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

said, not even bothering to look up. "Just

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

a simple tie without turning the whole wardrobe upside

the same situation, searching frantically

in the middle of my mess, calm as

compartment for your ties." Sarah had 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 a random tie, wrapping it

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

the tie knot, which felt too tight around my

at the wardrobe, the sense of something being off nagging at the back of my

a tie. Why

down the stairs, Susan already ahead, heels clicking on the floor. She

stuff like organizing ties or making sure

kept telling

got into the car and pulled the door shut, I felt that tightness again, not

the event, going over who we'd see, and what we

that something wasn't quite right, even though I couldn't

***

through the crowd, greeting people

clinking of glasses.

walked back into the main hall, and the noise hit us again-laughter, clinking

way she fit me like a cloth

his face. "It's been a while. How's life treating you?" "It's been good,

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

but I could tell

Susan. "Well, that's good to

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

eyes widened. "What

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 gave her hand

said with a tight smile. "We

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

her voice sharp.

on, weaving through the crowd. I

It was Mr. Johnson, one

my hand. "It's been too long. And