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.

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

her buddy Susan Cooper’s begging and tagged along to the high

would’ve thought Brandon, the guy who never showed up to these things, would be there

she and Brandon lost all contact, didn’t join the class group chats or reunions. They were like ships passing in the night, briefly crossing paths before vanishing into their own

had vanished

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

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

she hid behind eating and drinking,

perhaps out of neighborly duty, volunteered to

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

She’d never even had a boyfriend, but

was the gaze and the man

night, they indulged to the fullest, both

to be as green as her in love and other

background and looks, it was impossible

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

made him

the

And for Sophia, too.

life all

advanced training and was already getting her ducks in a row to apply to the School of Architecture of Apex Engineering University. But one unexpected night

never saw it

and because they let loose a little too

fingers, hoping that she was in the clear since

found out she was pregnant, she was

Brandon was talking marriage, having the

been 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

keep the test results under

report she was hiding behind her back, and

“Let me see

but it was laced with

Sophia handed

for a bit, Brandon asked her, “What’s your game

She hadn’t anticipated this baby,

leaning towards us getting married and having the baby, Brandon said. “But the ball’s

“Getting married?”

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

gave her a couple of

for years, but she

then told Brandon, “So, let’s tie

the third day, they

somehow it all fell into

Sophia never imagined that she and the kid

Brandon to fizzle out before their third

whirlwind start

two years felt like a

house, Sophia felt an

over a shoe and he

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

had thought that

feelings for many years,

He was just a bit too tipsy, that’s

ached with this

father in the study

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 this out for a lifetime,

reasons. Mind your

you wouldn’t date anyone, and then you go

off his father Daniel Crawley,

talk about her. Every time she comes up, you jump to her defense I’m just

“She’s never coming back”

rare moments she could detect a different emotion in his usually calm demeanor. Clearly, this “Yolanda girl held

Sophia had heard the name Yolanda,