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-"

I meant it to be. "Sarah was

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

blushing, trying to get my attention. And everyone

Unlike Susan. Susan knew what she wanted. She had pride. She didn't throw

you hated her for liking you?" Martins asked, his voice

grip tightening around the glass. "I hated that she made it so easy for them to control me. My father

me, but no, she decided to say yes."

some twisted fairy tale, where everyone wanted the perfect love story. But

Martins said quietly. "You could've

the point? She was so blind, so hopeful.

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 it. She's not some fragile little flower." "But she's not with

at his words. "Yeah, well, that was the deal, wasn't it?

sounded bitter even

felt the rage flare 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

at me, his eyes searching for something. Understanding,

picking his words carefully. "You know it was an accident.

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

for him, none of

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

"As if you didn't know," I snapped. He was my best friend; of course,