Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart

Richard's POV.

I sat at my desk, my head pounding as I stared at the same damn numbers. Sales were down, Vitalé Wellness was eating into our market share, and nothing I did seemed to make a difference. Vitalé Wellness was eating away at my business faster than I could react. Nothing I did seemed to work. Every move we made, they were ten steps ahead. The stress was piling up, and I was starting to feel like I was drowning.

I massaged my temples, the familiar pulse of a headache building behind my eyes. I'd been here before-staring at the same problem, night after night.

Only this time, it felt like everything was falling apart. My company, my sanity...even my engagement.

I heard the door to my office creak open but didn't bother looking up.

"Still buried in work, huh?" Martin's voice cut through the silence. He walked in, hands in his pockets, studying me with that look he always gave when he knew I was in too deep.

I let out a sigh, rubbing my temples. "What does it look like?"

"You're killing yourself, man." He leaned against the doorframe. "What's going on? You've been glued to that desk for days. It's like you're not even living anymore."

I slammed the laptop shut, frustration boiling beneath my skin. "What choice do I have? Vitalé's ripping us apart, and nothing I do works."

Martin gave me that look-the one that said he could see through my crap. "Have you tried taking a break? You're burning yourself out, Richard."

"A break?" I let out a bitter laugh. "I can't afford a break, Martin. This is my life we're talking about."

"Susan's not helping either, is she?" Martin's voice was soft but knowing, cutting right to the core of what was really eating me up.

I didn't answer, my eyes fixed on the desk. I didn't want to tell him how Susan barely noticed when I came home, how she scrolled through her phone, saying something half-hearted like, 'It'll get better.' I didn't need better. I needed a partner, someone who got it. And Susan...she just wasn't that.

And if I told Martin that, he'd bring up Sarah. He'd remind me of how Sarah stood by me when things were tough, even though I never appreciated it.

That wasn't a conversation I wanted to have tonight.

So I kept it short. "I'm fine."

Martin stared at me for a moment, like he could see right through me. That was the thing about best friends-they didn't need you to say it out loud. "Alright, fine. You don't want to talk about it,"

Martin said, his tone lighter. "How about this? Forget work for a night. Come to my place. You need to step away before you lose it completely." I hesitated, glancing back at my computer screen.

The thought of going home, sitting across from Susan while she scrolled through her phone and barely noticed my mood, made me feel worse.

I could already picture her disinterested expression, the same empty words about how "everything will work out."

She never really got it, and part of me wondered why I even bothered.

But Martin was right. I couldn't stay in the office all night. Maybe a break would do me some good.

"Yeah, alright." I stood, grabbing my jacket. "Let's go."

Martin grinned. "That's more like it. Trust me, you'll thank me later."

That night at Martin's place was a blur of drinks, some bad TV, and a few jokes to try and get my mind off things.

It worked, a little. But by the time morning came, everything hit me again. I had to face the real world.

I pulled up to the house, feeling that familiar knot in my chest. I stepped inside, bracing myself for whatever mood Susan would be in.

There she was, standing in the hallway, arms crossed like she'd been waiting for me. Her eyes were narrowed, and I could feel the tension already building.

"Where were you last night?" she snapped, not even giving me a second to catch my breath.

"I stayed at Martin's," I said, keeping my tone as neutral as I could. "I needed a break."

"A break? From what?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "From your oh-so-stressful life? Or were you out doing something else?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, feeling my patience slipping. "I told you. I was with Martin."

"Right. You expect me to believe that?" she shot back, her eyes flashing with anger. "It's always Martin. Or work. Or something else. You think I don't notice?" "Susan, I'm dealing with a lot right now," I said through gritted teeth, trying to stay calm. "Vitalé is crushing us. I'm trying to keep things from falling apart."

"And what about us? Or do I not matter?" she snapped, stepping closer. "You always have time for everything else but me."

"That's not what this is about!" I snapped back, my voice rising. "I'm trying to keep everything from falling apart! You just don't understand."

I could feel the anger boiling over, and I tried to hold it back, but it was too late. "I'm trying to keep this business from falling apart, Susan! What do you want me to do? Sit here and pretend everything's fine?" "I want you to actually care about us!" She threw her hands up, her face flushed with anger. "But you don't, do you? It's all about the business. Every damn day."

"You don't get it," I snapped. "You never do! You sit there with your useless platitudes, telling me 'it'll get better' like it's that easy. I'm drowning, Susan! And all you do is sit there and watch."

Her face twisted, and I saw the hurt flash in her eyes. "If you wanted someone who understood, maybe you should have stayed with Sarah!"

The words were out before I could stop them. "Maybe I should have."

Silence. Fuck. Fuck.

Susan's eyes filled with a mixture of shock and fury. "If Sarah was so great, why did you divorce her? Why are you with me?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but nothing came out. I didn't know why I was comparing them. I didn't even know why I was with Susan anymore.

"I-" I started, but she cut me off.

"You know what? Forget it." She grabbed her purse and headed toward the door. "I can't do this right now."

"Susan, wait-" I reached out, but she was already gone, slamming the door behind her.

I stood there, the silence in the house deafening. My head was spinning, and for the first time in a long while, I felt completely lost.

The phone on my desk buzzed again, but I ignored it. I slumped into the chair, burying my face in my hands.

I stayed there for minutes...hours, I don't know. But the door creaked open again.

Martin stepped in, his eyebrows raised. "I just saw Susan driving off like a bat out of hell. What happened?"

I realized it was only up to some seconds, but it felt like hours.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "I raised my voice at her. Didn't mean to."

Martin glanced at me, then around the room. "Well... that explains the mood."

He took a seat across from me, giving me that same knowing look. "You catch the news?"

I frowned, shaking my head. "No, I've been too busy." sulking...

"You might want to turn on the TV."

"Why?" I asked, "Aren't you supposed to be at the firm?"

"Vitalé's making headlines again. And it's not just about the business."

My stomach tightened. "What now?"

"Let's just say... it involves Sarah."