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

her buddy Susan Cooper’s begging

never showed up to these things,

high school, she and Brandon lost all contact, didn’t join the class group chats or reunions. They were like ships passing in the night, briefly

had vanished even

knew where he’d gone or what he’d done. Whenever Sophia casually prodded her high

never 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

hid

out of neighborly duty, volunteered to take

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 impossible to break away from,

never even had a boyfriend, but that

the man

night, they indulged to the fullest, both inexperienced but

to be as green as her in love and

was impossible he couldn’t have had a

understood why Brandon had been single a man wholly devoted to his work

upbringing also made him a

was probably the only slip-up in

And for Sophia, too.

her life all

design 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

saw it coming. She was

let loose a little too much, they both overslept the

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

she was pregnant,

marriage, having the kid and all that

hadn’t been in touch since. Sophia hadn’t planned on telling Brandon in

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

of the HCG report she was hiding behind her back, and reached out

“Let me see

simple, calm sentence, but it was laced with an

Sophia handed over the

bit, Brandon asked her, “What’s your

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

Brandon said. “But the ball’s

“Getting married?”

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

gave her a couple of days to mull

on Brandon for years, but she never imagined that one day

longing, she took two days to think it over and then told Brandon, “So, let’s tie the

day, they picked up their

yet somehow it all fell

imagined that she and

Brandon

whirlwind start and

past two years

her house, Sophia felt an

replayed the night she almost tripped over a shoe and he caught her, the intense look in

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

had thought

feelings for many years, which

was just a

heart ached

Brandon and his father in the study a few days

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.

my reasons. Mind

wouldn’t date anyone, and then you go to some damn reunion, and next

Daniel Crawley, his tone icy. This is my

won’t talk about her. Every time she comes up, you jump to her defense I’m just asking, what if Yolanda comes back? Don’t forget, you were engaged

“She’s never coming back”

detect a different emotion in his usually calm demeanor. Clearly, this

first time Sophia had heard the