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."

you say nothing. You just... you

shouted. "Or... or at least tell them it's not true. Tell them

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

her cheeks again. "It's not enough,

mixing in my gut. "I know you're hurting," I said, my

stand there, all calm and collected, while I get called names.

I'm trying my best here," I said, my

easy is when you love someone, and the whole world says you shouldn't. Not easy is being looked at like you're a homewrecker every time

a hand through my hair. Susan would

I'll talk to them if

away. "You always say

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

she nodded, but I could see she wasn't

"But next time, if it happens again... you say something. You don't just stand

grow. "I promise," I

was a promise

I had to do. I couldn't keep standing by while people whispered and pointed

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

all the talk for good. That's how I ended up sitting across from Martins at the

whole city, where

took a sip of his drink, looking at me with that calm expression of

a deep breath, then said

"Propose? Richard, that's-" He shook his head.

I snapped,