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.

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

her buddy Susan Cooper’s

Brandon, the guy who never showed up to these things, would be

or reunions. They were like ships passing in the night, briefly crossing paths before vanishing

had vanished

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

all these years, Sophia was a mix of thrilled and nervous. The crush she never dared to voice was swirling in her chest, but she never

she hid behind

out 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 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

even had a boyfriend, but

the man she’d

the fullest, both inexperienced

be as green as her in love and

looks, it was impossible

Sophia understood why Brandon had been single a man wholly devoted to his work didn’t have the spare effort or time

upbringing also made him a stickler for clean

was probably the

And for Sophia, too.

life all mapped

and had a decent amount of talent and skills. She was looking to get some advanced training and was already getting her ducks in a row to apply to the School of Architecture of Apex Engineering University.

saw it coming. She

safe that night, and because they let loose a little too much, they both overslept

ng her fingers, hoping that she was in the clear since it was supposedly her safe period. But as fate would have

pregnant, she was

marriage, having the kid and all

since. Sophia hadn’t planned on telling Brandon in the first place, but as luck

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

she was hiding behind her

“Let me see

sentence, but it was laced with an aura

Sophia handed over

staring at the report for a bit, Brandon asked her, “What’s your game

baby, and its arrival had totally

“But the ball’s in your court. If you’re not up for

“Getting married?”

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

of days to mull it

she never imagined that one

to think it over and then told Brandon,

day, they

absurd, yet somehow it all fell

Sophia never imagined that she and

she expect her marriage to Brandon to fizzle out before

a whirlwind start and a whirlwind

past two years felt

her house, Sophia felt an aching emptiness

and he caught her,

could still remember the focus and the emotional turmoil in his eyes, and even now, her heart skipped a beat

thought that was

had harbored feelings for

wasn’t the case. He was just a

ached with

in the study a

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 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 planning to drag

my reasons. Mind

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

abruptly cut off his father Daniel Crawley,

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

“She’s never coming back”

could detect a different emotion in his usually

time Sophia had heard the