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

Chapter 68

Sarah pov.

We finally got home. As I stepped into the house, a strange mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity washed over me.

It was our old home-well, technically, Richard's home now. But every inch of it used to be ours, every corner filled with memories I'd tried so hard to pack away. Now, though, something felt off, like stepping back into a room where everything looked the same but nothing felt right.

I looked around, trying to pinpoint the changes. The walls were a different color-cool gray instead of the warm, sandy beige I had picked out together.

The furniture was sleeker, more modern, and arranged in a way that made the space feel more like a showroom than a home.

Small touches, too-abstract art on the walls where our wedding pictures used to hang, my flower pot, gone.

It was Susan's touch. I could tell. It was tasteful, sure, maybe even elegant, but it felt empty, devoid of any sense of belonging.

A pang hit me, unexpected and sharp. I hadn't anticipated feeling so... displaced.

I must've been standing there, staring, because Richard stepped in behind me, his voice soft. "You okay?"

I forced a smile, turning toward him. "Yeah. It's just... different."

He nodded, looking around like he was seeing it through my eyes. "It didn't feel right, honestly. I was meaning to change some things, but... I guess I didn't know where to start."

I glanced back at the walls, at the empty spots that used to hold the photos of our early days, of the vacations we'd taken, birthdays that had once filled this space and made it feel homely. Now, the walls were empty of us. I swallowed hard, determined not to let the past creep in and take over.

"Well," I said, trying to keep my voice light, "it seems like a good chance to start fresh, right?"

Richard's face softened as he nodded, his hand brushing my arm gently. "Yeah. You're right."

the old memories starting to fade and give

it was time to stop holding onto what used to be

a small grin breaking through, "where do we

in his eyes. "I don't know. You're the design

I'd expected. "Alright, don't be surprised if you end up with pink walls

of horror made me laugh again, and I felt alive. It felt good, this playful banter, the easy

as I imagined transforming this space-not to

arms as I surveyed the room with new eyes. "First thing, these walls. Gray's not

he agreed, and I could see

my chin thoughtfully, throwing him a mischievous look.

wrinkled his nose, considering. "Green? Like forest

"Maybe. Or something earthy, you know? Something that feels

smiled, that familiar smile that used to make my heart skip a beat. "Sounds

room to room, I realized how much I was looking forward to making this place feel like ours

colors, and laughed about the things Susan had put up that just didn't fit-like

"Apparently, it's a

makes is 'Look how much money I spent on

again, like none of the past hurt or misunderstandings had ever come

something new building between us-a hope, a small but growing belief that we could really, really

one point, Richard paused, watching me as I took down some of Susan's stiff, carefully curated artwork, replacing it with a framed photo of

his gaze. There was something vulnerable in his eyes, a softness that wasn't

was tinged with something deeper. "This... us, I guess. You make this place

pretending to adjust the photo on the wall. "Well," I said softly, "I

one little piece at a time. It was amazing how even the smallest changes could make a difference-a splash of color here, a new piece of

became a little more ours, a little less a shadow of the