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."

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.

least tell them it's not true. Tell them that you love me, that you always did. That it

tell them," I said, feeling helpless. "But it

head, tears streaming down her cheeks again. "It's

away, anger and helplessness mixing in my gut. "I know you're hurting," I said, my voice low. "But...

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

bubbled up inside me. "Susan, I'm trying my best here," I said, my

whole world says you shouldn't. Not easy is being looked at like you're a homewrecker every time you walk into

ran a hand through my hair.

"We'll figure it out. I'll talk to them if

turning away. "You always

this time," I insisted. "I'll

Finally, she nodded, but I

happens again... you say

in my chest grow. "I

sure if it was a

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

didn't deserve that. So I decided

for good. That's how I ended up sitting

place with a view of the whole city, where you can have

looking at me with that calm expression of his. "You wanted to

took a deep breath, then said it.

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

I snapped,