The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 36

Sophia just gave a slight nod.

“If I’m not around here, I’ll make sure someone else takes care of you, so don’t sweat it, Brandon said, as he helped her lug her bags into the master bedroom. Glancing at his watch, he added, “It’s getting late, you should hit the sack.”

Sophia nodded silently again.

“You too get some shut-eye.”

Brandon let out a soft “Hmm” and on his way out, he kindly closed the door behind him.

Sophia had already freshened up back at home, so she turned off the lights and got into bed.

The mattress in this five-star hotel was comfy and plush, but sleep just wasn’t coming to Sophia.

In just half a day, it seemed like everything had looped back to square one.

Not a great feeling, to say the least.

Her hand instinctively rested on her flat belly, knowing full well that the heart of the matter was the child inside her, just like it was two years ago.

The thought of retracing her past life steps was something she instinctively pushed against.

In the dead of night, amidst this resistance, she drifted into a fitful sleep, caught between dreams and reality. Every time she closed her eyes, she was besieged by dreams. In the bizarre dreamscapes, Sophia felt like she was back in Brandon’s West district house, living there alone year-round, a place vast and empty, devoid of life and, contrary to her expectations, free will. Patricia, with her graceful and proper demeanor, appeared in her dreams, her words laced with hidden barbs, waking Sophia in a cold sweat. When she looked out the window, the sky was already bright.

forehead through her hair to the back

while, taking in the empty beauty of the room. Just one night, and she was already missing her cozy, albeit

room came with an en-suite bathroom stocked with everything one

the motions of washing up and getting dressed with a wooden expression.

to leave

the adjacent

room to the living room, where, in

the usual sharp aura he had in a suit, replaced instead by

he was pretty darn good at

did she get to taste his cooking or see him

part of his world. His life

rare. Sophia wasn’t sure if it was because he wasn’t into it, or because she had already taken over

unemployment, she had developed a Pavlovian response to cook meals on time, as if only by doing so could

had always despised this

last time she had seen such a scene. The last memorable occasion

Back then, cooking had become solely

come full circle, it

someone’s eyes on him, Brandon paused his egg-frying, then turned around to find Sophia staring at him,

’em?” he asked, turning

gave a gentle nod.

of

her and stood in

Sophia candidly nodded again.

bed giving you grief? Or just not your cup of tea?” he asked,

her head slightly.

deep look but didn’t