The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 48

“Yeah, but that’s ancient history I hardly remember much about it, just heard bits and pieces from my family.”

Marian was an open book when it came to her background, talking about it with an easy breezy attitude as if it were someone else’s tale. There wasn’t a trace of sadness on her face Sophia could tell she was living the good life with her current family.

Sophia was kinda digging her vibe and her no-BS personality.

She cracked a smile, “It’s totally normal to forget. I barely remember my kiddie days myself”

“Right?” Marian chuckled along. “Those days are ages ago. Who keeps track of all that stuff?”

“But have you ever,” Sophia hesitated, then looked at her, “ever thought about finding your biological parents?”

“Why bother?” Marian shot her a curious look, “My folks and my family are awesome to me. They treat me like their own, and I see them as my family. We’re already a family, so why go stirring the pot? What if I find them and then have to deal with the drama of whether to go back or not? Would I make my parents sad if I left? Better to let sleeping dogs lie. And, if they really cared, they would’ve looked for me by now I’ve been around for years and nobody’s come looking. My parents told me they adopted me after no one came forward when the police couldn’t find any missing person report or claim for me, Marian added.

Sophia didn’t jump in with a comeback, it wasn’t her place to judge, not walking in Marian’s shoes.

Marian wasn’t too hung up on the topic either. She whipped out her phone and fired up WhatsApp, “Let’s swap WhatsApp contacts.”

In the middle of the chat, she had the QR scanner up and handed her phone to Sophia, “I’ll scan you, okay?”

Sophia hesitated, then nodded, “Sure.”

She pulled out her phone, opened WhatsApp, and handed over her QR code.

Marian quickly scanned Sophia’s WhatsApp.

Sophia glanced at her phone and sure enough, there was Marian, using her own pic for her profile – a sunny, playful selfie that was easy to spot

Sophia hit ‘accept

cheeky sticking out tongue’ emoji, then looked at

nodded with a smile,

waiting for Sophia, and awkwardly stuck out her tongue before saying to Sophia, I’ll let you get back to it then. I’m off,

and nodded, watching her walk

glanced at Marian heading off and turned to Sophia, You know, you don’t have to add

casually picked up her phone from the table, “Nah, it’s cool. Adding folks on WhatsApp is all fun and games at first, but most of them end up like zombies in your

looked at her, offering no argument,

that he wanted to

same day and lived in the same apartment complex but usually

there something up?” she couldn’t help but ask Ivan as they headed

book, Ivan was like Brandon- not the warm and

way. “I heard you applied for the architect position at Dempsey Architects The higher ups really liked your portfolio.

Chapter 48

the chance to think it over these past few days. She was somewhat taken aback when Ivan

you know?”

in charge and heard

him, surprised, “Don? You know

nodded, “Yeah,

“Small world, huh?

couldn’t resist giving an example, “Like Marian just now, she seems to

also chuckled, “It’s

studying and for job opportunities after you graduate, whether you stay in

She smiled at

returned the smile – a faint one, but their exchange made Brandon, who was waiting in the car, feel uncomfortable. He hadn’t planned on arriving early, just timed it with Sophia’s class end. Yet, he still caught this

photo Patricia sent the day Sophia left. It was the look of a man interested in

knew he had no