Want My Womb? I'll Make You Childless novel Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Clara stopped laughing, raised her eyes, and glanced at Attorney Brown.

“You think I’m still the same as before, letting you manipulate me, completely unprepared?”

Attorney Brown understood and produced a document.“Mr. Carter, you might want to take a good look at this.”

Ethan scoffed, his gaze sweeping across the table with feigned indifference.

He was confident Clara had nothing on him, nothing that could truly threaten him. But his pupils constricted when he saw the case closure notice and the document beneath it, clearly pieced back together after being torn apart.

“You seem to forget that you used the accusation of me harming Grandpa as an excuse to call the police and arrest me, even with insufficient evidence, all to force me to sign this agreement.”

Clara tapped the photocopy with her finger, her voice icy.“What do you think people would say if they knew you used Grandpa’s life to threaten me, falsely accusing me, just to keep your wife – the one you’ve never acknowledged – from divorcing you?”

“Ethan Carter, aren’t you fond of using leverage to threaten people? Now, let’s talk terms.”

“I will ensure that Anderson Industries repays the $8 million owed to the Carter Group within three months, to the penny.”

“And you will go to court with me, right now, and get a divorce.”

“And if I refuse?”

Ethan looked up at Clara, his eyes dark and dangerous.

He hadn’t anticipated Clara gathering so much evidence against him.

“Then we’ll go down in flames together. I’ll give up Anderson Industries, and I’ll make sure these documents are plastered across every news headline in Chicago.”

Clara shrugged nonchalantly.“Eventually, everyone will know that you, Ethan Carter, not only had a private marriage, but also flaunted your mistress in public. And to force your wife to drop the divorce lawsuit, you used your critically ill grandfather to frame her.”

“Anderson Industries is indeed the life’s work of my grandfather and mother, and the security they left for me.”

“But I believe, if they knew that Anderson Industries would one day become a burden to me, they would agree with my decision now.”

Clara’s voice was soft, yet resolute, “I am definitely getting this divorce.”

“Even without Anderson Industries, I can still survive.”

“But can you, Ethan Carter?”

“Once this is exposed, how much of your reputation, your face, your credibility within the board will remain? How much will Carter Group’s stock price plummet?”

Ethan looked up at her, his eyes churning with anger and resentment, “Clara, are you threatening me?”

His voice was low, laced with the kind of intimidation only the powerful possessed, but to Clara, it just sounded pathetic.

“Threaten?”

“I’m just giving you a taste of your own medicine. When you were using Anderson Industries to blackmail me, did you ever stop to

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think about this moment?”

“Besides, this isn’t the only dirty trick the Carter family has pulled.”

Clara’s gaze drifted, seemingly by accident, to Margaret Carter, and she smirked.

“If I really wanted to threaten you, I wouldn’t waste my time here arguing with you.”

Sensing Clara’s gaze, Margaret’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up, but Clara had already turned away. A sudden wave of panic washed over her.

Did Clara… know about the black box?

Mend

Putting aside the fact that if Clara and Ethan truly fell out and exposed this, causing the Carter Group’s stock to plummet, it would undoubtedly enrage the board members.

If she claimed that she had deliberately planted the black box in Clara’s pocket, the Carter Group’s collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense would be over.

What’s worse, she could even be arrested and imprisoned, bringing disgrace to the Carter family. If that happened, the Carters would

be finished!

It would be better to let Ethan divorce her and let the Carter family get rid of this jinx!

With that thought, she walked over to Ethan and whispered, “Eth, let it go. It’s just the first hearing; the judge might not rule for

divorce.”

“If this turns into a fight to the death, the Carter Group is done for.”

Ethan’s fists clenched, his gaze locked on Clara, a storm of anger, resentment, and a flicker of something he didn’t even recognize as

panic swirling in his eyes.

He closed his eyes, exhaled, and after a long moment, finally said, “Fine.”

Clara didn’t seem to catch the subtext, chuckling lightly at his words, “Are you trying to coax me like you do Lila? Alright, let’s get going,

don’t waste any more time.”

Clara smirked, grabbed her file bag, and turned towards the door.

She didn’t look back, didn’t spare Ethan another glance. The man she had once wanted to spend her life with would finally be a thing of the past, no longer able to control her in the slightest.

Inside the courtroom, the national emblem hung high in the center, golden wheat ears encircling a scarlet shield, exuding solemnity

and reverence.

Clara Bennett sat at the plaintiff’s table, her spine ramrod straight, flipping through a statement in her hands.

Ethan Carter was at the defendant’s table, his black suit making his complexion appear even more somber. His hands were clasped in front of him, his fingers unconsciously tracing the wedding band on his ring finger.

His gaze occasionally drifted to Clara, his eyes filled with a complexity that suggested he hadn’t fully recovered from the shock of the

mediation room.

