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.

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

couldn’t resist her buddy Susan Cooper’s begging

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

or reunions. They were like ships passing

had vanished even more

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

was 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

and afraid it’d show, she hid behind eating and

duty, volunteered to take

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

even had a boyfriend, but that night, she

the gaze and the man she’d fantasized about

night, they indulged to the fullest, both inexperienced

Brandon to be as green as

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

been single a man wholly devoted to his work didn’t have the spare

him a stickler for clean

was probably the

And for Sophia, too.

had her life all mapped

in architectural design in college and had a decent amount of talent and skills. She was looking to get some advanced training and was already getting her

saw it coming. She was

safe that night, and because they let loose a little

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

out she was pregnant, she was at sixes and

having the kid

in the first place, but as luck would have it, she bumped into him at the hospital where he was

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

the HCG report she was hiding

“Let me see

was laced with an aura

Sophia handed

for a bit, Brandon asked her, “What’s

her head, clueless. She hadn’t anticipated this baby, and

and having the baby, Brandon said. “But the ball’s in your court. If you’re not up for it, I won’t

“Getting married?”

gobsmacked. She thought Brandon was pulling her leg, but then she saw him nod earnestly, “I’m

her a couple of days to mull

but she never imagined that one

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

day, they picked up their

absurd, yet somehow

Sophia never imagined that she and

to Brandon

start and a

years felt like

by familiar things in her house, Sophia felt an

replayed the night she almost tripped over a shoe and he caught her, the

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

had thought that

harbored feelings for many years,

it wasn’t the case. He was just a bit too tipsy, that’s

ached

in the study a few days ago when she

was gravely ill back then. He was fond of you 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 didn’t say much. It gave your grandpa

my reasons. Mind

wouldn’t date anyone, and then

Daniel Crawley,

she comes up, you jump to her defense I’m just asking, what if Yolanda comes back? Don’t forget, you were

“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 girl held a

time Sophia had heard the name Yolanda, and she