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

Chapter 144

Sarah

pov.

The house was quiet, the kind of quiet I hadn't felt in weeks.

It was almost strange how still everything seemed after Marina's departure, like the air itself had stopped bristling with her constant comments and hovering presence.

I sat at the kitchen table, sipping on a cup of chamomile tea. The warmth spread through me, but my thoughts kept drifting back to her-what she'd said, what she'd implied, and the way it all made me feel.

I'd been so relieved when she left, but now that the dust was settling, I couldn't shake this uncomfortable feeling in my chest. It wasn't just about her words.

It was the way they made me question things I thought I'd been confident about.

"Everything okay?" Richard's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. He was leaning against the kitchen counter, watching me.

I nodded, but it was more out of habit than conviction. "Yeah. Just thinking."

He walked over, pulling out the chair beside me and sitting down. His hand reached for mine, warm and steady. "Thinking about her? Again?" he asked gently, like he already knew the answer.

I sighed, staring down at my tea. "It's not like I'm trying to. But, yeah. I keep replaying everything she said. Not just her comments about the baby, but... I don't know, the way she made me feel like I'm not doing anything right." Richard frowned, his thumb rubbing circles over the back of my hand. "Sarah, you're doing everything right. You don't have to let her get into your head like this. She doesn't live here. She doesn't live our life."

off, you know? She kept saying things like she was trying to help, but it didn't feel

really think she's someone whose opinion matters?

me square in the chest. He was right-Marina's opinions weren't gospel, and yet I'd let them take root like they were. "I guess it's not even about her," I admitted after a

It's like she poked at things I was already scared of. What if I'm not good

on my

I know this for a fact because I see the way you care, how much thought you put into everything. That's what's going to make the difference." His words settled something

package arrived. Richard brought it into the living room, holding it up like

on my jeans before sitting down to open it. Inside was a glossy baby care book with an intimidatingly long title: How to Be the Perfect Parent: A Comprehensive Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Children. The note tucked inside was what gave it away.

I muttered, holding up the book like it was something radioactive. "This has her

over the back of the couch, peering

like never, always, and must. I

around to sit beside

raised an eyebrow.

me and flipping it open dramatically. "Because now you can look at this and laugh instead of

couch with a laugh. "This is

book onto the

The sky was painted in streaks of orange and pink, and the

draped over the back of my chair. "You've been quiet today," he

way," I assured him quickly. "I've just been... thinking. About everything. About her. About

prompted, his

like her make me question myself,"