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

Chapter 44

Richard's

pov.

She blinked, and for a moment, it was like I was seeing her consider my words. But then she shook her head, almost like she was brushing them off. "It doesn't change anything," she said quietly. "You didn't even try, Richard. Not once."

She was right again. I never tried. And now I was sitting here, a year later, trying to fix something I'd barely bothered to build in the first place. The truth was, I never let us have good memories. I didn't give us a chance.

When I married Sarah, I wasn't interested in building a life with her-I just wanted my inheritance and Susan-but it turned out to be something empty. And it took losing her to realize just how badly I had screwed it all up.

Now, every time we met for coffee or a quick lunch, I could feel the weight of all the things I should have done.

Every conversation, every smile she gave me now, it was tinged with the bitterness of what could had been if I hadn't been such a fool.

We talked about her business a lot, and I could see how proud she was of it. She lit up when she talked about the new deals she was making, and the expansion plans. And every time she did, it just reminded me how much I missed when we were married. I wasn't there for any of it. I wasn't there for her.

One day, after she was finished telling me about a new investor, I found myself blurting out, "I wish I'd been there to see all of this."

She looked at me, almost startled by my admission. "Well, you weren't," she said, and her words were blunt, but not cruel. "You were always somewhere else."

I nodded, because what could I say? She was right. Again. "Yeah, I was. And I hate myself for that."

at her hands, her fingers tracing

Richard," she

punch, but I knew they were coming.

stop me from wanting

we at least try

long look, and I could see the conflict in her eyes. She didn't hate me anymore-not like she used to-but she was not ready to let me in,

if I believed it

at her lips. "I don't know if that's a good idea,

but you'll still try to get back together."

to argue, but then I just shrug. "Can

and it was the second real laugh I've heard from her in ages. "No, I

are still there, firmly in place. But at least she was laughing again. At least we were

just maybe, that's a

and we kept meeting. Each time, Sarah set the

get too close, never letting me cross any lines. I'd make a joke, she'd

see the flicker of pain in her eyes. It was subtle, but it was there. She hadn't forgotten. How could she? One afternoon, over lunch, I tried to bring up a lighter memory. I

to the cabin? The one up

paused mid-bite, her expression blank.

"Come on, you must remember. We

"Richard, we never went to a cabin. That was you and

course, she was right. I'd taken Susan there, not Sarah. What was I