Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Chapter 09

RICHARD'S POV.

I leaned back in my chair, letting the smooth jazz from the speakers fill the room. We sat in the bar lounge in the mansion.

Martins sat across from me, swirling his wine like he always did when he was about to say something serious.

I could see that look in his eyes-the one that said he was about to dig into things I didn't want to talk about.

"You know," he started, his voice low, "sometimes I feel pity for her. Sarah didn't deserve all that."

"Pity?" I couldn't help the laugh that escaped, harsh and cold. "For her?" I shook my head, taking a long sip of my own wine.

The taste was bitter on my tongue, but it matched the mood. "I don't feel anything for Sarah, except maybe... hatred."

Martins raised an eyebrow at me, clearly not buying it. "Hatred? Come on, Rich. She's not that bad."

"Not that bad?" I shot him a look. Was he serious? I stared down at my glass, watching the red liquid swirl.

"You know how this all started, don't you?" I felt the anger rise in me again, just thinking about it.

"Back in high school, I was with Susan. She was... well, she was everything. Confident, strong, not some clingy little girl who followed me around like a lost puppy."I could feel the disgust creep into my voice. "Then my dad and her dad got this bright idea-'Hey, let's marry off our kids and strengthen our business ties.' Like I was just some piece in their game."

"Yeah, I remember that," Martins said, but I could hear the sympathy in his voice. It irritated me. "But Sarah-"

off, my voice sharper than I meant it to be. "Sarah was obsessed. It was disgusting. She made it

with those wide eyes. "Always jumping on me, clinging like I was the air

get my attention. And everyone thought it was

wanted. She had

hated her for liking you?" Martins asked, his

so easy for them to control me. My father

no, she decided to say yes." I felt my jaw tighten as the memories

I was trapped in some twisted fairy tale, where everyone wanted the perfect

Martins said quietly. "You could've made her

the point? She was so blind, so hopeful.

the real me. She just saw the version of me she wanted." I looked away, staring at the flickering candle on the table. "I was just the prize at the end of her silly dream." Martins sighed, rubbing his temples. "And Susan?

she's not afraid to go after

"Yeah, well, that was the deal, wasn't

even

up inside me at the mere thought of it. The old man-Sarah's father-was the real reason I was stuck in this mess. "He was the one who killed my father, even if no one

staring at me, his eyes searching for something. Understanding,

began slowly, like he was picking his words carefully. "You know it was an accident. They didn't plan

at him, my fingers digging into the armrest of my chair. "Accident? He was the one driving, Martins! They drove themselves to death at the prospect of bonding their precious families together." "My father trusted him, and look where that got him-six feet under!"

him, none of this would

than before. "You could have rejected Sarah after that, you know.

my eyes narrowing. "As if you didn't know," I snapped. He was my best