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

Chapter 11

Richard

pov.

Susan walked into the penthouse like she owned the place. Her heels made sharp clicks on the marble floor, echoing through the quiet room. She stopped in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, eyes scanning every corner.

I stood back, leaning against the doorway, watching her take charge. She was like a force of nature, and I liked it. No hesitation. No second-guessing. Susan was strong, confident, and every bit the woman I had always wanted by my side. No pretense, no forced affection. Just her, raw and real. "This place needs a makeover," she declared, her eyes sweeping over the furniture. "It still smells like her."

I watched as she called for the servants. They came rushing in, looking nervous. Susan was already pointing out things she didn't like.

"Get rid of that sofa," she snapped. "And that painting-trash it. It's ugly."

She moved through the room like a storm, ordering everyone around. Something was exciting about how she took charge.

Sarah never did that. She was always too timid, too soft.

"Richard," Susan called, waving me over. "Can you believe she kept this old vase?" She pointed to a small, ceramic vase sitting on a shelf. "It's hideous."

I shrugged. "I never really noticed it."

"Well, I did," Susan sneered. "It's going in the trash." She looked at the servants. "What are you waiting for? Throw it out!"

The housekeeper, Mrs. Turner hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking to me for direction.

"Do as she says," I told her, keeping my voice firm.

Mrs. Turner nodded and quickly moved to remove the vase. Susan kept looking around, like a general surveying her territory.

"This place needs an overhaul," she muttered. "I mean, seriously, who decorated this place? It's so... bland."

I knew who she meant. Sarah. But I didn't say anything. Susan didn't need to hear the name to know who we were talking about.

the vase. "By tonight, I want everything that belonged to her out of

emotions. On one hand, I was

nagging feeling. Something I

This was what

this?" Susan asked, turning to me,

replied, forcing a smile. "I like

someone has to. This place needs

her opinions. She was

of Sarah, who always tiptoed

around again, her eyes landing on a painting hanging in the hallway. "And that," she

painting. It was some landscape Sarah had picked out. She said it reminded her of our first

way before. To me, it was just another piece of art on

continued, "I don't care. Just

orders, moving quickly to remove the painting. I watched them

name. I brushed it aside. This was the new

woman who didn't hold back, the woman who made decisions and stood

around mine, leaning in close. "We're going to make this

nodded, trying to match her enthusiasm. "Exactly.

place is going to look like it

listening as she dove into her vision of the penthouse. She talked about tearing down walls, replacing furniture, and changing

a while, I felt relieved. This was what I thought I needed. A partner who

later, the penthouse was

been repainted in bold colors that Susan chose, and the furniture was sleek, modern, and

when Martin came by. I had barely closed the door behind him when he froze, his eyes wide as he took in the new decor. "Wow," he muttered, looking around. "This place... it doesn't

it off. "It's different,

the living room, eyes sweeping over everything. "Different? More like... sterile. What happened to all the stuff that made this place feel lived-in? Where's-" "Sarah's gone," I cut in

at me, eyebrows raised. "Right." He picked up a glass

eyeing me over the

said, my voice firm. "I like

"Sure, but it's... fast, don't