Chapter 179: This Child Must Be Aborted

"I may not come from a good family, but I love Shane with all my heart, and he loves me. How else could we have had a child?" A gentle smile appeared on Mrs. Everett’s face.

Her tone gradually grew firm. ’Yes, that must be it!’

If Clayton Lowell truly didn’t like her, why did he keep coming back to her after that first time?

Lana Sterling froze, completely stunned. ’That’s right, they already have a child.’

If he really didn’t like her, why would he get her pregnant at such a critical juncture, right in the middle of his fundraising?

She wasn’t some naive, clueless girl. She knew, of course, that Clayton Lowell had a constant string of girlfriends while he was abroad.

It was just that Clayton Lowell claimed he was averse to marriage. He played the gentleman, insisting he would only consider a relationship after the other party confirmed they accepted this fact.

She suddenly felt her heart sink. "So the reason Shane suddenly changed his tune and wanted to get married... it was all because of you."

Jasper Sterling took in her expression. ’Looks like my aunt hasn’t been hit hard enough yet,’ he thought.

"Are you saying that for you and the child in your womb, Clayton Lowell is willing to accept the accusation of attempting to control people with poppies?" He raised his voice slightly.

Clayton Lowell, who was just being escorted out by the police, heard this and panicked. "I did not! Don’t you dare spread lies!"

He had just barely managed to dispel the police’s suspicion. Why was this coming up again?

Jane Lancaster had a pretty good idea of what Jasper Sterling was up to.

’He’s just trying to stir up trouble, isn’t he? Well, this should be good. Now the two of them have something to fight over.’

Caleb Lowell handed the report to Clayton Lowell. "Uncle, Mrs. Everett is pregnant."

"Why are you giving this to me? Don’t tell me you think it’s mine?"

Clayton Lowell stared at the report, dumbfounded. How could a child just pop up out of nowhere? He was about to launch a career in showbiz—wouldn’t this be a career-ending scandal before he even debuted?

This can’t happen!

"No, no, no, that child is definitely not mine! Absolutely not!" he gritted out, refusing to admit it.

Mrs. Everett hurried forward. "Shane, the child really is yours! You’re the only man I’ve been with. There’s no one else."

"Shut up!" Clayton Lowell looked anxiously at Caleb Lowell. "Sean, I was set up by Felicia Everett! This child has to be aborted!"

How could he allow a mere servant to give birth to his child? What would that do to the Lowell family’s reputation?

Mrs. Everett was truly panicking now. "Shane, didn’t you say you love children? This is your own flesh and blood!"

She couldn’t accept this. The life of wealth and luxury that was just within her grasp was about to vanish into thin air.

Clayton Lowell violently shoved Mrs. Everett away as if casting aside a piece of trash. "Ah, so I finally see it! You snuck into my room that night to deliberately seduce me, trying to marry up into a wealthy family!"

He had truly misjudged her. He thought that since she was a woman past her prime, she’d be honest and know her place, that she wouldn’t dare have any ideas above her station.

He never expected her to be so ambitious, actually scheming to marry him.

"I should’ve known. You embezzled hundreds of thousands from the Lancaster family—you’re no honest, unassuming woman. You’ve really put me through hell!"

He was regretting this to death. If he’d known, he never would have taken this woman in!

"Officer, I want to press charges against Felicia Everett! She’s the one who gave me the spices laced with poppy! She’s been feeding me poppies for months, trying to manipulate me! That’s why I fell for her trap and slept with her! I suspect her goal was to control me and then steal all my assets!"

The more Clayton Lowell spoke, the more he seemed to believe it himself. "She definitely planted the poppy husks on purpose! She used my ignorance to try and manipulate all the investors. That way, she could easily get her hands on a billion, ten billion, or even more money!"

Mrs. Everett was completely floored. "I didn’t! I really didn’t!"

"Then did you know there were poppy husks in the spices?" Clayton Lowell demanded.

Mrs. Everett cried pitifully. "But I really didn’t mean to harm you! I heard from a relative who runs a small restaurant that adding poppy husks to food makes people crave it, and it’s great for business. I just... I just wanted to capture your heart."

If Clayton Lowell hadn’t been so difficult to please, she wouldn’t have been driven to take such a desperate risk.

The man not only had a terrible temper but was also incredibly picky about his food. He was never satisfied, constantly throwing fits, and it eventually got to the point where he would even hit her if he didn’t like a meal.

Mrs. Everett felt a deep pang of regret. Compared to this, her previous days with the Lancaster family had been heavenly.

Caleb Lowell didn’t intervene, and her employer, Clayton Lowell, was cruel. Not wanting to be berated and beaten, Mrs. Everett had no choice but to ask a relative to buy poppy husks for a high price, which she secretly added to his meals.

This put Clayton Lowell in a much better mood, and her own life became more bearable.

Clayton Lowell was frantic. "You’re lying! Officer, she’s trying to murder me for my money!"

Jane Lancaster glanced at Clayton Lowell. ’Wow, just amazing. A little poppy can even control who you sleep with.’

Then she glanced at Mrs. Everett. ’Is she trying to say she’s truly in love with Clayton Lowell? That the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? But that’s not how she treated Timothy Lancaster in the original plot.’

Caleb Lowell had initially felt a flicker of compassion, thinking Mrs. Everett must have had genuine feelings for Clayton Lowell to be with him.

As for his uncle, he figured it was probably just a stress reaction from being deeply hurt.

In any case, Clayton Lowell was the victim. And while Mrs. Everett had done wrong, it wasn’t out of malice. Plus, she was pregnant. He felt he had to find a way to protect them both.

But after hearing Jane Lancaster’s thoughts, he was instantly snapped back to reality.

One was insincere, the other was deceitful. Where was there even a hint of true love between them?

He didn’t say another word as the police escorted them both away.

——

Lana Sterling waited until they were outside the hotel before glancing back.

Jasper Sterling stood watching her. "What is it, Auntie? Don’t tell me you’re reluctant to let him go?"

Uncle Lynn was instantly on high alert. What if Lana Sterling insisted on using the Sterling family’s connections to get Clayton Lowell out of trouble?

"Miss Lana..."

"It’s alright, Uncle Lynn. Stop. I know what you’re going to say." Lana Sterling paused. "I feel so disgusted right now. How could I have actually liked someone like that? It feels like it’s left a stain on my record."

Uncle Lynn finally let out a sigh of relief. "That’s good. You scared me to death."

’When Miss Lana gets lovesick, it’s absolutely terrifying. You couldn’t drag her back with a team of wild horses!’

Lana Sterling said, "A man can be poor, he can be ugly, but he can’t be classless! He said he didn’t like Felicia Everett, yet he slept with her and got her pregnant. Fine. But then to shirk all responsibility and demand an abortion the moment he finds out? What kind of trash is that?"

If she had known he was such a lowlife, she wouldn’t have wasted more than a decade crushing on him.

After a moment’s thought, Lana Sterling deleted every single photo of Clayton Lowell she had saved on her phone.

She had believed he was gentlemanly and elegant, a man of culture, depth, and refinement. She had believed he spent his days abroad reading ponderous tomes in English, French, and German. She had believed he loved classical music, that he was self-respecting and disciplined...

But in reality, it had all been her own fantasy for the longest time.

This incident had completely shattered her illusions about Clayton Lowell.

Her "prince charming"? Bah! He was nothing but a scumbag, rotten to the core.