Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Natalie looked up at Robert, wondering, What does Clara Bennett’s uncle want with me?

Is he here to assert Clara’s dominance? Or does he have another motive?

A thousand thoughts raced through Natalie’s mind, but her face remained impassive.”I wouldn’t say you’ve heard of me. Is there something you need?”

Patricia, seeing her distant demeanor, tightened her grip on Robert’s arm.

Robert patted her hand reassuringly, his smile becoming even more ingratiating.

He glanced towards Ethan and Clara, who were standing not far away, and lowered his voice.”Ms. Parker, you strike me as a smart woman, so I

won’t beat around the bush.”

“I’m Robert Anderson, and I know you and Mr. Carter have known each other for many years. I’m here today because there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

He paused, a look of helplessness on his face.”We had a bit of a misunderstanding with Clara over some business dealings, and things got a little. unpleasant.”

“Now she’s insistent on pursuing the matter, and we’re really out of options. We were hoping you could put in a good word with Mr. Carter, see if he might be willing to be lenient and prevent Clara from taking things too far.”

“Clara?”

Natalie’s hand, holding her wine glass, paused momentarily, a hint of barely perceptible delight flickering in her eyes.

She hadn’t expected Clara to manage to offend even her own uncle. It seemed her people skills really were that bad.

But then she reconsidered, thinking it might be a trap set by Clara. She masked the emotion in her eyes, feigning indifference.

“I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. Mr. Carter and I only have a working relationship. What’s going on between you and Clara is a family matter for the Carters, and it’s really not appropriate for an outsider like me to get involved.”

“Now, now, Ms. Parker, don’t be so quick to refuse.”

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Robert’s gaze swept meaningfully over Ethan and Clara, who were standing close together. Ever since he’d walked in, his eyes hadn’t left Natalie.

Of course, he hadn’t missed the awkwardness on her face when Ethan had left her to go to Clara. Robert was eighty percent sure that Natalie would help them with this favor.

“Clara is just too stubborn. Once she sets her mind to something, there’s no turning her back.” “We’ve already talked to her about this several times, but she says she’ll never let us off the hook.”

“She’s my niece, after all, and I really don’t want things to get so ugly between us.’

Patricia sighed at the right moment, her eyes reddening.”We really haven’t been bad to her. Her mother passed away early, and the two of us raised her, put her through school. We never thought that now that she’s got her wings, she’d try to destroy her own family.”

“Don’t say any more.”

Robert tugged at Patricia’s arm and gave Natalie an apologetic smile.”You must excuse us, Ms. Parker. We shouldn’t air our dirty laundry in public. It was uncalled for.”

He pulled out a gold-edged business card from his suit pocket and held it out to Natalie.”Since you’re not willing to help, we won’t force you.” “Here’s my card. If you ever need help with anything in the future, feel free to contact me.”

Seeing the way the two of them were acting, Natalie realized that there must be some irreconcilable conflict between them and Clara for them to have come to her.

She took the card, her expression still distant and polite.”Thank you, Mr. Anderson.”

Watching Robert and Patricia leave, Natalie rubbed the name on the card. After a moment, she took out her phone and sent a message to her

assistant.

“Immediately investigate the relationship between Robert Anderson and Clara Bennett, and what exactly happened between them. I need the

results in half an hour.”

After sending the message, she looked up at Clara, who was standing not far away. Ethan was subtly shielding her from the gazes of others. This kind of protection used to be exclusively hers.

But now, Ethan’s entire world revolved around Clara, unwilling to spare even a glance for her. He probably forgot that he was supposed to be here with her tonight!

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She gripped her phone tightly. If what Robert had said was true, she wouldn’t mind joining forces with him.

Patricia, holding Robert’s arm, moved to the other side, making sure no one could overhear their conversation, and finally couldn’t help but speak.

“Do you really think she’ll help us? From her attitude just now, it didn’t seem like she believed a word we said.”

Robert glanced back in Natalie’s direction, a calculating smile playing on his lips. “She will.”

