My CEO Husband Cheated, I Wed a Ruthless General

The cold medical instruments left behind a dull, throbbing ache. Charlotte Sawyer gripped the bedsheets tightly and endured until the examination was over, her forehead covered in cold sweat. The doctor put away the tools and spoke gently, "Ms. Sawyer, your uterus is perfectly healthy. If you have been unable to conceive, I suggest you bring your husband in for a check-up as well." Charlotte thanked the doctor politely, her fingertips brushing over her lower abdomen. As she spoke of her husband, Leon Lancaster, a hint of tenderness softened her eyes. "He is the CEO of Lancaster Group. The company provides comprehensive medical checkups every six months." She had been the youngest prodigy ever to graduate from Herald Medical School. To support Leon's career, she turned down offers from top laboratories and willingly took the position of head of Lancaster Group's core pharmaceutical R&D team. Seven years into their marriage, her greatest wish was to have a child with him. Just as she was speaking, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Leon. Leon: Honey, I have to work overtime tonight. I'll be home late. Charlotte looked at the date on the screen and curved her eyes in a smile. He was usually so busy that he barely came home, but on three fixed days every month, he would always cancel all social engagements to come home and try for a baby with her. She had always taken this as proof of his love for her. Today happened to be one of those agreed days. Since he was working overtime, she would go to his office to give him a surprise. She slipped into a new silk nightdress, covered it with a long trench coat, and brought along his favorite soup before driving to the Lancaster Group. The door to the CEO's office was unlocked. She pushed it open quietly, and just as she was about to call out and surprise him, the words died in her throat. Leon's tie was strewn across the desk, along with a white shirt smudged with red lipstick. A pair of women's high heels that did not belong to her and a black bodycon skirt were discarded on the gray carpet. The door to the lounge was ajar, and the suggestive sounds of a man and a woman drifted out. Charlotte's blood ran cold in an instant. She walked over on silent feet, and through the c***k in the door, she saw a scene she would never forget as long as she lived. It was her stepsister, Rachel, sitting on the lounge sofa, tangled in Leon's arms, her voice sickeningly syrupy. "Leon, she went for a gynecological examination today. When do you think she'll find out that you've been giving her birth control pills for seven years?" Leon's voice was as cold as ice, with none of the usual gentleness he showed her. "Her head's full of nothing but research and no clue how the real world works. She'll never catch on. If her research weren't making the company billions, I would never have married her. The title of Mrs. Lancaster is a reward for her. Only you are worthy of bearing my children, and your child will be the sole heir to my company." Charlotte stood outside the door, listening to every word, her fingertips turning ice-cold. She suddenly remembered how, over the past seven years, every time after they were intimate, Leon would gently bring her a cup of warm water mixed with honey and a "secret health supplement," saying it was good for her body. It turned out he'd been slipping specially made birth control pills into it all along. She thought of the countless all-nighters she had pulled over the past seven years, helping the Lancaster Group overcome one medical research challenge after another in organ regeneration and cellular research, growing a small company into an industry giant. It turned out that in his eyes, she was nothing more than a useful i***t. Seven years of tenderness had all been an act. Those countless nights they spent trying for a baby, the thoughtful care, the late-night embraces—all of it was fake. She didn't burst in to confront them, and she didn't cry either. She turned around quietly and left the CEO's office. The moment the elevator doors closed, she shut her eyes. When she opened them again, there was nothing but icy resolve in her gaze. 'Leon Lancaster, you don't deserve to be my husband.'