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.

a call," she explained, her words tumbling out in a rush. "When I came back, the room was empty. I thought maybe she went downstairs, but I checked,

she said, her eyes wide. "Richard, she's

I pushed past her, calling Sarah's name as I opened doors and

My voice echoed down

staircase sent

turned and saw her standing at the top of the stairs, frozen in horror. My eyes followed hers to the bottom of the stairs, where Sarah

onto the floor beneath her, its dark red hue a stark contrast to her

I shouted, racing down

"Oh my

her breathing shallow. My hands trembled as I pressed my fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse. It was faint, but

911!" I barked at

for her phone, her

her hair back from

lips parted, and she muttered something

clenched my jaw, fighting the tears threatening to blur my vision. "You're going to be

the phone with the emergency dispatcher, her voice shaky but urgent as she

Sarah, willing her to stay conscious, to

as Martins appeared, his face etched with confusion and concern. "What the hell

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

his usual demeanor replaced with grim determination. "The ambulance is on its

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

stop the bleeding," Martins said, shrugging off his jacket and pressing it gently against the worst

The chatter and music from the guests in the living room faded into

loading her onto a stretcher. I stayed close, gripping her hand

to work," she replied

follow in my car," she said softly. "Let

hesitated, torn between wanting to be with Sarah and knowing Zoe was right. Finally, I

***

to the hospital was a blur. Zoe was behind the wheel, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering

my shoulder, grounding me

ushered into a waiting area while the medical team

the air, and the

of blood, and we're performing an emergency C-section to deliver the baby." Her

baby

act quickly to save

in good hands, Richard.