“The way she looks at Ethan is filled with possessiveness. She would never want Ethan and Clara to get too close.”

“Right now, she should have already sent someone to investigate the situation between us and Clara. Once she confirms everything, even if she doesn’t help us, she’ll reach out to us.”

“After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Ethan was oblivious to the interaction between Natalie and Robert. After seeing Clara tonight, he hadn’t paid attention to anyone else.

Because of his presence, the people who had been surrounding Clara tactfully dispersed.

Even Benjamin excused himself to socialize with others, no longer wanting to intrude on them.

Clara Bennett frowned, finally unable to hold back as she looked at the man glued to her side.”Ethan Carter, what exactly are you trying to do?”

Ethan Carter looked down at her, a smile tugging at his lips. She looked like a hissing kitten.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t feel my love before?”

“I’m letting you feel it now.”

Clara Bennett scoffed, as if she’d heard a joke.”Aren’t you afraid people will find out about our relationship?”

“No.”

He leaned in slightly, clinking his glass against hers.”It’s better if people know.”

“If you’re willing, I can announce right now that you’re my wife.”

“I’ve already had David Wilson arrange it so I won’t be involved in any future dealings between Carter Group and Apex.”

“I know you’re bothered by my relationship with Natalie Parker. I’ll keep my distance from her from now on.”

Clara Bennett was stunned for a moment. She hadn’t expected Ethan Carter to make these arrangements, but she wasn’t naive enough to believe he could definitely follow through.

Once a heart has grown cold, it’s truly cold.

“You don’t have to do this.”

After all, they were getting a divorce soon. She really didn’t care about any of this.

Just then, Clara Bennett felt a burning gaze on her. She looked up subconsciously, meeting Natalie Parker’s probing eyes.

Natalie Parker saw her looking and, instead of looking away, raised her glass in a toast, her eyes filled with a challenge only another woman would understand.

Clara looked away, not wanting to get involved in such pointless squabbles.

“Natalie is still over there waiting for you. Go on, don’t keep her waiting.”

“I’m not going.”

Ethan refused without a second thought, reaching out to touch Clara’s hair, but she dodged him, his hand freezing in mid-air, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

“You’re my wife. Why would I want to be with her?”

“Did you say I’m your wife?”

Clara retorted, a hint of mockery in her eyes.”We’ve been married for seven years, and who knows about our relationship besides our closest friends and family?”

“Do you think I still care about being your wife?”

“Ethan Carter, I’ll say it again: I don’t want to be Mrs. Carter anymore!”

Ethan was speechless, regretting his past decisions. If he had known this day would come, he would have given Clara a proper wedding, letting everyone know about their relationship.

“I regret it.”

After a pause, he said in a low voice, each word deliberate,”Clara, I regret it.”

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“I was wrong before. I shouldn’t have stopped you from working, I shouldn’t have been so cold to you, and I especially shouldn’t have let you suffer so much. Give me another chance, okay?”

Clara shook her head. She was about to speak when her phone suddenly rang.

Picking it up, she saw it was Ryan Walker’s housekeeper calling. A strange tension gripped her heart. She quickly walked to a quiet spot to answer. “What’s wrong?”

“Ms. Bennett! Something terrible has happened!”

The voice on the other end was urgent and frantic.”Lila has a fever. We just took her temperature, and it’s almost 104!”

“And we can’t get through to Mr. Walker’s phone. I don’t know what to do, so I called you. What should we do?”

“Lila has a fever?”

Clara’s heart sank. Lila Walker must have caught a chill from being in the rain last night.

While internally berating herself for being so negligent, she said, “Take her to the hospital first. Keep in touch on the way. I’m on my way.”

Hanging up, Clara found Benjamin Hayes and told him that Lila Walker had a fever and she needed to go to the hospital. Then, she hurried out of the venue.

Ethan saw her rushing to get into her car and grabbed her arm.

Clara turned to look at him, impatience flashing in her eyes.”Whatever it is, we can talk about it later. Lila has a high fever, and I need to get to the hospital.”

