Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart

Sarah's

POV.

It had been a week. A whole week of avoiding both Wesley and Richard.

My phone buzzed nonstop with missed calls, messages, and voicemails, but I didn't bother responding.

I needed space-away from their drama, away from the constant back and forth between two men who seemed more interested in their rivalry than in me.

Stepping out of the cab, I pulled my bag tighter over my shoulder and walked toward my office building.

The fresh air of the morning helped clear my head a bit. I was determined to throw myself into work and forget about everything. Forget about how complicated life had become.

But of course, as if the universe wasn't already testing me enough, Richard was standing outside my office.

Great. Just perfect. Just what I needed this early morning.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart raced for a second. He was leaning against the wall, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, looking like he hadn't slept well.

His hair was slightly messy, but in that annoyingly attractive way, it always got when he was stressed.

I shook my head, trying to push that thought away. This is not the time.

"Sarah," Richard called out, pushing himself off the wall and walking toward me. His voice was soft, pleading almost.

I sighed. "Richard, what are you doing here?" I tried to keep my tone neutral, but I couldn't help the frustration from seeping through.

"We need to talk. Please, just hear me out," he said, standing directly in front of me, blocking my way.

I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes. "I'm busy. I have work to do. So unless you plan on helping me meet my deadlines, I really don't have time for this."

He winced, like he wasn't expecting the cold reception. "Sarah, I... I messed up. I shouldn't have-"

Just as I was about to step around him, another voice chimed in from behind me.

"Oh, this should be good. This is what you do now, Richard?"

I turned, already knowing who it was. Wesley. Because, of course, why wouldn't he show up right when things were already spiraling into chaos? Wesley walked up casually, his ever-present smirk on his face. "Am I interrupting something? Or is this just another episode of 'Richard Begs for Forgiveness'?" I groaned inwardly. Please, no.

Richard's jaw clenched. "This doesn't concern you, Wesley. Why are you here?"

Wesley grinned, crossing his arms as he leaned against the building. "Oh, I'm here for Sarah. You know, the woman you took for granted?"

"Took for granted?" Richard's voice rose, his frustration clear. "I cared about Sarah more than you ever will. I just made mistakes, that's all."

Wesley let out a short laugh. "Mistakes? You didn't make mistakes, Richard. You prioritized your company, your engagement to Susan, and everything else before her. She deserves better than being someone's afterthought." Oh no. This wasn't good. My stomach twisted as I watched them square off, my embarrassment growing by the second.

They were turning my life into their own personal boxing ring.

I put my hands up, trying to get between them. "Guys, stop it. This isn't helping anything."

Neither of them paid attention.

"You manipulated her," Richard accused, pointing a finger at Wesley. "You swooped in when she was vulnerable, just so you could rub it in my face."

Wesley raised an eyebrow. "Rub it in your face? Please, Richard. You're giving yourself too much credit. You're not that important to me."

"Oh, really?" Richard's eyes darkened, and he stepped closer. "Then why did you cozy up to her right after we broke up?"

He continued. "You used her as part of your petty games. You don't care about her. She's just another piece in your rivalry with me."

Wesley's smirk faded, his face turning serious. "I may have had my reasons for getting involved at first. But I did fall for her, Richard. Unlike you, I wasn't too busy getting engaged to someone else to realize what I had." "Fell for her?" Richard scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. You think you can just swoop in and claim her after what you did?"

"Claim me?" I finally cut in, my voice rising in frustration. "I'm not a prize to be won in your ridiculous competition! Both of you need to stop acting like this is about who 'gets' me."

They both turned to look at me, as if just now realizing I was standing there. Richard's expression softened, and Wesley's usual confidence flickered.

"Sarah," Richard began, his voice low. "I'm not trying to 'claim' you. I-"

"No," I interrupted. "You had your chance, Richard. And you chose Susan."

His face fell. "It wasn't like that-"

I let out a sharp laugh, feeling the anger bubble up inside me.

