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

Richard

pov

The living room buzzed with life-laughter, the clinking of glasses, and warm chatter filled the air.

Guests had arrived, carrying brightly wrapped gifts and wide smiles. It should have been a joyful day, a celebration of new life.

But all I could feel was unease twisting in my gut like a knot that wouldn't come undone.

Martins nudged me as I stood by the window, eyes darting to the security guards stationed discreetly outside.

"Hey, CIA," he joked, his tone light. "You might wanna dial it down before Sarah figures out you've turned the baby shower into a covert operation."

I managed a thin smile. "Just being cautious."

Martins chuckled. "Yeah, cautious is your middle name. You're so tense, you might scare the baby into coming early."

His humor didn't land. I couldn't shake the image of Sarah falling down those stairs from my mind-a thought that had no basis but still felt like an omen.

Isabelle was out there. I didn't know where, and that made her a threat.

"Where's Sarah?" Martins asked, looking around. "She's still getting ready?"

"Yeah," I said, glancing at my watch. She'd been upstairs for a while now.

Martins grinned. "She's probably wrestling with her dress or trying to figure out how to make her swollen feet fit into shoes. Women in the eighth month-they're in a league of their own."

I nodded absently, my unease growing. The clock seemed louder than the chatter around me, each tick dragging her absence out longer.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. "I'm going to check on her," I muttered, leaving Martins to hold down the fort.

"Don't tell her I said anything about her feet," he called after me.

I climbed the stairs two at a time, my pulse quickening. As I reached the landing, Zoe stepped out of Sarah's room, her face pale.

"Richard," she said, her voice shaking. "She's not in there."

"What do you mean she's not in there?" My stomach dropped.

words tumbling out in a rush. "When I came back, the room was empty. I thought maybe she went downstairs, but I checked, and she's not there either." Panic flared in my chest.

she said, her eyes wide. "Richard,

word, I pushed past her, calling Sarah's name as I opened doors and looked into every corner. The

echoed

from the staircase sent

top of the stairs, frozen in horror. My eyes followed hers to the bottom of the stairs,

floor beneath her, its dark red hue

racing down the

followed, her steps frantic. "Oh

my knees beside Sarah, gently cradling her head. Her face was ghostly white, her breathing shallow. My hands trembled as I pressed my fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. Relief mingled with

911!" I barked at Zoe.

her phone, her hands

whispered, brushing her hair back from her face. "Baby, please wake up.

for a brief moment, dazed and unfocused. Her lips parted, and she muttered something so

to blur my vision. "You're going

the emergency dispatcher, her voice shaky but urgent as she relayed

Sarah, willing her to stay conscious, to keep

of footsteps thundered down the stairs as Martins appeared, his

don't know!" I snapped, my voice breaking.

with grim determination. "The ambulance is

her face as she ended the call. "They'll

off his jacket and pressing it gently against

hours. The chatter and music from the guests in the living room faded into a distant hum, replaced by the deafening thud

Sarah's condition and loading her onto a stretcher. I stayed close, gripping her hand as they wheeled her out to the

need space to work," she

placing a hand on my arm. "We'll follow in my

Zoe was right. Finally, I nodded, watching helplessly as the ambulance doors closed and the vehicle

***

Zoe was behind the wheel, her knuckles white as she

hand on my shoulder, grounding me when all I felt was panic threatening to

ushered into a waiting area

the air, and the harsh fluorescent lights seemed to magnify

amount of blood, and we're performing an

"The baby is in distress.

to save both of

good