“I know, don’t panic.”

Ethan guided her towards his car, his voice steady.”You’ve been drinking, you can’t drive. Get in my car, there’s a driver.”

Tll come with you. I’m practically family to Lila, an extra pair of hands is always useful. If there are any errands to run, I can help out.”

Clara paused, realizing she’d had alcohol. She’d been so flustered, she’d forgotten all about it.

A child’s fever couldn’t wait. She didn’t want to waste any more time here. In the end, she didn’t refuse, pulling away from him and hurrying towards the black Bentley.

“Hurry up.”

Ethan watched her hurried figure, a flicker of warmth in his eyes, and quickly followed.

Someone like Ethan always attracted attention wherever he went. Before, people had seen that he and Clara had something to discuss and no one dared to interrupt.

Now, the two of them hurriedly leaving one after the other naturally sparked gossip.

“What’s going on? Are Mr. Carter and Ms. Bennett leaving together?”

“Didn’t everyone say Ms. Bennett was the other woman who came between Mr. Carter and Olivia? It doesn’t look like it to me. It looks more like Mr. Carter is chasing after her, doesn’t it?”

“Exactly! Mr. Carter was never this attentive even to Olivia back then. Look at him just now, his eyes were full of worry. He’s definitely

smitten.”

“No wonder Mr. Carter kept hovering around Ms. Bennett. He looked displeased even when others spoke to her.”

The hushed whispers reached Natalie Parker’s ears. Watching Ethan Carter follow Clara Bennett without hesitation, she felt a surge of anger rise from the bottom of her heart, burning her insides.

Ethan Carter was supposed to accompany her to the party, yet he treated her like air, following another woman without a second glance. She couldn’t possibly swallow this insult!

“Tsk, looks like Eth has really fallen this time.”

Jackson Taylor walked up to her at some point, following her gaze, his tone tinged with emotion.

“The only other time he looked like this was probably when he was dating you, right?”

“Even when he and Olivia came to an agreement, he wasn’t this accommodating. Now, Ms. Bennett takes a step, and he follows, like a child afraid of getting lost.”

Hearing this, Natalie Parker nearly dug her nails into her palms, but she could only force a gentle and gracious smile onto her face.”I’m happy for Eth that he’s found someone he cares about.”

“Though, just now, I noticed Ms. Bennett didn’t seem to be treating him very well. They seemed to have had a fight; she barely acknowledged

him.”

“He’s just reaping what he sowed.”

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Jackson Taylor rolled his eyes, his tone full of helplessness. “He used to be so cold to Clara Bennett, hurting her deeply. Now that he wants her back, it’s not going to be that easy.”

He paused, his gaze towards Natalie filled with a hint of regret.”If you hadn’t gone abroad back then, you might have been the one marrying Eth now. Clara Bennett wouldn’t even be in the picture.”

The smile on Natalie’s face stiffened even more. Jackson Taylor really knew how to hit a nerve!

She lowered her head, hiding the churning resentment and bitterness in her eyes.”After what happened between Eth and Ms. Bennett back then, the Carter family was bound to make Eth take responsibility. If I had stayed, it would have only made things harder for him.” Even as she said this, she knew in her heart that even if she had stayed, Ethan Carter would not have married her.

After learning about their relationship. James Carter had spoken with her, asking her to leave Ethan Carter.

The Carter family didn’t need to use Ethan’s marriage for alliances, but they also wouldn’t allow a woman with a tainted reputation to become the future matriarch.

She had fel helpless and resentful, but in the end, she had no choice but to compromise.

When she was young, her father was imprisoned for drunk driving, and her mother struggled to make ends meet. If it hadn’t been for the Carter family’s support, she wouldn’t have gotten to where she was today.

But it was also because of the Carter family’s support that she experienced the advantages of power and money. That’s why she painstakingly tried to get close to Ethan, thinking that latching onto him would allow her to achieve upward mobility.

However, James Carter’s words woke her up like bucket of cold water.

