Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 54: Six Months Later

Chapter 54: Six Months Later

Six Months Later

The sun streamed gently through the soft, ivory curtains of the Winters’ bedroom, casting a golden glow on the couple curled beneath the duvet.

Ruby stirred first, her fingers brushing across the crisp linen sheets as she rolled over to face the man who had somehow become her entire world in just six months.

Stefan Winters, the man who was supposed to be her sister’s husband.

He lay on his side, breathing softly, his arm draped over her waist in a protective hold. His hair was tousled, and his lips were parted slightly, like he’d been in the middle of whispering her name in his dreams. Even now, knowing he couldn’t see her, Ruby’s heart swelled with a bittersweet ache.

For six months, she had lived this lie. Woken up next to a man who thought she was someone else. A man who deserved the truth.

Her hand rose to his cheek, gently brushing back a strand of his hair, as she looked into his calm face.

"I have to tell him," she whispered to herself.

But she had been saying that for months. And each time he held her, each time he kissed her like she was his whole world, she found herself biting back the truth.

Because telling him might mean losing all this—their quiet mornings, the shared laughter, the way he pulled her into his arms as though she was something precious.

Though she would’ve loved for him to love her for her, as Ruby not Ivy but she couldn’t bear to lose him to the truth. No matter how she put it, it was betrayal to him because she knew he loved her—not because he thought she was Ivy but her person.

Stefan stirred beside her, his eyes opening though unfocused. He smiled in her direction, his fingers tightening around her waist.

He used to be an early bird but somehow over the past months, he’d started sleeping in more and he still couldn’t figure out why.

"You’re awake," he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep. "Good morning, love," he greeted, and her heart clenched.

"Good morning," she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

He reached out, his fingers trailing along her jaw, memorizing her face in the way he’d gotten used to. "You feel tense," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

She hesitated. "Not really. I... I think I’m coming down with something."

Immediately, he was upright, concern washing over his features. "Should I call Doctor Sylvia? Or we should go together?"

Ruby smiled softly, touched by his worry. "No, I’ll just stop by on my way. Maybe you can drop me off, and I’ll meet you at the office later if I could." fr\(e)ew(e)b.(n)o (v)(e)l.com

"You sure?" he asked, tilting his head. "I don’t mind waiting. We can go together or I could go drop you after you’re done and can’t go with me."

"You don’t have to do that, baby. I’m sure," she replied, forcing a smile. "It’s probably nothing. I just feel a bit off." free we\bnove(l).com

She rolled out of bed and padded toward the bathroom, leaving Stefan sitting there, frowning in thought.

What he hadn’t told her—and what he wasn’t sure how to explain—was that in the past few months, his vision had returned in small, fleeting moments. A flash here. A flicker there. Just seconds of clarity before the world plunged back into darkness.

He wasn’t even sure if it meant anything. The doctors had warned him that recovery would be unpredictable. But still, those brief moments filled him with hope... and guilt. Because like Ruby, he too was keeping a secret.

He wanted to wait until he was sure—until he could look into her eyes and tell her everything, face to face. But would she forgive him for not saying something sooner?

Maybe that shouldn’t be his concern now. He should prepare so he could take her to the hospital and know what was wrong with her. He told himself as he rang Martin to come pick out his clothes.

Downstairs, they ate breakfast together as they’ve always done for the past six months. Ruby barely touched her toast, her stomach churning for reasons she couldn’t quite place.

Stefan, noticing her lack of appetite, reached for her hand. "Still feeling sick? It’s that serious?"

"A little," she admitted. "But I’ll be fine. I just need to see Sylvia and figure out what’s going on. Could be the flu, I’m sure."

"Alright." He squeezed her hand. "But if you’re not back at the office by noon, I’m coming to get you."

She smiled. "Bossy much?"

"Worried, not bossy," he said and she smiled, appreciating his worry.

After breakfast, they stepped out into the cool morning air. The car ride was quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the clinic, Stefan reached over, brushing his fingers down her arm.

"Text me if anything feels wrong, okay?" he said, his worry evident in his eyes.

"I will," she whispered, leaning in to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

He waited until she disappeared through the clinic doors before asking the driver to drive off, a nagging unease sitting heavy in his chest.

Ruby walked straight to the Doctor Sylvia’s office since she’d called before leaving the house.

Doctor Sylvia looked up in surprise when Ruby entered the room. When she had said she was coming for check up, she hadn’t known Ruby was this sick.

"Ruby? You don’t look well. What’s wrong?" she asked, equally worried seeing how lean she looked like she hadn’t eaten in days.

Ruby slumped into the chair, her hands folded over her abdomen. "I’ve been nauseous lately. Morning and night. I can’t seem to keep any food down. And I’ve been so tired, my moods are all over the place. Something feels... different."

Sylvia narrowed her eyes, already reaching for her notepad. "When was your last period?"

Ruby blinked, a wave of realization washing over her. "I... I think I missed it last month. But I’ve been stressed, so I didn’t think much of it. This isn’t the first time it’s happening like this."

Sylvia was already on her feet. "Oh, yeah. You don’t usually bother because of your condition. Alright. Let’s do a scan and run some blood tests. Just to be sure."

Ruby followed her to the exam room, lying down on the table with a growing sense of unease. She hadn’t even considered pregnancy as a possibility. They had never talked about it. And with everything going on—the lies, the uncertainty—this would only complicate things further.

She stared at the screen as Sylvia moved the probe across her belly, silence stretching between them until she saw things she couldn’t understand and her heart beat doubled.

"What are those little dots? Don’t tell me it’s something serious, please," Ruby asked, pointing.

Sylvia paused, her lips slowly curving into a soft smile. "Those little dots... darling, are your baby."

Ruby’s breath caught in her throat. "What? I’m... I’m pregnant?" she asked, her heart beating really fast.

"Yes, Ivy," Sylvia confirmed gently. "About six weeks, I’d say. Everything looks perfectly healthy so far."

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.