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

Susan Cooper’s begging

never showed up to these things, would

contact, didn’t join the class group chats or reunions. They were like ships passing in the night, briefly crossing paths before vanishing into

vanished even more

Sophia casually prodded her high school friends, there

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

afraid it’d show, she hid behind eating and drinking, unwittingly getting

perhaps out of neighborly duty, volunteered to take her

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 years, their locked eyes became

but that night, she got lost in Brandon’s deep. soft, yet

gaze and the man she’d fantasized about countless

night, they indulged to the fullest, both

be as green as her in

and looks, it was impossible he couldn’t have

man wholly devoted to

upbringing also made him

night was probably the only slip-up in

And for Sophia, too.

life

was already getting her ducks

never saw it coming. She was

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

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

she was pregnant, she was

having the kid and all

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, she

wanted to keep the test results under wraps, but it was

glimpse of the HCG report she was hiding behind her back,

“Let me see

sentence, but it was laced with an aura that brooked

Sophia handed over

report for a bit, Brandon

clueless. She hadn’t anticipated this baby, and its arrival had totally scrambled her

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

“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

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 nodded

the third day, they picked up their marriage

somehow it

Sophia never imagined that she and the kid weren’t

did she expect her marriage to Brandon to

start and a

years

by familiar things in her house, Sophia felt an aching

a shoe and he caught her, the

focus and the emotional turmoil in his eyes, and even

thought that

he, like her, had harbored feelings for many

the case. He was

heart ached with

Brandon and his father in the study a few days ago when

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

my reasons. Mind your own

Yolanda Frost, you wouldn’t date anyone, and then you go to some damn reunion, and next thing you know, that woman sneaks into

abruptly cut off his father Daniel Crawley, his tone icy. This is

alright, I won’t talk about her. Every time she comes up, you jump to her defense I’m just

“She’s never coming back”

detect a different emotion in his usually calm

time Sophia had heard the name Yolanda, and she