’s unhappy with us, she can’t just abandon Emma!”

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She glanced at Robert, who seemed lost in thought, and nudged him.

“I told you we should have sent her back to the Bennett family or put her in foster care. But no, you insisted on keeping her. Now look, after all these years, we’ve raised a viper!”

“I can’t sleep knowing Emma’s pregnant and stuck at the National Security Agency. What are we going to do? What did Mason say?”

Robert, nearly falling out of bed from her push, steadied himself and looked at Patricia.

“Don’t panic. Mason said he’ll figure something out. Emma’s carrying his child; he won’t abandon her.”

“It’s Clara I’m worried about. I hear Ethan’s changed his tune towards her. She’s even got the nerve to give him attitude now.”

“My concern is if she digs into our shorting Anderson Industries, we’re truly done for.”

“Then what do we do?”

Patricia asked anxiously.”Should we talk to Mason, see if he can come up with a solution?”

“Foolish!”

Robert turned to Patricia.”You know how highly Mason regarded Clara back then. No matter how we treated Clara, he always thought she was being wronged in our home. He barely paid any attention to Emma because of it.”

“We finally managed to marry Clara off to Ethan, breaking them up and fulfilling Emma’s wish, getting them engaged.”

“Having Mason reach out to Clara alone for Emma’s sake was already a risk. If Clara tells him anything, everything we’ve done will be for nothing. How can we possibly create more opportunities for them to meet?”

Patricia grew even more anxious, her gums aching.”Then what are we supposed to do? Just sit here and wait for the worst? Emma’s still at the National Security Agency!”

Robert fell silent for a moment, his mind racing. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he’d had a breakthrough.

“I’ve heard that Ethan has been getting close to Natalie Parker, Apex’s head of operations. To secure a collaboration between Natalie and Nova AI, he’s even willing to use the Carter Group as collateral.

And I also heard that Ms. Parker is from Chicago too. I suspect she may be Ethan’s girlfriend from before he got

“If we could find a way to get to know Ms. Parker, we could ask her to put in a good word for us with Ethan.

As long as Ethan doesn’t step in to help Clara, what can a lone orphan like her do to us in Chicago?”

The anxiety on Patricia’s face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of anticipation.

married.”

She thought for a moment and said, “That’s right, there’s a business reception in a couple of days. I heard that Ms. Parker will be attending. It’ll be a perfect opportunity for us to meet her.”

“If she really is Ethan’s old girlfriend, she must resent Clara for breaking them up. Maybe she can even whisper in his ear and make Ethan hate Clara again!”