"Really? Because it sure seemed like it. You got engaged to her. You acted like what we had didn't even matter."

Wesley chimed in again, "She's right, Richard. You didn't see what was right in front of you."

Richard shot him a glare. "Don't act like you're any better, Wesley. You only went after her to get back at me. You're not fooling anyone."

Wesley raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, fine. I'll admit it. At first, yes, I wanted to mess with you. But then I realized something, Richard."

He looked me dead in the eye, and for the first time, his usual cocky demeanor dropped. "I actually fell for her."

I blinked, feeling a cold knot twist in my chest. Well. I don't love you.

Richard stared at Wesley, then turned to me, eyes wide in disbelief. "You... fell for her?"

Wesley nodded, his expression serious. "Yeah. I did. Unlike you, I didn't need some twisted motivation to realize how amazing she is."

For a moment, there was silence. The air between the three of us was thick, suffocating.

I didn't know what to say. Wesley's words felt like they should mean something, but all they did was make me feel more irritated.

Richard looked at me, his face pained. "Sarah, I made a mistake. I chose my career over you, and that's something I'll regret for the rest of my life. But Wesley... he's using you." Wesley's eyes flashed with something sharp. "Yeah, maybe I did at first. But that changed, Richard. Unlike you, I didn't have to marry her just to secure my inheritance." I blinked. Wait. What?

Richard froze, his face draining of color, like all the blood had just left his body.

Meanwhile, I felt like I'd just been sucker-punched right in the stomach. The words hung in the air, making everything else fade into the background.

"What... what did you just say?" I stammered, my voice shaking despite my effort to hold it together. There was no way I'd heard him correctly. Wesley shrugged, looking at me with something that almost resembled regret.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. But it's true. Richard only married you because his grandfather said he wouldn't get his inheritance if he didn't marry you." For a second, the world tilted. I couldn't tell if I was more shocked or hurt. My mind tried to make sense of it, but the pieces refused to fit.

Slowly, I turned to Richard, searching his face for any hint that this was some kind of sick joke. But the guilt in his eyes told me everything I needed to know.

"That's not..." Richard started, but his voice faltered, like he couldn't bring himself to finish.

I stood there, stunned, anger and betrayal bubbling up inside me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You married me... because of your inheritance m?" The words felt foreign, like they didn't belong to my voice, but somehow they were coming out of my mouth.

"No! I mean, yes, but-" Richard stammered, his eyes wide with panic. He took a step toward me, but I stepped back, keeping the distance between us.

The heat of anger rising through my chest made my skin feel tight, like I might explode.

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Wow, Richard. And here I thought you just didn't care about me. Turns out, you never cared at all."

"That's not true!" Richard protested, his voice desperate. "I did care! I still do care!"

Wesley let out a mocking snort, crossing his arms as he watched Richard squirm. "Oh, come on, man. Just admit it. You were too focused on your company and Susan to even realize what you had."

I held up my hands, my patience long gone. "Enough. I'm done with both of you. This isn't about who's better or who cares more. I'm not interested in being some pawn in your little feud." They both stared at me, suddenly silent. And for the first time, I could feel my own heartache in the mix.

"I don't need either of you to fight over me," I continued, my voice shaking slightly.

"Richard, you had your chance, and you blew it. And Wesley... you might have feelings for me, but I don't feel the same way. I never did. You were a friend. That's it."

Wesley's face dropped, his confident exterior finally cracking. "Sarah, I-"

I shook my head. "No. Don't make this harder than it already is."

Richard, who had been standing there quietly, finally spoke. "I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice full of regret. "I never meant for things to get this messed up."

"Yeah, well," I sighed. "Things are already beyond messed up, Richard."

I stepped past them both, my heart heavy but my mind clear. I wasn't going to let them make decisions for me anymore.

Richard may have been the man I loved, but that didn't mean I had to let him break my heart again. And Wesley... well, he was just another layer of complication I didn't need.

As I walked into my office, I didn't look back. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was walking away from the past and toward something better.