The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 2

Brandon bee-lined home.

It was his first time ducking out of work to head back

His pad, spick and span, no longer had any traces of Sophia, except for that divorce agreement on the coffee table, all mussed up by the breeze.

Brandon reached for it

The agreement was straightforward. Sophia didn’t want a thing. What was hers before the marriage stayed hers after

Her signature was already on the dotted line

Her handwriting was gorgeous, all flowy and elegant.

Brandon zoned out staring at the signature on the divorce papers.

No clue how much time had passed when the rustling sound of the door opening snapped him back to reality

Brandon whipped his head toward the entrance.

Patricia had just stepped in, and his sudden glance startled her big time

“What’s up?” she asked, puzzled, clearly noticing the flicker of hope on Brandon’s face slowly fade into dead calm.

“Nothing much, he replied coolly. “What brings you here?”

“I was worried Sophia might be bored stiff at home alone, just dropped by to keep her company, Patricia said with a smile, moving towards him, “What’s with the sudden home run today? Something up with Sophia?”

As she spoke, her brows furrowed with concern, her head turning towards the room.

“She’s fine, Brandon said, looking at her, “Do you drop by often?”

“Not really, just now and then.”

Patricia’s face was painted with awkward embarrassment, and upon finishing her sentence, she saw Brandon’s brow furrow

She quickly changed the subject to the papers in Brandon’s hand “What’s that?”

Reaching to grab them, but before her fingertips could touch the documents, Brandon pressed them down first.

“It’s nothing. Brandon said, looking at Patricia, “No need for you to come over if there’s no issue. Sophia’s got her work. cut out for her. We’ll come visit you when we get the chance.”

“She, Patricia began, almost blurting out “What work could she possibly have?” but quickly bit her tongue, “Alright then.

She couldn’t help but remind Brandon, Sophia’s been recuperating for over a year and still no baby bump. I hope she hasn’t got some lingering issues. Have her get checked at the hospital when she can. I wouldn’t want troubles with having kids later.

Brandon said. “It’s the kid I didn’t want.”

Patricia looked at him, baffled

Brandon issued the boot. “You better head back, and don’t come around unless it’s necessary.”

Patricia’s mouth hung open, wanting to protest, but ultimately, she shut it under Brandon’s icy stare, and turned to leave.

Brandon watched the door close, glanced around the house now devoid of Suphia’s presence, heaved a long sigh, picked up his phone, and dialed his assistant Kent. “Kent, set up a meeting with the lawyer, gotta sort out this divorce

Huh? Kent was taken aback. Wasn’t it just yesterday he’d sent Sophia over? They didn’t seem to be at odds.

Brandon hall aiready hung up, tossing the divorce papers on the coffee table and stepping out the door

Sophia moved back to her smell suburban house.

Chapter

She’d bought it before getting hitched, just the right size for her solo living.

it was in this tiny place where she and Brandon had their one-night

she couldn’t resist her buddy Susan Cooper’s begging and tagged along

never showed up to these things,

group chats or reunions. They were like ships passing in the night, briefly crossing

vanished even

what he’d done. Whenever Sophia casually prodded her high school friends, there wasn’t a

a mix of thrilled and nervous. The crush she never dared to voice was swirling in her chest, but she never found the courage to spill it, even talking to him was stiff and formal, especially with him sitting

it’d show, she hid behind eating

of neighborly duty, volunteered

balance. In her tiny one-room house, she tripped over shoes left by the door as soon as she entered. Brandon, quick on the uptake, caught her and in the inertia of the moment, she ended up in his

She’d never even had a boyfriend, but that night, she got lost in Brandon’s

and the man

they indulged to the fullest, both inexperienced but

expected Brandon to be as green as

background and looks, it was impossible he couldn’t have had a

man wholly devoted to his work

strict upbringing also made him a stickler for

night was probably the only slip-up in his

And for Sophia, too.

life all

some advanced training and was already getting her

saw it coming. She

because they let loose a little too much, they both

by the pharmacy for the morning-after pill. She was also kind of ng her fingers, hoping that she was in

found out she was pregnant, she was at sixes and

having the

touch since. Sophia hadn’t planned on telling Brandon in the first place, but as luck would have it, she bumped into him at the hospital where he was visiting

red-faced and wanted to keep the test results under wraps, but it was

glimpse of the HCG report she was

“Let me see

a simple, calm sentence, but it was laced

handed over

at the report for a bit,

this baby, and its arrival had totally scrambled her

us getting married and having the baby, Brandon said. “But the ball’s in your court.

“Getting married?”

leg, but then she

gave her a couple of

for years, but she never imagined

between confusion and longing, she took two days to think it over and then told Brandon, “So, let’s tie

day, they picked up

seemed absurd, yet somehow it all fell

never imagined that she and the

her marriage to Brandon to fizzle out before their

start and a

years felt

familiar things in her house, Sophia felt

and he caught her, the intense look in his eyes

still remember the focus and the emotional turmoil in his eyes, and even now, her

thought

harbored feelings for many years, which led to

was

heart ached

father in the study a few days ago when

you married before he passed. You didn’t want him to leave with regrets, so you rushed things with Sophia. It just so happened that she was pregnant with. your child, so I didn’t say much. It gave your grandpa peace, but it’s been two years, and that child wasn’t meant to be with you guys You’re not

my reasons.

at you. Because of Yolanda Frost, you wouldn’t date anyone, and then you go to some damn reunion, and next thing you

Brandon abruptly cut off his father Daniel Crawley, his tone icy. This

comes up, you jump to her defense I’m just asking, what if

“She’s never coming back”

that Brandon’s voice faded a bit. It was one of the rare moments she could detect a different emotion in his usually calm

time Sophia had heard the name Yolanda, and she felt