The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 81

Brandon didn’t respond. He lingered at the door for a moment, then strode away.

Sophia watched his retreating figure, sitting on the bed motionless, not even realizing when her fingers had hit the answer button on the phone until Susan’s voice, laced with concem, broke through, “Sophia? What’s up?”

Sophia snapped back to reality, peering at her phone screen through a blurry gaze, she saw Susan’s worried face.

“What’s wrong? Susan’s voice softened, tinged with caution.

Sophia shook her head slightly. “It’s nothing.”

Susan asked, “Did Brandon come over?”

Sophia nodded gently, “Yeah.”

“So, did you guys?” She hesitated, glancing at Sophia, wanting to ask if Brandon had managed to stop her, but seeing Sophia clad in the hospital gown with puffy eyes, the words got stuck in her throat. Instead, she shifted to a gentle reassurance, “It’s alright, there’s no hurdle we can’t get over”

Sophia managed a weak smile, “Yeah.”

a waiter to take it up to her. He didn’t leave, just stood at the

Diagnosis. Early Pregnancy that moved him so much at the moment they caught his eye. He had imagined countless times what their child might look like, whether like him or Sophia, or a mix of

out by nurses, made Brandon turn away, his stomach churning with familiar spasms as his emotions rolled, filled with the scene of Sophia with tear–filled eyes begging him to let her go. The stomach cramps worsened, but then his thoughts drifted back to that summer years ago when she stood on the stage with her teacher and introduced herself in

and tranquil look in her eyes, which were so clearly the eyes

crisply tore it in two with a swift

throw it away, but then his hands paused mid–air, frozen. After a long silence, he withdrew his hands, pocketing the crumpled DNA report once more, looked towards the hospital, and then turned

step into the

away, peering through the slightly ajar door at Sophia inside

and Sophia took a few bites before setting it aside, her appetite

mostly untouched porridge, didn’t approach, just silently observed the Sophia inside the room as she lay down and drifted into a shallow sleep. Only then did he finally enter the ward, bending down to gently tuck her in,

then

tucking her in, “Take a rest”

uttered a soft “Mhm,

stayed by the bed for a while, then his phone

room was empty, the hospital gown and blanket neatly folded on the bed. Brandon chuckled and shook his head, not bothering to investigate where Sophia had gone, and went

day, Brandon didn’t seek out Sophia, just busied himself with work at the hotel, unable to engage with the things he once loved.

fourth day, Brandon waited Sophia’s school, but didn’t