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.

was in this tiny place where she and Brandon had their one-night stand, which led to the pregnancy that bound them together

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

guy who never showed up to

reunions. They were like ships passing

Brandon had vanished even

what he’d done. Whenever Sophia casually prodded her high

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

she hid

out of neighborly duty, volunteered

a bit drunk, she wasn’t out cold. Still, the alcohol did a number on her 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 arms. The lights were off, Brandon had had a few himself, and whether it was the booze or the night’s spell, when their gazes met, the chemistry was undeniable. Alone, tipsy, and with the man she’d pined over for

never even had a boyfriend, but that night, she got lost in Brandon’s deep. soft,

the man she’d fantasized

they indulged to the fullest, both inexperienced

be as green as

family background and looks, it was impossible he

man wholly devoted to his work didn’t have the spare effort or time for

him

the only

And for Sophia, too.

life all mapped

training and was already getting her ducks in a row to apply to the School of Architecture of Apex Engineering

saw it

loose a little too much, they both

to, she didn’t have time to swing by the pharmacy for the morning-after pill. She was also kind of ng her fingers, hoping that she was in the clear since it was supposedly

she was pregnant, she was

was talking marriage, having the

telling Brandon in the

was a bit red-faced and wanted to keep the test results under

she was hiding

“Let me see

it was laced

handed over

for a bit, Brandon asked

this baby, and its arrival had totally scrambled

the ball’s in your court.

“Getting married?”

gobsmacked. She thought Brandon was pulling her leg, but then she saw him nod

of days

sweet on Brandon for years, but she never imagined that

longing, she took two days to think it over and then told Brandon, “So, let’s tie the knot.” Just like during a divorce, he simply

third day, they picked

seemed absurd, yet somehow it all fell

she and the

her marriage to Brandon to fizzle out before their third

start and

two years felt like a

house, Sophia felt an aching emptiness

tripped over a shoe and he caught her, the intense

and the emotional turmoil in his

had thought that was

he, like her, had harbored feelings for many years, which led

He was just a

ached

remembered overhearing a tiff between Brandon and his father in the study a

and wanted to see 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

reasons. Mind your own

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

abruptly cut off his father Daniel Crawley, his tone icy. This is my fault, not

I won’t talk about her. Every time she comes up, you jump to her defense I’m just asking, what if Yolanda comes back? Don’t

“She’s never coming back”

voice faded a bit. It was one of the rare moments she could detect a different emotion in his usually calm demeanor. Clearly, this “Yolanda

heard the name Yolanda,