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

Chapter 13

Richard's

POV.

I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of my shirt. The room felt different these days. It was colder.

Susan had changed everything, from the curtains to the furniture. Even the staff moved differently around the house.

They used to smile more, chat a bit while they worked. Now, they were quieter, always with their eyes down, moving quickly and carefully.

Susan was stricter, and honestly, I didn't mind. I liked the order. I liked the discipline.

We had an event tonight-another one of those high-profile gatherings. Susan was going all out as usual.

She was already dressed, standing in front of the mirror in her silver gown, checking her reflection every few minutes.

"How do I look?" she asked again, turning slightly to see the back of her dress.

"You look stunning," I said, barely glancing at her. My focus was on finding my tie. It should've been right here in the closet, on the top shelf where it always was.

But it was gone. I frowned, digging through the shelves, and pushing aside shirts and scarves.

"Are you going to stand there all night?" Susan's voice cut through the room. "We need to leave in ten minutes."

"I can't find my tie," I muttered, digging through the drawer. I could feel my patience wearing thin.

She sighed loudly and sat back down in front of the vanity, adjusting her hair. "Well, if you didn't keep things so haphazardly..."

Haphazardly? I stared at the neatly organized shelves. Susan had reorganized everything when she moved in.

She said it was for the best, that everything needed to be in its proper place. I didn't argue at the time.

She liked things a certain way, and I was fine with that. But now, here I was, standing in front of a wardrobe full of clothes and no tie.

I yanked open another drawer. Nothing. I glanced at the top shelf, then hesitated.

The ties used to be up there, in a small compartment, before Susan had moved things around.

reached up automatically, only to find it

Susan said, not even bothering to look up. "Just grab another

around for a different one, but it felt off. They used to be a

even find a simple tie without turning the whole wardrobe

was in the same situation, searching frantically for a tie before an important

of my mess,

set it up so I wouldn't have to scramble like this. She used to do things like that all the time. But back then, I never really noticed or cared. I grabbed

up and giving herself one last look in the

tugging at the tie knot,

Susan out of the room, I glanced back at the wardrobe, the sense of something being off nagging at

tie.

down the stairs, Susan already ahead, heels clicking on

No room for stuff like organizing ties or making sure things were where they needed to be without

was just a tie, I kept telling myself. Just a

got into the car and pulled the door shut, I felt that tightness

going over who we'd see, and what we

right, even though I couldn't put my finger on it. It

***

I made our way through the crowd, greeting people as we

the clinking of glasses. Susan clung to my

back into the main hall, and the

arm. The way she fit me like a cloth made

Ben, an old colleague, walking toward us with a grin on his face. "It's been a while. How's life treating

nod and then, almost too casually, added, "I heard about

She forced a smile, but I could tell it was strained. "Everything's great," I replied quickly.

at Susan. "Well, that's good to

around before whispering, "You really moved on fast, huh? There's been some talk... you know

"What

divorce. You know how rumors start." Susan's face flushed red, and I

love to gossip," I said with a tight smile. "We don't pay attention to

said, holding up his hands. "Didn't mean anything by it. Just...

Susan said, her voice sharp. "We

weaving through the crowd. I could feel

corner, an older man approached us. It was Mr. Johnson, one of the senior partners at the

hand. "It's been too