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

Chapter 15

Richard pov.

Weeks passed, and it was the same thing every time Susan and I went out.

People always found a way to bring up Sarah, to compare them. It was grating on my nerves.

Why did they have to pick on Susan? It wasn't her fault that I didn't love Sarah. If anything, Sarah was the other woman. Susan was the one I'd loved from the start. I stood outside our bedroom door, listening to her muffled cries. We had just come back from another event, and it had happened again.

Someone had called her 'the other woman.' My hands balled into fists. Why couldn't they just let it go?

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open. Susan was on the bed, face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking.

I walked over and sat beside her, reaching out to touch her back.

"Susan," I said softly.

She jerked away from my hand. "Don't," she snapped. Her voice was raw. "You just stood there, Richard. You just watched while they called me the other woman."

I felt a knot in my stomach. "I... I didn't know what to say," I muttered. "You know it's not true. They don't know our story."

She lifted her head, her eyes red and puffy. "But they keep saying it! Every single time!"

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "It's like... it's like I'm some kind of villain. And you... you just stand there."

I felt the sting of her words. "That's not fair," I said quietly. "You know it's not fair."

clenched into fists. "Fair? Richard, they called me the other woman! They say I stole you from your sweet, perfect wife. And you say nothing. You just... you just look at them." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "What do you want me to do, Susan? Yell

Tell them that you love me, that you always

hit my chest. "I do tell them," I said, feeling helpless. "But it doesn't matter to them.

cheeks again. "It's not enough, Richard. It's

you're hurting," I said,

and collected, while I get called names. I'm the one who has to listen to it. And you... you don't

here," I said, my voice rising. "It's

like you're a homewrecker every time

my

said, softer this time. "We'll figure it out. I'll talk to them if it

away. "You always say

it this time," I insisted. "I'll make them see it's not what

she nodded, but I could

next time, if it happens again...

feeling the tightness in my chest grow. "I promise," I said, but the words felt

wasn't sure if it was a promise I could

had to do. I couldn't keep standing by while

didn't deserve that. No, we didn't deserve that. So I decided to go big,

all the talk for good. That's how

the kind of place with a view of the whole city,

his drink, looking at me with that calm expression of his. "You wanted to talk. What's

breath, then said it. "I want to propose

almost choked on his drink. "Propose? Richard, that's-" He

care what people think!" I snapped, louder than I meant