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

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

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

or reunions.

had vanished even

he’d gone or what he’d done. Whenever Sophia casually prodded

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

afraid it’d show, she hid

out of neighborly duty, volunteered to take

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 met, the chemistry was undeniable. Alone, tipsy, and with the man she’d pined over for years,

for casual hook-ups. She’d never even had a boyfriend, but that night,

the gaze and the man she’d fantasized about countless

indulged to the fullest, both inexperienced but incredibly

be as green as her

looks, it was impossible he couldn’t

why Brandon had been single a man wholly

strict upbringing also made him a stickler for clean

night was probably the only

And for Sophia, too.

had her life

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

saw it coming. She

they let loose a little

didn’t have time 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

pregnant, she was at sixes

having the

Sophia hadn’t planned on telling Brandon in the first place, but as luck would have it, she bumped into him at the hospital where

keep the test results

report she was hiding behind her back, and

“Let me see

sentence, but it was laced with an aura

handed over the

the report for a bit,

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

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

“Getting married?”

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

couple of days to mull

years, but she never imagined that

Brandon, “So, let’s tie the knot.” Just like during

day, they picked up their marriage

seemed absurd, yet somehow it all

that she and

to Brandon to

start and a

past two years felt like

by familiar things in her house,

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

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

thought that

feelings for many years,

the case. He was just a

heart ached with

a tiff between Brandon and his father in the study

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

reasons. Mind your

to trouble, and look at you. Because of Yolanda Frost, you wouldn’t date anyone, and then you go

off his father Daniel Crawley, his tone

her defense

“She’s never coming back”

she could detect a different emotion in his usually

heard the