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

Sarah

pov.

I woke up feeling like I was floating on air. Memories of last night flooded back-the soft glow of fairy lights, Richard's face as he knelt before me, the ring that sparkled on my finger. I glanced at my hand, letting the sunlight catch the diamond, and smiled. It still felt surreal.

The baby stirred, a gentle nudge reminding me she was there. "Good morning, little one," I murmured, rubbing my belly. She responded with another kick, and my heart swelled. Today was going to be beautiful, filled with friends and laughter at the baby shower.

But as I climbed out of bed and pulled on a robe, a faint unease settled in the back of my mind. Something I couldn't quite place.

When I reached the kitchen, the smell of coffee and the sound of laughter greeted me. Zoe was sitting at the counter, holding a steaming mug, while Martins leaned back in his chair, mid-joke. "Ah, our glowing bride-to-be!" Martins said with exaggerated flair, waving his hands like a magician.

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Good morning to you too, drama king."

Zoe slid a mug of chai toward me, her face bright with excitement. "Here. Decaf, obviously. You're welcome."

"Thanks," I said, sipping the warm drink.

Richard was standing by the window, his back to us, phone pressed to his ear. He was speaking in hushed tones, his shoulders tense. When he turned and saw me, his expression softened, but only slightly. "You okay?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he said quickly, tucking the phone away. "Just handling some work stuff. Nothing important."

"Richard," I started, but Zoe cut me off, grabbing my arm.

"Don't let him bore you with his CEO stress," she said, pulling me toward the living room. "Let's talk about the shower! I need your opinion on balloon colors."

Martins snorted. "Since when does Sarah care about balloon colors? She's just going to smile and nod, like always."

I rolled my eyes. "And you're going to keep making jokes until Zoe makes you blow them all up, aren't you?"

them was enough to distract me for a while, and I let myself sink into the excitement of

getting ready. The lavender dress I'd picked out felt perfect-soft, flowing, and comfortable over my

of Richard through the window. He was outside, speaking

Something was definitely wrong.

him in the hallway. "Richard," I

didn't reach his eyes.

when do we need this much security for

sure it's private. You know how these

let it go. Richard always had a protective streak, and I figured it wasn't worth

***

was with me as I finished getting ready. She sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through her phone while I

smiled back. "It's probably

I have

disappeared down the hallway. Alone now, I stood by the mirror, adjusting the bow one last

faint hum

Then I heard it.

rustling outside

nothing. Still, the sound lingered in my ears, setting my nerves on

muttered, trying

the door, a shadow flickered across the hallway. I froze, my heart

I called out, my

No answer.

hallway. It was empty. Shaking my head, I stepped back into the room and closed the door. Then I saw

shadows. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes wrinkled and dirty. Her eyes-wild, glassy, and locked on me. "Isabelle," I whispered,

stepped forward, her movements jerky and unsteady. "You think you've

are you doing here?" I asked,