Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 81: She’s Gone Now

Chapter 81: She’s Gone Now

Stefan stood in the vast drawing room of the Winters Estate, his mind racing as he waited for Ivy to come back.

His fists were clenched at his sides, a thick manila envelope grasped tightly in his hand. The moment he’d dreaded—and needed—had finally arrived.

While waiting for Ivy, he’d taken the liberty to go through love notes that Ruby had given him when he had started taking braille class.

Though he’d gotten glimpse of the whole thing happening, it had only just become clearer seeing a different handwritten from what he remembered Ivy’s own to look like. fre\e(w)ebn ov.e l\. co.m

He’d gone as far as checking their wedding certificate and his breath had left him when he realized Ruby had indeed been the one with him that day.

Though he’d wanted nothing but to go find her however he could, he decided to wait for Ivy. He needed to hear whatever stupid reason she had.

To think he’d continued to love her despite all her flaws, telling himself she loved him and that was all that mattered. How could she? Those are the thoughts that had been running through his mind as he waited for the past six hours for her to come.

It was irritating to think she still went ahead with her stupid spa session even after he sounded so urgent still, he waited. These difference had been there all along. He’d just been too stupid to think she’d changed for the better. Who changed overnight? He thought, feeling stupid.

Footsteps approached lightly from behind, echoing down the hallway. Ivy strolled in, dressed immaculately as always. Her face bore a carefully painted smile that faltered the second she met Stefan’s unreadable expression.

Stefan shook his head when he first heard Ivy’s heels footsteps. Relaxed, almost slow steps like he hadn’t called her to come home for over six hours now. Maybe she thought it was something romantic. A surprise. A gift. That was all she ever received from him while she disappeared just when he needed her the most.

How ironic.

"Stefan?" her voice rang out, high and unsure. "I’m here! What did you want to talk abou?"

He didn’t answer.

She opened her mouth to ask why he wasn’t saying anything but then narrowed her eyes when she saw the way he was looking at her.

The stillness in his body. The coldness in his gaze. The tension in his jaw. fre/ew.ebnovel.c om

Something in her paused.

"Are you... okay?" she asked slowly, eyebrows drawing together.

"I’m fine," Stefan replied, tone clipped. "Have a seat," he said finally as he himself went to take his seat.

Ivy blinked, confused. "Here? Now?"

"Yes. Now."

She hesitated, then walked in and sat across from him, perching on the edge of the armchair like she was ready to spring up at any moment.

"I don’t understand what’s going on," she said carefully. "You called me home like it was urgent. Is something wrong?"

"Yet, you took six hours to come home," he said and she shrugged.

"Well, I’m here now," she said with a nervous smile. The way he looked and spoke made her nervous.

He looked at her for a long time. A very long time.

Then finally, he said, "Tell me where Ruby is."

Ivy’s entire posture shifted immediately she heard the words. Her lips parted, but no words came.

"What?" she said a beat too late.

"Don’t play dumb, Ivy. Where is she?"

"I—I don’t know what you’re talking about," she stammered.

"Yes, you do." His voice was like ice. "You always knew."

Her face flushed. "I—Stefan, you’re not making sense. I’m right here. Why are you asking about Ruby? I’m Ivy, your wife—"

"No, you’re not. Not the wife I married," he snapped. "Because the woman I married and fell for, the one who sat beside me for months, who listened, who held me—she wasn’t you."

Ivy stood up. "This is ridiculous—"

"She was Ruby," he said firmly. "The one you let take your place. Or didn’t you? Are you going to tell me she probably threatened you with something?"

Silence slammed between them. She froze, caught like a deer in headlights. She didn’t know what to say or how to respond to that. How did he know? Who must’ve told him? Did Ruby reach out to him? So he had found out when he called her?

"Why?" he asked, his voice low, guttural. "Why did you do it? Why would you let someone else take your place on our wedding day? Why would you let her stay after that? Did you think I wouldn’t notice?"

"I had no choice!" Ivy shouted suddenly, the mask cracking. "You wouldn’t understand!"

"You left me for your sister to marry me and pretend to be you and you dare stand there to tell me I wouldn’t understand?" Stefan yelled and Ivy shook her head.

"That wasn’t my plan, okay? It was all your mother. She was the one that asked Ruby to take my place because I was no where in sight," she said and Stefan looked at her, shocked.

He’d always thought his mother had only just let Ivy come back and take Ruby’s place, he hadn’t realized she had been the one that instigated the who switch. How could she have let Ivy return to his side if she knew Ivy had left him that day?

He thought but shook his head. This wasn’t the time to think these things. He needed to talk to Ivy first so he needed to keep his head cool.

"Why did you leave, Ivy? Did I not love you enough or were you lacking in anyway?" he asked and Ivy shook her head.

"You won’t understand, Stefan."

"Try me."

She wrung her hands, pacing now. "It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, okay. I wasn’t ready—I panicked, okay? The accident happened, and then Mom and your mother... they we should get married immediately, that you’d need me. I tried to love you and think nothing changed but I couldn’t so I decided to leave and clear my head for a while."

"For a while?" he echoed, bitterly. "You watched her live my life with me for months. You saw how close we were. And you said and did nothing. You waited until I had my sight back before you’d come back. You hurt Ruby! You made me hurt her! How could you?"

"She wasn’t supposed to fall for you!" Ivy snapped. "She wasn’t supposed to get in the way!"

Stefan stood, the fury rising in him like a tidal wave. "She wasn’t in the way. She was the way. She was everything. And you— You let me believe a lie while the one person who truly cared about me was suffering under your silence."

Ivy’s expression changed—something like fear creeping in. "What... what are you going to do now? She’s gone. I’m the one here now. I’m the one married to you. My name is what’s in our wedding certificate."

"Our wedding certificate?" He said with a scoff as he ook a step closer. "If you must know, I’m going to fix it. I’m going to find her. I’m going to make it right."

"You don’t even know where she is!" Ivy said desperately. "She’s gone, Stefan!"

"Then I’ll search every damn corner of this city until I find her," he growled. "Because she’s carrying my child, Ivy. And I will not let you or anyone else take that from me."

She staggered back as if slapped. "Shes pregnant? What? How did that happen, how do you know? If you knew, why did you pretend you didn’t."

"I didn’t know before but now? Now I know enough."

He stepped back, suddenly feeling like the room was too small to breathe.

"I want you out," he said calmly, though his voice shook with restraint. "Out of this house. Out of my life."

"You’re throwing me out? For her?"

"For me," he replied. "For the version of myself I lost while chasing a fantasy. I’m done being blind."

He turned toward the door.

"Take everything that belongs to you and leave. I want you gone before I return."

And with that, Stefan walked away, his footsteps slow but steady—each one a promise.

He had burned the bridge behind him. Now he was going to rebuild one in front of him. f r\eew,eb novel.c(o)(m)

Even if it meant walking through hell to find her.

The night air was cool as Stefan stepped out of the house, but it did nothing to quiet the storm inside him.

He didn’t know how long he drove. The roads were mostly empty, his hands gripping the wheel too tightly, his mind a hurricane of emotions he couldn’t name, couldn’t control.

He didn’t know where he was going but he knew he couldn’t stay in his house and that he couldn’t go to his mother’s place since it was late so he decided to logde in an hotel and confront his mother the next day.

**********

Sorry this one is coming late, was really caught up with alot today. I’ll make it up to you all tomorrow! Much love.

I see your votes, and your comments and I want to let you all know I love and appreciate you all.