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

Richard pov.

It had been a month since our trip to the nearby town. Sarah was now in her eighth month, and every day, I marveled at how gracefully she handled the ups and downs of pregnancy. But today was about more than just her strength-it was about giving her a moment to remember forever.

I had planned a re-engagement surprise for her, one that would let her know how much she meant to me, now and always.

"Martins, hurry up with the banner!" I called out as my best friend tried to figure out which end of the ribbon went where. He muttered something about not being a decorator, but I ignored him.

The house was chaotic, but the good kind. At least, that's what I kept telling myself as I rushed from one end of the living room to the other, adjusting balloons and making sure the decorations didn't look like a Pinterest project gone wrong. I wanted everything to be perfect for Sarah. After everything we'd been through, she deserved that-and more.

"Richard, mate, you need to chill," Martins said from the sofa, holding up a banner that read "Will You MarryAgain?" with a half-amused grin. "You're acting like she's gonna grade you on this." I stopped mid-step, glaring at him. "She's not grading me. I just want her to feel special." "You could've just handed her sflowers and said, 'Let's do this again.' She'd say yes," Martins teased. "But no, you've got candles, lights, balloons... what's next? Fireworks?" "Don't tempt me," I muttered, walking past him to double-check the table setup.

"Seriously, though," Martins continued, "what's the point of all this? Sarah's already locked you down. You're just giving her a reason to roll her eyes at you later." "She's not going to roll her eyes," I said, glancing over my shoulder. "This is about making her feel special. After everything she's been through, she deserves this." Martins smirked, his sharp features crinkling with amusement. "You're whipped, my friend. Completely, utterly whipped." "And proud of it," I shot back, though the corner of my mouth twitched.

The doorbell rang, cutting off whatever comeback Martins had lined up. I hurried to answer it, finding Zoe standing there with her suitcase in one hand and her free hand propped on her hip. I called her. It was part of the surprise. And I really needed someone who knew what Sarah would like.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "I thought I'd walk into a grand masterpiece, and instead, I find chaos. Typical Richard." "Good to see you too, Zoe," I said dryly.

She dropped her suitcase by the door and took in the decorations. "Okay, first of all, what is this color scheme? Pink and gold? Were you planning a princess party?" "Leave him alone," Martins said, getting up from the couch. "It's endearing, in a pathetic sort of way." "Don't you have something useful to do?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Nope." He plopped back down with a satisfied grin.

"Okay, boys, enough," Zoe interjected, clapping her hands. "Richard, where do you need me? I'm here to save this mess." I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Just... help with the table setup, will you?" "On it," Zoe said, rolling up her sleeves. "But if this looks bad, I'm taking over completely." Sarah was still out at her prenatal yoga class, blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding at home. It gave us a few hours to get everything ready-or at least, that was the plan. My phone buzzed on the table, and I frowned at the unknown number.

"Givea minute," I said, stepping away to answer.

"Mr. Wright?" a deep voice asked.

"Speaking," I replied.

"This is Officer Grant from the precinct. We need to inform you that Ms. Isabelle has escaped from the psychiatric hospital." My grip on the phone tightened. "What? How?" "She's been missing for three days," he continued, his tone almost apologetic. "We've been trying to locate her but thought it best to alert you given the history." "You thought it best to alertnow?" My voice rose despite my best efforts to keep calm. "Three days? And you're just calling me?" "We understand your frustration, sir. We've been working-" "Not hard enough," I snapped, cutting him off. "Do you have any leads? Any idea where she might be?" "Unfortunately, no," the officer admitted. "We'll keep you updated." I ended the call abruptly, shoving the phone into my pocket. My chest felt tight, a mix of anger and anxiety clawing at me.

"Richard?" Martins' voice pulledback.

I turned to find both him and Zoe watchingwith concern.

"It's Isabelle," I said through gritted teeth. "She's escaped." Zoe's hand flew to her mouth. "What? How? When?" "Three days ago," I replied, my voice flat. "And no one thought to telluntil now." Martins let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "That's bad." "No kidding," I snapped, already moving toward the door. "Sarah's out there. I need to-" "Stop," Zoe said firmly, stepping in front of me.

"Zoe, get out of the way," I said, my patience wearing thin.

"No," she said, her voice unwavering. "You can't tell her. She's eight months pregnant, Richard. Do you really want to stress her out right now?" "She has a right to know," I argued.

"And you have a responsibility to protect her," Martins chimed in, his tone serious. "Look, we'll tighten security. Lock this place down. But don't panic her. Not in her condition." I hesitated, torn between the urge to run out the door and the logic of their argument. Finally, I exhaled sharply, nodding.

"Fine," I muttered. "But I'm calling in extra security tonight." The baby shower was tomorrow.

"Good idea," Zoe said, her tone softer now.

The hours dragged on after that. My mind kept wandering to worst-case scenarios, even as I forced hand: When focus on the task at myself to Sarah finally walked through the door, her bright smile temporarily melted away my fears. "What's all this?" she asked, her eyes widening as she took in the decorations. Zoe was the first to speak. "Surprise!" Martins threw a handful of confetti in the air. "Guess who's getting re-engaged tonight?" Sarah's gaze darted to me, her expression a mix of shock and delight. "Richard... you didn't!"

I stepped forward, taking her hands in mine. "I did," I said with a small uve smile. "Sarah, you've madethe happiest man alive. I want to spend the rest of my life making you just as happy. Will you marry me-again?" Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded. "Of course I will, you big sap." The room filled with laughter and applause as I slipped the ring back onto her finger. For a brief moment, everything felt perfect.

But as the night wore on, the phone call was pressed against my chest like a vice. Every tSarah wasn't looking, Zoe and Martins would exchange uneasy glances with me.

None of us said it out loud, but we were all thinking the sthing: Isabelle was out there, and we had no idea what she might do.

Later that night, after Sarah had gone to bed, I made a few calls. By morning, the house would be a fortress. Every possible entry point would be secured.

"You're going overboard," Martins said, leaning against the kitchen counter as I went over the plans.

"Am I?" I shot back.

"Look, I get it," he said. "She's dangerous. But you can't let this consyou. Sarah needs you to be present, not paranoid." Zoe nodded, handinga cup of tea. "Martins is right. You're doing the right thing by tightening security, but you've got to keep it together. For Sarah." I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. "I know. I just... I can't lose her. Or the baby." "You won't," Zoe said firmly.

Despite their reassurances, sleep eludedthat night. Every creak of the house, every shadow outside the window, felt like a threat. I stayed awake, staring at the ceiling, silently praying that I was doing enough.