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 to the

buddy Susan Cooper’s begging

showed up to these things, would be

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

vanished even

Sophia casually

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 stiff and formal, especially with him sitting right next to her

hid behind eating and drinking, unwittingly

of neighborly duty, volunteered to

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

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

and the man she’d fantasized about countless

indulged to the

expected Brandon to be as green as her

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

Brandon had been single a man wholly devoted to his work

strict upbringing also made him a stickler

night was probably the only

And for Sophia, too.

had her life all

and was already getting her ducks in a row to apply to the School of Architecture of Apex Engineering University. But

never saw it coming.

because they let loose

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 was caught

out she was pregnant,

was talking marriage, having the kid and all

in the first place, but as luck would have it, she bumped into him at

a bit red-faced and wanted to keep the test results under wraps, but

of the HCG report she was

“Let me see

simple, calm sentence, but it was laced with an aura

Sophia handed over the

staring at the report for a bit, Brandon asked her, “What’s

shook her head, clueless. She hadn’t anticipated this baby,

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

“Getting married?”

was pulling her leg, but then she saw him nod

couple of

Brandon for years, but she never

and then told Brandon,

day, they picked

seemed absurd, yet somehow it

she and the kid weren’t meant to

Brandon to fizzle out before

was a whirlwind start and a

past two years felt like

in her house, Sophia felt

almost tripped over a shoe and he caught her, the intense look in his

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

thought that was

harbored feelings for many years,

was just a bit

heart ached with

his father in the study a few days

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,

my reasons. Mind your own

They say liquor leads to trouble, and look at you. Because of Yolanda Frost, you wouldn’t date anyone, and then you

cut off his father Daniel Crawley, his tone icy.

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 to

“She’s never coming back”

rare moments she could detect a different emotion in his usually calm demeanor.

the first time Sophia had heard the name