Chapter 1

Charlotte

"Hmm, hmm." My husband groans as he thrusts into me.

I squeeze my eyes shut and let out a moan I don't feel. On the inside though, I'm just counting down the seconds till he's done with this and can finally leave me alone.

"You feel so good, Charlotte." He presses a kiss to the side of my neck.

I make a face as sweat drips off his body onto my face. Eww. I'm going to have to shower thoroughly after this.

"I'm coming. Yes, yes, yes!" He moans above me.

My eyes fly open just in time to see his face contorting with pleasure, his body vibrating with the force of his orgasm. Bile rises up my throat as I feel his hot seed coating my walls, but I swallow it down in time. Finally, he rolls off me, breathing hard.

"That was good, yeah? Probably the best one yet." Kevin chuckles.

I fix a smile on my face. "Yeah."

He rises out of the bed and staggers to the bathroom to get cleaned up. My beloved husband never even thinks of getting me a towel to clean myself up. Still, my smile never waivers.

"Did you cum?" He asks when he steps back into the room.

"Uh_"

The slight delay in my response immediately changes everything. His expression darkens. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say I'm not good or what? You're wrong. You're the problem. Every woman I've ever been with loved it. It's because you're a frigid bitch."

I flinch, grabbing the duvet to cover up my nakedness, but he's not done.

"You're as cold as fish. You're just a robot wife. Lifeless and boring. You have no personality whatsoever," he spits.

My jaw clenches at his words. At the beginning of this marriage, the same characteristics he now uses to mock me are the ones he praised me for. I was once 'the perfect wife', 'responsible', 'cool and collected'. It's crazy how in the space of a year I'm now the 'robot wife'.

I almost retort that isn't this what he wanted, but I hold my tongue.

"And also, it's been a year!" Kevin snaps. "Why haven't you given me an heir yet, hunh? Or are you so lifeless that a child can't even grow in that barren womb?"

I lower my lashes to hide the bitterness in my eyes. The last thing I need is to drag this out any further. My skin is crawling with the need to jump into the shower and wash away his touch.

"You promised me an heir, Charlotte." He says coldly. "You better give me one soon or I'll start reconsidering your place in this marriage."

With that threat hanging in the air, he turns on his heels and storms off, banging the door behind him for extra measure. I wait till I hear his furious footsteps disappearing down the hallway before I roll my eyes and slip out of the bed.

At that moment, my phone begins to buzz. I immediately grab it from the night stand.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Mrs. Charlotte Anders?"

"This is she."

"This is the city base hospital. The final surgery has been completed on your mother and it was successful. Your mother is on her way to full recovery and can be discharged within a week." The man's voice informs me. "But she has to rest for a long while to fully recover, which means no going back to work anytime soon, and she has to be in a stress free environment."

Relief washes through me, tears biting the back of my eyes. In the past year, my mother has been through over eight surgeries, and now finally all of it is over. I've succeeded in saving her life.

"Thank you for everything. I'll take care of her recovery."

"One more thing, Ma'am. You have an astounding bill of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Should I charge it to the same account? That of Mr. Kevin Anders?"

A smirk curls my mouth. "Yes, of course, that's my dear husband's account."

"Alright ma'am. Have a great day."

As soon as I hang up the call, I let out a squeal of delight. The weight I've been carrying for so long has lifted off my shoulder and I feel lighter than air. I dance around the room excitedly.

Only when I hear the door fly open do I freeze. It's my husband again, fury still rolling off him.

"Why are you still here? Don't you know we have a family event to attend tonight?" He barks. "Are you intentionally trying to make me late?"

I let my head hang. "I'm sorry, Kevin. I was just trying to clean the room up a little."

He narrows his eyes at me suspiciously. "Wear something nice and vibrant. I don't want you dressing like an old woman again. Don't embarrass me out there."

Gritting my teeth, I nod. I keep on reminding myself that it's just a matter of time.

After he leaves, I slide into the shower and turn it on as hot as I can tolerate. I sigh when the jet of water hits my skin. I drag my hands over my skin, laughing when I spot the concealer I applied earlier washing off me.

I finger a lock of my dark brown hair with a smirk.

Just a few more weeks left. I can't wait.