Indeed, someone born like her could only become a blemish on Ethan’s reputation. Even if Ethan loved her and didn’t care about any of it, love would eventually fade with time.

Rather than reaching a point where Ethan grew to resent her, it was better for her to leave proactively, so that he would always remember her fondly.

Moreover, at that time, Ethan had not yet fully taken control of the Carter Group and couldn’t resist his grandfather at all. Even if she stayed, she would only humiliate herself.

So when James Carter handed her a check and an opportunity to study abroad, she accepted them without hesitation.

She had thought Ethan would remember her forever, cherishing her goodness. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine he would actually fall in love with Clara Bennett!

you

home.”

Jackson, unaware of the intricacies of the situation, could only sigh, “Such is fate,” upon hearing Natalie’s words. He glanced at the dejected Natalie and added, “Eth’s gone. There’s no point in staying here any longer. Let me take Natalie took a deep breath, suppressing all her negative emotions, and flashed a poised smile.”Alright, I appreciate it.” Tonight’s purpose of having Ethan accompany her to the party had completely failed. Not only had she failed to stabilize the situation by borrowing Ethan’s reputation, but she had also watched helplessly as he showered Clara with care. Staying any longer would only be humiliating.

The car cruised smoothly through the night. Natalie leaned against the window, watching the fleeting neon lights outside, her fingertips tapping the phone screen absentmindedly.

Suddenly, the screen lit up. She unlocked it and saw a message from her assistant.

“Boss, we’ve got it all figured out.”

“Olivia wanted the Brownstone left by Clara’s mother, but Clara refused. Robert, in an attempt to please Mr. Carter, shorted Anderson Industries, saddling Clara with debt and auctioning off the Brownstone.”

“Clara’s been digging into how he tanked Anderson Industries lately, and she definitely doesn’t seem like she’s going to let it go.”

Natalie scoffed, reading the message on her screen.

So, Robert Anderson was trying to use her as a weapon to get at Clara?

What a convenient arrangement he had in mind!

But who was to say she couldn’t turn the tables and use them right back?

After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

With that thought, Natalie pulled out the business card Robert Anderson had given her that afternoon and sent him a text.

Meanwhile, at the Hospital, James Carter had dismissed everyone except his most trusted lawyer and his assistant.

With the assistant’s help, the old man sat up shakily. His hands trembled as he removed his oxygen mask. He seemed so much older than just a

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few days ago, like he was visibly fading away.

The lawyer repeated softly, “Mr. Carter, are you sure you want to recognize Clara Bennett as your honorary granddaughter and leave her a portion of the company shares after you pass?”

The old man looked out the window, pausing for a long moment before nodding faintly.

Regardless, the Carter family owed Clara this much.

He had a feeling that once he was gone, Clara and Ethan were bound to create chaos. He just hoped this will would make them hold back a little.

The lawyer finalized the will and recorded a video of Mr. Carter reading and signing it, ensuring its authenticity. He carefully placed all the evidence into a file bag.

The assistant looked at Mr. Carter, hesitated, and then said, “Mr. Carter, there’s something I think you need to know.”

“Because your illness came on so suddenly, and your health was excellent before, I’m concerned that someone might have been involved.

“So, a few days ago, I collected a sample of your hair and sent it, along with your medical reports, to the most advanced medical research institute in the United States.”

“Yesterday, the hospital provided the results. They said that your sudden illness was caused by a genetic mutation on the Y chromosome. Moreover, this mutation is a hereditary disease that affects only males.”

“And… with the passage of time, this genetic disease is manifesting earlier. An increasing number of young men are developing it prematurely. It’s very rare for someone your age to be diagnosed.”

Hearing this, Mr. Carter slowly turned his head, his aged face filled with disbelief.

Being cultured and knowledgeable, he quickly understood the implications.”So, you’re saying that Eth and… cough, cough…”

time?!”

“Are

you saying that Ethan and Luke have also inherited this mutated gene and could get

sick at any

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