Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 82: Don’t Be Dramatic

Chapter 82: Don’t Be Dramatic

The moment the heavy front door slammed shut, Ivy stood in the center of the grand Winters Estate drawing room, trembling. Her breath hitched, her hands cold despite the warmth of the room. For a second, she just stood there—stunned as she replayed what had just happened over and over again in her head.

The more she replayed what had happened the more panic gripped her. Was this how her marriage was going to end? Because of her foolishness? No, it can’t end this way.

Stefan had told her to leave his house but she wasn’t going to leave without putting up a fight. She didn’t fight for her it that time hence the reason all of this happened but it was different now. She was going to fight till her last breath. But what was she going to do? What could she do?

She fumbled with her phone and pressed a speed dial with trembling fingers.

"Pick up, pick up, please pick up," she muttered under her breath, pacing the floor as she waited for the call to connect.

Soon the line connected and she exhaled deeply.

"Ivy? Is everything okay?" Regina’s composed voice came through, though laced with concern.

"No!" Ivy choked out. "It’s over, Mom. It’s all over. He knows!"

There was a pause as Regina tried to understand what Ivy was saying. "Calm down. What are you talking about? Who knows what?"

"Stefan! He knows, Mom! About everything—Ruby, the switch, everything!"

Regina inhaled sharply. "What? How? What did you do to tip him off? He couldn’t have been able to tell the difference in just two days, could he?"

"Well, apparently those were just our assumptions!" Ivy snapped, her voice rising. "He called me home this afternoon. I was at the spa, so I thought maybe he wanted to plan something romantic—maybe even take me on a trip or gift me something for staying by his side all these months. So I took my time, finished my session, even got my nails done. I got home six hours later and—" her voice broke, "he was waiting. He looked at me like I was a stranger. Like he’d already written me off. He doesn’t even want to see me!"

Regina’s voice grew sharp. "What exactly did he say?"

"He told me he knew. He went through some things Ruby gave him—letters or whatever. And he checked the wedding certificate to see Ruby’s signature coupled with some tiny winy difference between her and me. He knows I wasn’t the one he married that day. He knows Ruby was."

Regina let out a sharp breath. "And?"

"And—" Ivy swallowed hard, "he knows Ruby’s pregnant."

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Then, "Pregnant?" Regina echoed in disbelief. "How? Are you sure he knows that for a fact? Besides how can Ruby be pregnant?"

Ivy shut her eyes. "Yes. He said it. Said she’s carrying his child. And he told me—he told me he’s going to find her. He wants me gone, Mom. He said to pack my things and leave before he returns."

There was another pause. As Regina tried to think. True, Ruby and Ivy were her kids and Ruby was even her eldest child, she liked Ivy more and couldn’t stand Ivy suffering.

Then Regina’s voice returned, slow and calculating. "Do you have any idea where Ruby could be?"

Ivy exhaled sharply. "No. It’s either she went back to wherever she’s been hiding or maybe she’s gone for good. I don’t know. She hasn’t reached out. I haven’t heard from her since... since that day."

"Alright," Regina replied briskly, "I’ll find out everything I can. I’ll reach out to people, make some calls. But in the meantime, don’t go anywhere."

"What?" Ivy blinked, confused.

"Stay there," Regina said firmly. "He might have told you to leave, but that doesn’t mean you do it. That house is your marital home. That certificate has your name on it, Ivy. Until he files for a divorce and hands you those papers, you’re still his wife—legally, socially, and in every way that matters."

"But Mom, he said he wants to find Rub—" \n(o)v.e\l.com

"I don’t care what he said," Regina snapped. "Men say a lot of things in anger. That doesn’t mean they don’t still have feelings. He might still love you, Ivy. All you have to do now is push a little harder. Break the hold Ruby has over him."

Ivy’s chest ached. "And how exactly do you expect me to do that? He looked at me like he hated me, mom."

"Then shift the narrative," Regina said without missing a beat. "You need to get him to sleep with you. I’m sure you both haven’t done it since you returned."

"What?!" Ivy hissed.

"Don’t be dramatic. All it takes is one night. Get him drunk. Make him believe there’s still something between you two. If you can get him to sleep with you, you can turn that into another pregnancy. That child will tie him to you forever."

Ivy blinked fast, the suggestion rattling in her brain like a loose screw. "You think that’s going to fix this?"

"It’ll keep you relevant. Right now, he’s chasing a ghost with a baby. You need to give him something real to hold on to. The only way to win this is to play dirty. You should’ve known that when you left us no choice but to switch."

Ivy was silent for a long beat. Then she spoke, her voice softer. "It’s too late. He walked out on me tonight, Mom. Told me he’s done. That he’s going to fix what he broke with Ruby."

Regina’s voice grew cold. "This wouldn’t be happening if you hadn’t run off in the first place."

Ivy flinched, her heart thudding painfully. "I know," she whispered. "But now’s not the time to throw blame, Mom. I don’t want to lose my marriage to Stefan Winters."

There was a pause on the line. Then Regina said flatly, "Then you should’ve thought of that before running away on your wedding day. Do what I told you and I’ll see what I can do about Ruby." Regina said and with that, the call ended. free\we,bnovel.c o(m)

Ivy stood frozen, the sharp click of the call ending echoing louder than it should have in the silent house. Her hand trembled as she lowered the phone.

She sank down onto the armchair Stefan had once sat in, her fingers curling tightly around the armrest. Her nails dug into the velvet as the tears finally came.

She didn’t want to lose. Not like this. But deep down, she feared she already had though she wasn’t going to let go without a fight.