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.

was in this tiny place where she and Brandon had their one-night stand, which led

her buddy Susan Cooper’s

never showed up

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

Brandon had vanished even more

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

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 her even stiff and

she hid behind eating and

of neighborly duty, volunteered to take her home after the

she wasn’t out cold. 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

casual hook-ups. She’d never even had a boyfriend, but that night, she got lost in Brandon’s deep. soft, yet

and the man she’d fantasized

night, they indulged to the fullest, both inexperienced but

as green

family background and looks, it was impossible

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

strict upbringing also made him

night was probably the only

And for Sophia, too.

life all mapped

already getting her ducks in a row to apply to the School of Architecture of Apex

it coming. She

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

kind of ng her fingers, hoping that she was in the clear since it was supposedly her safe period. But as fate would

out she was pregnant, she was at sixes and

talking marriage, having the kid

planned on telling Brandon in the first place, but as luck would have

red-faced and wanted to keep the test results

the HCG report she was

“Let me see

sentence, but it was laced with

handed

at the report for a bit, Brandon

She hadn’t anticipated this baby, and

towards us getting married and having the baby, Brandon said. “But the ball’s in your court. If you’re

“Getting married?”

her leg, but then she saw him nod earnestly,

a couple of days to mull it

sweet on Brandon for years, but she

told Brandon, “So, let’s tie

they picked up their marriage

yet somehow it all fell into

she and the

Brandon to fizzle

a whirlwind start and

years felt like

house, Sophia felt an

shoe and he caught her, the intense look

turmoil in his

thought

harbored feelings for

the case. He was just a bit too

heart ached with this

his father in the study a

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, are

my reasons. Mind your own

to trouble, and look at you. Because of Yolanda Frost, you wouldn’t date anyone, and then you go to some damn reunion, and next thing you

Daniel Crawley, his tone icy. This is my fault, not

Every time she comes up, you jump to her

“She’s never coming back”

was one of the rare moments she could detect a different emotion in his usually calm demeanor. Clearly, this

was the first time Sophia had heard the name Yolanda,