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.

had their one-night stand, which led to the pregnancy that

her buddy Susan Cooper’s begging and tagged along

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

contact, didn’t join the class group chats or reunions. They were like ships

had vanished

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

into Brandon after 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 found the courage to spill it, even talking to him was

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

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

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 impossible

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

was the gaze and the man

they indulged to the fullest, both inexperienced but

to be as green as her in love and

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

had been single a man wholly devoted to his work didn’t

strict upbringing also made him a

was probably the only slip-up in his

And for Sophia, too.

life

in college 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. But one unexpected night threw a

saw it

they let loose a little too much, they

to swing by the pharmacy for the morning-after pill. She was also kind of ng her fingers, hoping that she was in the clear since it was supposedly her safe period. But as fate would have it. she

out she was pregnant, she was at sixes and

talking marriage, having the kid and all that

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

the test results under wraps,

was hiding behind her back,

“Let me see

was laced with

handed over

bit,

head, clueless. She hadn’t anticipated this baby, and its arrival had

the ball’s in

“Getting married?”

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

of days to mull

had 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

third day, they picked up

somehow

she and the kid weren’t meant to

did she expect her marriage to Brandon to fizzle out before

start

two years

familiar things in her house, Sophia felt an aching emptiness

almost tripped over a shoe and he caught her, the

and the emotional turmoil in his eyes, and even now, her

had thought that

her, had harbored feelings for

out, it wasn’t the case. He was just a

ached

his father in the study a few days

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

reasons. Mind your

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

Crawley, his

you jump to her defense I’m just asking,

“She’s never coming back”

moments she could detect a different emotion in his usually calm

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