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

Chapter 141 Richard pov.

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow on the kitchen table.

Marina was seated there, her coffee cup cradled in her hands as she scrolled on her phone. For once, there was silence-a brief reprieve after days of subtle jabs and unsolicited advice.

I noticed her suitcase by the door and felt a flicker of relief. Marina's departure was imminent, but as much as I wanted to celebrate the end of this stressful visit, a part ofwanted to ensure we ended things on good terms. She was still family, after all, even if she had an uncanny knack for pushing Sarah's buttons.

"Heading out soon, Marina?" I asked casually, leaning against the counter with my own coffee.

She looked up and gave a tight-lipped smile. "Yes. I should be on the road in about an hour. It's a long drive back." I nodded. "Safe travels. Do you need anything for the trip? Snacks? Water?" She waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, no, I'm fine. You and Sarah have been... accommodating." The pause before "accommodating" wasn't lost on me, but I chose to let it slide. It wasn't worth starting something so close to her departure.

Sarah walked in then, looking fresh but cautious. I could see the tension in her shoulders-the stension that had been there since Marina's arrival.

She glanced at Marina's suitcase and then at me, a silent question in her eyes. I gave her a small nod, hoping it reassured her that we were almost through this.

"Good morning," Sarah said politely, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"Morning," Marina replied, her tone civil but cool.

The atmosphere was awkward, like walking on eggshells. I hated seeing Sarah like this-guarded, bracing herself for whatever comment Marina might throw her way next. I decided to step in and keep the peace. "So, Marina," I said, breaking the silence, "what's next on your agenda? Any big plans once you're back home?" "Oh, you know," she said, her tone vaguely disinterested. "Work, family... the usual." "Sounds busy," I said, keeping my tone light.

She nodded, her eyes briefly flicking to Sarah. "It's important to stay busy, don't you think? Especially with a baby on the way. Idle hands and all that." Sarah's grip on her teacup tightened, but she said nothing. I could see her debating whether to respond or let it go.

Marina's parting comments came, of course, right as she was zipping up her suitcase. She stood in the entryway, her tone deceptively sweet.

"Well, it's been... interesting," she said, glancing between Sarah and me. "I just hope you both know what you're doing. Parenthood is a lot of responsibility, and not everyone is cut out for it." Her eyes lingered on Sarah for a beat too long.

That was it. I couldn't let this slide.

"Marina," I said, my voice firmer than I expected, "I think we've got it covered. Sarah and I are a team, and we've been preparing for this together. I trust her completely to be an amazing mom, and honestly, she doesn't need your approval-or anyone else's-for that." Marina's eyebrows shot up, clearly taken aback. "I wasn't questioning her abilities," she said defensively. "I was just making a general observation." "Well, your 'observations' haven't been very helpful," I said, keeping my tone steady but unyielding. "We appreciate that you care, but what we need right now is support, not criticism." The room felt heavy with my words. Marina opened her mouth to reply but seemed to think better of it. Instead, she simply nodded and picked up her suitcase.

"Safe travels, Marina," I added, softening my tone just enough to leave the door open for civility.

"Thank you," she said stiffly, avoiding eye contact with Sarah as she walked out the door.

I closed it behind her with a deep sigh of relief.

When I turned back around, Sarah was leaning against the kitchen counter, her arms crossed. She looked atwith a mixture of surprise and gratitude. "You didn't have to do that," she said quietly.

"Yes, I did," I replied, crossing the room to stand in front of her. "Marina crossed a line, and I wasn't going to let her keep doing that to you."

She gavea small smile, but I could see the weariness in her eyes. "Thank you. It's just.. exhausting, you know? Feeling like I have to defend every choice I make."

I placed my hands on her shoulders, grounding her. "You don't have to defend anything. Saxan Not to her, not to anyone. You're doing everything right. And I'll make sure no one forgets that." She leaned intothen, her head resting against my chest. For a moment, we just stood there in silence, letting the tension of the past few days melt away.

"You know," she said after a while, her voice muffled against my shirt, "I think this whole experience has taughtsomething." "What's that?" I asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"That no matter how many Marinas cour way, we're going to ben okay," she said, looking up atwith aldetermined glint in her eye.

"Because we're in this together." I smiled, pulling her closer. "Damn right we are." Later that evening, as we sat on the couch with takeout and a movie, the house felt quieter, calmer-finally ours again.

I watched Sarah laugh at sridiculous romdialogue, her face lighting up in a way I hadn't seen in days.

With Marina gone, we were free to focus on what really mattered-our growing family and the life we were building together.