“Clara Bennett, as the plaintiff, you’re seeking a divorce from the defendant, Ethan Carter, and relinquishing all rights to your child, Lucas Carter, whom you share. The grounds cited are ‘irreconcilable differences.‘ Can you provide relevant evidence to support your claim?”

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The judge’s voice echoed through the microphone.

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Clara glanced at Attorney Brown, who nodded in affirmation. “Your Honor, we direct the court’s attention to the submitted evidence, specifically the trending search result screenshots and the surveillance footage.”

“For seven years, my client was married to the defendant without any public acknowledgment. During this time, he was frequently absent from the home. Furthermore, he was recently embroiled in a scandal, and he has repeatedly allowed others to provoke and harm my client.”

“This evidence is sufficient to demonstrate that the defendant never treated my client as his legal wife. This marriage is, in essence, a marriage in name only.”

“Therefore, we are seeking a divorce, and given the defendant’s culpability, we believe my client is entitled to appropriate financial compensation.”

The clerk presented the evidence Attorney Brown mentioned. The judge reviewed it briefly before instructing the clerk to pass it to

Ethan.

“Does the defendant acknowledge this evidence?”

Ethan Jefferson felt a cold sweat prickle his skin as he looked at the photos of Ethan Carter and Olivia Bennett together splashed across the media, the barrage of online abuse Clara Bennett had endured, and the security footage of Olivia locking Clara in the research lab.

“No wonder Mrs. Carter is so determined to divorce Mr. Carter. If I were treated like that, I couldn’t accept it either,” Ethan Jefferson thought.

“I object.”

Ethan Carter’s voice was nonchalant as he glared at Ethan Jefferson, who snapped to attention and said, “Your Honor, my client, as the chairman of Carter Group, is frequently away from home due to the demanding nature of Carter Group’s business and constant business trips.”

“As for the woman in the photos, she was formerly an employee of Carter Group. They often attended banquets together for work purposes, which unfortunately led to Mrs. Carter’s misunderstanding.”

“After this woman committed acts that harmed Mrs. Carter, my client immediately terminated her employment.”

“Then why didn’t you call the police at the time?”

Clara Bennett turned to Ethan Carter.“Olivia almost killed me. Why didn’t you call the police when you had the evidence?”

Ethan Jefferson wiped his brow, glancing at Ethan Carter for help.

Ethan Carter looked at Clara Bennett, his eyes filled with what seemed like deep affection.“Clara, I may have been busy these past years, but I’ve never neglected you.”

“I didn’t press charges because I knew even if I did, she could easily claim it was an accident. So, I let her go from Carter Group, cut off our partnership with the Bennett family, and gave her what I thought was a fitting punishment.”

“And if I didn’t love you, why would I have supported Anderson Industries all these years? Why else would I help your uncle’s family rise into Chicago’s high society in the last seven years?”

At that, Ethan Jefferson pulled out a stack of projects and partnership agreements that the Anderson family had secured through Carter Group over the years and handed them to the judge.

The judge took the evidence, examined it, and nodded.“Plaintiff, do you acknowledge this?”

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Clara shook her head.“I do not. It’s true that my uncle secured these projects using the Carter Group’s name.”

“But not once did Ethan publicly state that these projects had to go to him.”

“Would they have done it without my explicit consent?”

Ethan scoffed.“Clara, do you really think Robert Anderson could have gotten these projects all these years if I hadn’t agreed?”

“Why can’t

you believe that I love you?”

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“You misunderstood my relationship with Olivia, threw a fit, and ran away. I came to pick you up countless times, but you refused to come home.”

“You even went as far as to abort our child without my consent, which made my grandfather sick enough to be hospitalized.”

“Did I ever say a word about any of that?”

“You claim our marriage is irretrievably broken, but that’s just your side of the story. Do you have any other evidence to support that?”

He turned to Clara, his deep eyes seemingly filled with affection.

He knew Clara had no other evidence to present.

Listening to Ethan’s words, Clara felt a wave of nausea.

He dared to say he loved her!

He dared to blame everything on her!

He even brought up the child who should never have been born!

Clara stared at Ethan’s smug face. The suppressed grievances, anger, and resentment surged within her like a breached dam, instantly washing away her composure.

“Ethan Carter, you forced my hand. Don’t blame me for not showing any mercy!”

“Isn’t it proof that you don’t love me that you want?”

“Evidence? Of course, I have evidence!”

She nodded to Attorney Brown, who understood the signal. He retrieved a file from his briefcase and handed it to the judge.

“This is documentation proving that the defendant concealed information from my client, deceived her into undergoing in–vitro fertilization, and then implanted her with a fertilized egg containing his own and another woman’s genetic material.”

“This document clearly demonstrates that the defendant treated my client merely as a breeding vessel, not as a loved one!”

As Attorney Brown’s words echoed through the courtroom, a profound silence descended.

Clara slowly closed her eyes.

Clara hadn’t wanted to bring this to court until the very last moment.

