Substitute Wife For The Blind CEO
Chapter 83: Pregnant And Alone

Chapter 83: Pregnant And Alone

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.

By the time he reached an hotel, it was past midnight.

The receptionist recognized him instantly, offering a key with a polite smile and no questions.

Stefan didn’t say a word as he headed for his room.

The elevator ride was silent, but inside, he was screaming. His chest was tight. Every breath felt forced. Every second stretched like an hour. When he finally reached his room, he didn’t bother turning on all the lights. Just one lamp near the bed flickered on, casting a golden glow across the room.

It should’ve felt like an escape. Instead, it felt like exile.

He sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. The events of the night played on repeat in his mind—Ruby’s trembling voice, Ivy’s audacity, and the finality of the door closing behind him as he walked away from the only home he’d known for years.

But it wasn’t home anymore. Not without her. Not without Ruby.

God, Ruby.

He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. It had only been a few days since she left, but the silence she left behind was unbearable. She had filled the rooms with warmth, her laughter soft and rare but honest. Her presence had calmed the chaos in him. She had been his peace. f|ree(w)ebn\o.vel.com

And now she was gone. Pregnant and alone. Because of them.

Because of Elizabeth. His own mother. Where could she be? Who was she with? Could she have gone to stay with that her friend? Rayna? He shook his head, his mind reeling with questions he had no answers to.

He lifted his head, eyes burning as they fixed on the wall in front of him. His jaw tightened as guilt settled like lead in his stomach. He should’ve seen it. Should’ve known something wasn’t right. All the times Ruby hesitated, all the things she almost said but didn’t—he thought it was just nerves, or the stress of his condition. fr\eewebno vel .c(o)m

But she had been holding the truth inside her. Protecting him. Carrying a child that was his, loving him in silence, while the people around them—his family—built a fortress of lies.

He lay back on the bed, one arm flung over his forehead, but his eyes refused to close. Sleep didn’t come. Only questions did.

Where was she now? Was she safe? Was she crying? The thought broke something

That image—Ruby curled up somewhere unfamiliar, clutching her stomach, overwhelmed, betrayed—ripped through him like a blade. He sat up abruptly, elbows on his knees, dragging a hand down his face as if he could rub away the ache pressing on his chest.

He’d told her he loved her.

And she’d wanted to believe him—he saw it in her eyes on one of those times his visions returned for split seconds.

Though he’d seen her eyes a couple of times but the truth was, he hadn’t actually seen her. Not clearly enough.

Not through the haze of lies woven so neatly by the people he trusted.

His mother. He felt sick.

Elizabeth had looked him in the eye, day after day, letting him stumble through the dark, knowing full well what she’d done. What she’d allowed. And now, Ivy had returned to reclaim something that never belonged to her.

Ruby was never a substitute. She was the beginning of everything good in his life.

He stood and paced the room, bare feet against the cool floor. His thoughts were a storm, violent and loud. The minutes crawled by. He checked his phone more times than he could count—no messages, no missed calls.

Nothing. Just the crushing quiet of a woman’s absence where love used to bloom.

He sat again, reaching blindly for the throw pillow on the bed and gripping it like it could hold him together.

She’s out there alone. Carrying your child. And you let her go.

The weight of that truth was unbearable. He wanted to scream. To break something. But more than that, he wanted to go back in time. Wanted to see her face again. Wanted to kiss the corners of her mouth and whisper the words without hesitation this time.

Don’t leave me. I love you. I see you. I know who you are.

But she was gone, and he didn’t know where to start.

It was past three when he lay back down again, staring up at the ceiling, hoping for rest but none came. Only memories.

Her soft laugh when he’d teased her that first night at dinner.

The gentle way she’d tucked his hair behind his ear.

The way her voice cracked when she called herself Mrs. Winters.

His throat tightened as his fingers curled into the sheets.

God, forgive me.

He didn’t sleep that night. Not even for a second. Just lay there in the heavy dark, waiting for the sun to rise like it might bring her back.

But morning came cold and hollow.

By six-thirty, Stefan was showered and dressed in black slacks and a charcoal sweater—he’d picked up before leaving— simple but clean. His face in the mirror looked unfamiliar—haunted. He hadn’t shaved. His eyes were bloodshot, jaw tight. But he didn’t care.

He wasn’t going for a reunion.

He was going to face the woman who’d orchestrated the beginning of this collapse. .com

His mother. Elizabeth Winters.

The woman who had smiled and said she loved him while helping replace his bride with another. The woman who had knowingly allowed Ruby to carry the burden, thinking she was protecting him. The same woman who had welcomed Ivy back like a prodigal daughter while the real woman who had held Stefan’s heart walked out the door with tears in her eyes and a life growing inside her.

He slammed the door of the hotel room behind him without hesitation and drove.