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

Richard

pov.

The morning of the trial felt heavy. I left the hospital earlier than usual, making sure Zoe would stay with Sarah.

Despite the overwhelming dread, there was a part of me that felt strangely numb, as if my emotions had run dry after weeks of worry and anger.

Martins met me outside the courthouse, impeccably dressed in his usual sharp suit. He clapped a hand on my shoulder, his touch grounding.

"Today's a big step forward," he said. "Remember, this trial is about getting justice, not reopening wounds. You're here to see Susan held accountable, not to punish yourself for her actions."

I nodded, though his words didn't settle the unease churning in my gut.

The courtroom was cold, and even though I'd prepared myself for this moment, seeing Susan seated across the room made my stomach twist.

She didn't look like someone riddled with guilt; she looked indifferent, like this was just another ordinary day.

The prosecution opened with a detailed timeline of events, recounting how Susan had manipulated Isabelle and infiltrated every aspect of my life to orchestrate her revenge.

It was clinical, precise, and damning.

But when Susan took the stand, she was composed, even defiant.

"I didn't want to hurt Richard," she began, her voice smooth and unwavering. "I loved him. I still do. But Sarah... she took him away from me. Twice."

slightly, his expression unreadable, but I could see the gears turning in his

prosecutor interjected. "But the evidence shows that you were the side chick in their relationship

not admit it, but Richard was mine first. He

voice calm but firm. "Ms. Susan, are you saying you orchestrated this entire

caught off guard. "I...

"You knew Isabella had a fragile mental state. You knew her late fiance resembled Mr. Wright, and you used that resemblance to convince her that Sarah was a threat. Isn't

down. "Under your guidance. Under your manipulation. You planted those ideas and used Isabelle as a

silent as Susan's mask

she deserved the truth. Richard was mine, and Sarah took him away. She needed to understand that she couldn't have

words hit me like a sledgehammer. All this time, I'd thought her

warped sense of entitlement that

against her. The prosecutor took over, asking Susan about her plan to infiltrate my home and her decision to involve Isabelle. She admitted to both but tried to deflect blame, insisting she hadn't intended for anyone to get hurt. "She fell down the stairs," Susan said, her

the edge of the bench, my knuckles white. It took everything in me not to

adjourned, Martins pulled me aside. "We're making progress," he said, his

her. But we can't let our guard

possible?" I asked,

"But they'll try. We have to be

that evening, I replayed Susan's words over and over in my head, each one cutting deeper

Sarah's room, the sight of her lying so still nearly broke me all

me. "She admitted everything. She's going to pay for what she did,

my time at the hospital, alternating between watching over Sarah and preparing for the next round

me sane with her lighthearted banter, though I could see the worry

of justice, diving into every detail with laser