But Ethan had been hurting her for years, and to put on this lovesick act now made her stomach churn.

He’d forced her to reveal something that was mortifying and that she desperately wanted to forget!

The judge took the file and began to read, his expression growing increasingly stern.

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“Defendant, do you acknowledge this evidence?”

“That’s impossible!”

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Hearing Attorney Brown’s words, Margaret couldn’t stay seated any longer. She stood up, exclaiming, “Eth would never do something.

like that!”

She looked at Ethan, panicked.“Eth, that evidence is fake, isn’t it?”

Ethan sat stiffly at the defendant’s table, watching the clerk hand him the documents.

When he saw the “Oocyte Thawing Consent Form” on top, he closed his eyes briefly.

So, all this time, he had been deluding himself.

So, Clara had filed for divorce not because of Olivia, or Natalie.

It was because she knew about this. That’s why she, who loved children so much, had aborted their child and filed for divorce.

She had even started gathering evidence from that point on.

“Eth!”

Seeing Ethan’s reaction, Margaret knew everything she needed to know.

But he couldn’t admit it now!

Surrogacy was illegal!

If he admitted it, not only would the court grant the divorce, but it would also validate the evidence, spelling doom for him and the Carter Group!

Ethan knew this all too well. He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil within him.“I don’t acknowledge it.”

He straightened his collar, exuding coldness and a sense of oppression, but his slightly pale lips and tense jawline betrayed his

composure.

“This evidence is fabricated. Clara, you’d resort to such dirty tactics just to get a divorce?”

“Fabricated?”

Clara slammed her hand on the table, her eyes filled with a bloodshot rage, her voice trembling. “Ethan, it has your signature, the

hospital’s official seal, and my medical report!”

“Ethan, this is fraud, it’s intentional harm!”

Ethan gritted his teeth. He never imagined things would escalate to this point.

But in the present moment, he couldn’t admit it. He could only say, “The burden of proof lies with the one who makes the claim. Clara,

you can prove the authenticity of this document, I will not agree to a divorce!”

unless

Clara was speechless.

She couldn’t believe Ethan would be so stubborn. The evidence was right in front of him, yet he still wouldn’t admit it. How else was she supposed to prove it?

The judge, observing the irreconcilable parties at the table, hesitated with the gavel in hand before finally bringing it down with a resounding thud.

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Maria

“Since neither party can provide new evidence to support their claims, this court is adjourned. The date for the next hearing will be announced later.”

Clara leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment.

She couldn’t believe that even after all this, she still hadn’t managed to get a divorce!

“Clara, we need to talk.”

Ethan walked over to her, unusually subdued.

Clara tensed up, opened her eyes, and slapped him across the face, retorting furiously, “We have nothing to talk about.”

“I’m going to file a police report and have them investigate. I’ll find new evidence before the next hearing!”

The slap came swiftly and unexpectedly, knocking Ethan’s head to the side.

He touched his aching cheek with his tongue, grabbed Clara, who was trying to leave, and said, his voice trembling, “Can’t you give me

another chance?”

“I’ve done a lot of terrible things in the past, but I really don’t want to divorce you.”

Clara turned back, her eyes still bloodshot, and gave a desolate smile.“Ethan, can you please stop disgusting me?”

“You know exactly what you did. Can you honestly say that the evidence is fake?”

Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he reached out, his eyes filled with regret, wanting to touch her face.“I was a fool. That woman lost her chance to be a mother saving my life. I only agreed to let you carry her child to make it up to her.”

“I kept it from you, thinking you loved kids, and that the child would be raised by you, that it wouldn’t change our lives.”

“But I regretted it later. I even felt a sense of relief when I learned the child was gone. I wanted to make it up to you, wanted to live a good life with you…”

“Ethan, don’t you think that’s absurd?”

Clara recoiled as if burned, meeting his gaze with an icy stare, her eyes brimming with resentment. “Why should I be the one to pay the price for a debt you owe?”

“In the end, you just saw me as a means to an end!”

“And now you want to make amends?”

“How? By giving up your own life?”

“Ethan, do you even realize?”

“I’ve never hated you as much as I do right now. I wish you were dead!”

“If

you were dead, I wouldn’t have to deal with you and this divorce!”

Ethan watched Clara’s retreating figure, lost in silence.

He wanted a cigarette to calm the turmoil inside, but when he reached, he found his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

If he’d known this would happen, he never would have agreed to Natalie’s suggestion about Clara being a surrogate!

Margaret watched Ethan’s distraught figure from a distance, one thought consuming her: she couldn’t let Clara and Ethan get divorced!

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Once they divorced, the evidence in Clara’s possession would inevitably come to light, and both the Carter Group and Ethan would be

ruined!

She had to find a way–preferably one that would make Clara drop the lawsuit and abandon the idea of divorce altogether.

Margaret stared in the direction Clara had gone, a calculating glint in her eyes.

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