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

Chapter 52

Richard's POV

I think the first sign something was wrong was when Sarah stopped giving me hell about the coffee machine.

It's been her favorite thing to complain about for weeks, saying it's possessed because it always spills over whenever she tries to make a cup.

But this morning, she just looked at it, sighed, and made her coffee in silence. No snarky comments, no rolling of the eyes-just silence. That's when I knew.

We'd had the kiss.

That kiss that should have set us on the right path. I could feel it was something for both of us, a step toward fixing the mess I made.

But since then, she's been pulling away. Slower at first, then all at once. The warmth between us, the ease, all of it was slipping through my fingers like sand. "Are you mad at the coffee again?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

She barely smiled, more of a twitch at the corner of her lips. "It's just a coffee machine, Richard. I'm fine."

Fine. The word people use when everything is definitely not fine.

I watched her walk away, her shoulders stiff and her eyes focused on something far away-definitely not the machine, definitely not me.

I spent the rest of the day trying to figure it out. What was I doing wrong? We had kissed. I thought it meant something, that she was ready to move forward.

Was I moving too fast? Was I being pushy? I tried to back off, give her space, but the more I did that, the more distant she became.

The doubt started creeping in. What if she couldn't forgive me? What if the scars I'd left were too deep?

I didn't blame her for hesitating. I had been a complete mess, selfish, wrapped up in my own world when we were together.

I had walked out on her. I had chosen someone else-Susan, of all people. The guilt was like an old coat I couldn't shrug off, no matter how hard I tried. But I had changed. I *was* changing. Wasn't I?

Sarah's POV

the phone. "Richard

ear. Emma had always been my voice of reason, the one who reminded me

ones who held my hand through the divorce, through the whole ugly affair with

about him, Em," I finally said, hating how weak my voice sounded. "I don't

He hurt you. He chose someone else. He left you. Don't you remember that? How many nights did we sit here talking about how badly he broke you?" She was right.

where they played house in my house. It was like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. And

muttered. "But he says he's

like Richard don't change. They just get

***

in the office, it

at me, hopeful, like he was still holding onto something between us. I couldn't smile back. Instead, I sat down and buried

you alright? You've been a little...

fine." There it was again.

across from me, concern etched into his face.

my chair, not looking at him. "I just... I don't know, Richard. I don't know what

do you mean? I

too clean, too hopeful for something

I can trust you," I blurted, finally meeting his eyes. "I don't know

slapped him. "Sarah... I'm trying. I've been trying ever

know," I whispered. "But what if you haven't really changed? What if... what if you do this again? What if you

hung between us, heavy and cold. I could see the pain in his eyes, but I didn't back down. Emma's voice was still in my head,

***

Richard's POV

me. And maybe she was right. Maybe she had every reason not

walked out when she needed me most. But I had come back. I am here now. Didn't that count for

quietly. "You have every reason not to trust me.

front of her,

know I hurt you," I continued, the guilt twisting in my chest. "I

"Or

my guilt? Maybe it was. Maybe part of me wanted redemption, to feel like I wasn't a complete failure.