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."

hands 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

or at least tell them it's not true. Tell them that you

hit my chest. "I do tell them," I said, feeling helpless. "But

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

looked away, anger and helplessness mixing in my gut. "I know you're hurting," I said, my voice low. "But... this isn't

while I get called names. I'm the one who has to listen to it. And

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

at me. "Not easy? Not 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 you walk into a

hand through my hair.

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

sniffled, turning away. "You always say

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

Finally, she nodded, but I could

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

in my chest grow. "I promise," I said, but the

sure if it was

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

deserve that. So I decided to go big, and make

would end all the talk for good. That's how I ended

a view of the whole

drink, looking at me with that calm expression

breath, then said it. "I want to propose

choked on his drink. "Propose? Richard, that's-" He shook his head. "It's

care what people think!" I snapped,