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.

their one-night stand, which led

night, she couldn’t resist her buddy Susan Cooper’s begging

the guy who never showed up to these things,

and Brandon lost all contact, didn’t join the class group chats or reunions. They were like ships passing in the night,

had vanished even more

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

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 right next to her their proximity made

hid behind eating and drinking, unwittingly

perhaps out of neighborly duty, volunteered to take her home after the

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

a boyfriend, but that

was the gaze and the man she’d fantasized about countless

the fullest, both

hadn’t expected Brandon to be as green as her in love and other

it was

had been single a man

made him a stickler

probably the

And for Sophia, too.

life all

advanced training and was already getting her ducks in a row to apply

never saw it coming. She was

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

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

was pregnant, she was at sixes

marriage, having the kid

a fortnight since that night, and they hadn’t been in touch since. Sophia hadn’t planned on telling Brandon in the first place, but as luck would have it,

bit red-faced and wanted to keep the

report she was hiding behind her back, and reached out

“Let me see

it was laced

handed

the report for a bit, Brandon asked

hadn’t anticipated this baby, and its arrival had totally scrambled her life

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

“Getting married?”

pulling her leg, but then she saw him

a couple of days to mull it

been sweet on Brandon for years, but she never

days to think it over and then told Brandon, “So, let’s tie the knot.” Just like during a

third day, they picked up their marriage

somehow

Sophia never imagined that she and

did she expect her marriage to Brandon to fizzle out before

a whirlwind start and a

past two years felt like a

by familiar things in her house, Sophia

a shoe and he caught her, the intense look in his eyes

and the emotional turmoil in his eyes, and even now, her heart skipped a

had thought

feelings for many years, which led to that night’s

was just a bit too tipsy,

heart ached with

father in the study a few days ago when she was

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

my reasons. Mind your

They say liquor leads to trouble, and look at you. Because of Yolanda Frost, you wouldn’t date anyone, and then you go to some damn

father Daniel Crawley,

Every time she comes up, you jump to her defense

“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 special place

Sophia had heard the name Yolanda, and she felt a bit