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

wasting time," Susan said, not even bothering to look up.

They used to be a system, a way of knowing exactly where things

even find a simple tie

the same situation, searching frantically

my mess, calm as ever. She

scramble like this. She used to do things like that all the time. But back then, I never really noticed or

and giving herself one last look in the mirror. "Let's go.

at the tie knot, which felt too tight around

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

tie. Why was this

Susan already ahead, heels clicking on the floor. She was always focused, always

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

a tie, I kept telling

into the car and pulled the door shut, I felt

event, going over who we'd see, and what we should say,

that something wasn't quite right, even though I couldn't put my finger on it. It

***

way through the

and the clinking of glasses.

back into the main hall, and the noise hit

way she fit me like

toward us with a grin on his face. "It's been a while. How's

then, almost too casually, added, "I heard about the divorce, that must be hard

grip on my arm tighten. She forced a smile, but I could tell

Susan. "Well, that's good to

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

widened. "What do you

hesitated, lowering his voice even more. "Just some folks wondering if... well, if maybe there was someone else before the divorce. You know how rumors start." Susan's face flushed red, and I could see she was on the edge of snapping. I

I said with a tight smile. "We don't pay

of course," Ben said, holding up his hands. "Didn't mean anything

Susan said, her

himself, and we moved on, weaving through the crowd. I could feel Susan's anger simmering

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

me warmly, shaking my hand. "It's been too long. And