Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO

Chapter 55: He Deserves The Truth

Tears welled in Ruby’s eyes, her hand flying to her mouth. The room seemed to blur, her mind spinning.

A baby. She tried not to think anything until they were done and back in the doctor’s office.

The silence in Doctor Sylvia’s office felt louder than ever as Ruby sat motionless, her trembling hands resting protectively over her lower abdomen.

Her thoughts were scattered, spiraling in all directions, but all she could feel—truly feel—was the thundering of her heartbeat in her ears.

She was pregnant. Pregnant with Stefan’s baby.

The words hadn’t fully sunk in. She had heard them, seen the tiny flickering heartbeat on the screen, but they still didn’t feel real. A child. A part of Stefan. A part of her. A living, growing symbol of everything she had come to cherish... and everything she’d hidden behind a lie.

Doctor Sylvia was kind, her voice gentle as she explained prenatal care, routine checkups, and diet changes, but Ruby could barely absorb any of it. Her eyes were on the scan photo clutched in her hand, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

She couldn’t breathe under the weight of the secret pressing down on her.

"Thank you," she finally murmured as she stood to leave, the small photo tucked into her bag like a precious burden. "I... I’ll schedule the next appointment soon. But before then, you can send the test results over to the house when it’s out."

Sylvia offered a warm smile. "I’ll do just that. Take care of yourself, Ivy. And congratulations again."

Ruby only nodded before slipping out of the clinic. The sunshine felt too bright, the world too fast, as she walked slowly to the curb and leaned against a lamp post, her legs trembling beneath her.

She couldn’t go to the office. Not like this. Not with her thoughts in shambles and her heart carrying too much.

She needed to talk to someone and she needed to do that now before her heart stops beating from overworking itself.

With shaking fingers, she pulled out her phone and dialed the one person she knew she could completely be herself with—Rayna.

Rayna was the only person she could talk to about all that was going on in her head. The pregnancy, the lies, what she had to do— Rayna was the only one she could talk to.

an option and neither was Stefan’s mother, Elizabeth. Though they’d said she should be Stefan’s wife in every word of it, she

problem was. She didn’t want to bring this child into this world of lies. If she’d tell Stefan about it, then she’d also have

the symbol of love between her and Stefan. Not now, not ever.

long before Rayna picked up and Ruby’s heart beat increased,

up?" came her best friend’s cheerful voice. "I was just thinking about you," Rayna said, and Ruby swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. fre\e(w)ebn ov.e

the cheerfulness on the

Rayna asked in concern the moment she heard the

I just..." Ruby closed her

What’s the problem, Rubes? Is Ivy

not Stefan. He can

Rayna cut in

feeling sick and tired and... Rayna, I wasn’t sick. I’m

a pause, followed

Pregnant? With Stefan’s baby?" Rayna asked, unable to hide her

was closer to a sob. "Yes. With his

you... okay? Are you happy? It’s supposed to make you happy,

be. I mean, Stefan’s been nothing but amazing to me, Rayna. He’s gentle, patient, so damn thoughtful. Sometimes

what’s making you cry,

out like venom. "Every day I wake up in his arms and pretend to be someone I’m not. Every night he kisses me and calls me Ivy, and I just... I let

a beat. "Oh, God

his wife? I’m a fraud. Someone that deceived him and now I’m pregnant while living this lie. What am I going to do now? This baby deserves honesty. Stefan deserves honesty. But how do I even begin to tell him that the woman he’s fallen in love with isn’t his fiancée? That Ivy left him and I just took her place because his mother asked me

carrying this guilt for six months. And now, a baby’s involved. You can’t keep living

scared, Ray. What if he hates me? What if he pushes

heart? What if he remembers everything you’ve done, the way you’ve stood by him, loved him in

maybe it stitched something back together. Because for the first time in months, she didn’t

a deep breath and exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of her decision settle

she said softly. "I have to tell him. No more

"Do it today. Don’t let fear hold you back. He deserves to know the real Ruby.