Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 49: Helplessness

Chapter 49: Helplessness

Later that evening, after Ethan left and the house settled into a quiet hum, Ruby found herself sitting at the edge of the bed, waiting for Stefan, who was downstairs having a few drinks.

She glanced at her phone which was in her hand, and her heart felt heavy as Rayna’s thoughts crossed her mind.

She had promised Rayna she would call last night, but she hadn’t seen the time. She should’ve also called earlier today but then, so much had happened — the dance, the unexpected visit from Ethan, the confusing emotions swirling inside her— everything had made her lost track of time.

How was she now? How was the case? Had she been able to resolve the case or was it still on? Were they charging her to court? Her mind buzzed with questions she knew only Rayna could answer and she sighed.

Feeling guilty, Ruby quickly dialed Rayna’s number, pressing the phone close to her ear.

It rang only twice before Rayna answered, her voice sounding tired and strained.

"Hello?"

"Rayna," Ruby said softly. "I’m so sorry. I should have called you last night. Things got a little crazy here..."

There was a small pause on the other end, then a soft, weary laugh.

"It’s okay, Rubes. I figured you were busy," she said as she pushed away from her laptop.

Ruby’s chest tightened at how exhausted her best friend sounded. It wasn’t like Rayna to sound this defeated. Normally, she was full of energy, even when she was stressed. It just goes to show how much this was weighing on her.

"I still feel awful," Ruby said. "I’ve been thinking about you all day. How are things going with... you know, everything?"

Rayna let out a long, shaky sigh. "Not great," she admitted. "Not great at all."

Ruby’s stomach twisted. "What happened?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper like speaking louder might somehow make things worse.

"They’re pushing for a court date sooner than we thought," Rayna said. "My lawyer’s doing what he can to stall, but they’re being aggressive. They filed another motion today, claiming I cost the company hundreds of thousands in losses."

Ruby gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "That’s ridiculous! You didn’t even do anything wrong!"

"I know," Rayna said, her voice breaking a little. "But proving that? It’s not so easy. They have money, Ruby. They have fancy lawyers who know how to twist things and make it look like we’re some criminal for what we posted."

Ruby closed her eyes tightly, trying to push down the anger and helplessness rising in her chest.

"Oh God! This really shouldn’t be happening to you," she said fiercely. "You’re the most hardworking, loyal person I know. How could one mistake put you in this kind of situation. I bet they’ve been looking for ways to get to you before now."

Rayna gave another tired laugh, but this one was tinged with sadness. "Yeah, I figured. They saw the opportunity and just took it," she said and Ruby sighed.

"Si, what is this worker of yours doing or saying about all of this?" Ruby asked and Rayna laughed despite herself.

"You won’t believe she’s no where to be found. I’m not saying she should’ve stayed to pay for damages, I mean I hired her so it’s my responsibility but disappearing the way she did? It’s almost like she knowingly did this to ruin me or something," she said almost at the verge of tears.

There was a silence between them, heavy and painful. Ruby hated being so far away. She hated knowing her best friend was hurting and she couldn’t do anything but listen over the phone.

"Is there anything I can do?" Ruby asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Anything at all?"

"You’re already doing it," Rayna said. "Just... being there. Letting me vent. It helps more than you know."

Ruby swallowed hard, her throat aching. "I wish I could do more," she whispered.

"You being happy helps too," Rayna added, her voice softening. "Tell me something good, Rubes. Please. I need to hear something good right now."

Ruby smiled sadly. "Well... Stefan’s best friend Ethan came to visit today. He’s really nice. Not at all what I expected. And I almost spilled!" She said and Rayna chuckled.

"Really? Tell me about it," she said and Ruby went on to explain what happened.

"Why are you and your sister so much apart in character though? She’s just so bitter and hates people," Rayna said and Ruby shrugged.

"I don’t know, Ray. I mean, she doesn’t exactly like me even though we’re twins. She only talks to me about few things or when she’s really happy," Ruby said with a sigh.

"Let’s not talk about her. How’s Stefan?" Rayna said, not wanting to talk about Ivy again.

Ruby’s cheeks warmed instantly, and she was glad Rayna couldn’t see her blushing.

"He’s... been amazing," Ruby said softly. "He’s been so sweet and patient. Every day, I fall a little more for him and it scares me, Ray."

There was a warm pause on the other end.

"I understand why you’d feel scared but you really do deserve that kind of love," Rayna said firmly. "You hear me? After everything you’ve been through... here in Florittle, you deserve someone who sees you the way he does."

Ruby blinked back sudden tears, overwhelmed by emotion. "I know but it scares me, Ray. All this is still a lie. I just hope... when the truth comes out, he won’t hate me," she whispered, her biggest fear spilling out before she could stop it. fre ewebno(v)e\l.(c)om

"He won’t," Rayna said fiercely. "He loves you already. Even if he doesn’t know it yet."

Ruby wiped at her eyes quickly, forcing a smile into her voice. "You’re just saying that because you’re my best friend."

"Damn right I am," Rayna said, and this time her laughter was a little stronger. "And best friends are always right."

Ruby laughed too, the sound shaky but real.

"I miss you," she said.

"I miss you more," Rayna replied. "But don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll get through this. I’m tougher than I look."

Ruby smiled through her tears. "You always are."

They talked for a few more minutes — nothing heavy, just silly things to make Rayna laugh and lighten the mood. Ruby promised to call again tomorrow and made her swear to get some sleep.

When they finally hung up, Ruby sat there for a long moment, staring at her phone, feeling the ache of helplessness gnawing at her. .com

She wanted so badly to fix everything for Rayna. To march into that courtroom and scream the truth until everyone listened.

But all she could do was be there, even from far away.

All she could do was love her best friend with everything she had and pray that somehow, somehow, things would get better.