The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 272

Susan chuckled and gave her shoulder a pat, "Chill out, don't overthink it. Trust that everything happens for a reason."

Sophia cracked a smile and nodded gently, "Yeah."

She carried Theresa back upstairs, tucked her in, took a shower, and then hit the sack.

When lights out came, Sophia habitually glanced at her phone and noticed a message from Brandon.

Puzzled, she picked it up.

His message was short and sweet. [Got home.]

Sophia stared at that message, kinda lost in thought.

Back when she and Brandon weren't divorced, their exchanges were pretty much limited to this sorta stuff.

[Working late, hit the hay without me.]

[Got a client dinner, don't wait up.]

And it would always end with her replying, [Okay.]

Seeing a message like that now, Sophia still felt a twinge of that old resistance.

But she replied anyway with one word. [Okay.]

She was about to set the phone down when it buzzed again with a new message. [Still up?] It was Brandon again.

That kind of small talk was something he would never have wasted time on in the past.

Their interactions were all about keeping each other posted.

Sophia's gaze lingered on the phone, slightly torn, but she eventually responded. [About to sleep.]

She thought about texting back, [How come you're not asleep yet?] After typing it out, Sophia deleted the message, not really wanting to drag out the conversation.

In the past, she tried following up with messages, cautiously asking things like, [Working late again?] But she'd just get his cool, reasoned explanations in return, making her queries seem a bit childish by comparison.

Back then, she was still head over heels for Brandon, easily fretting over every little thing. A simple inquiry could make her anxious, afraid of coming off as too inconsiderate, worried that it might turn him off. So eventually, she stopped asking.

Now, there wasn't that same sense of anxiety, just a feeling that there was no need to prolong the discussion.

She muted her phone and put it down without giving it another thought.

That night she didn't sleep well - her dreams were full of the polite distance of those two years of marriage and Daniel and Patricia's sharp tongues.

In the wee hours, she woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare, startling Theresa, who was sleeping next to her.

Theresa peered at her with bleary eyes, uncertain, "Mommy?"

Sophia held her tight and whispered soothingly, "It's okay."

Theresa quickly fell back asleep with her mom's reassurance.

But Sophia couldn't catch any more Z's.

It had been almost two years since she last had a nightmare, especially one about that marriage.

just before dawn and was

and decided to snooze for a bit, not realizing

time before work, she bolted upright, skipped breakfast, rushed through her morning routine, threw on some clothes, grabbed her phone and bag, and dashed out the door, making sure to hail a cab. Standing at the entrance of her complex, waiting for the ride that hadn't arrived yet, she was about to

sight of Brandon's car parked at

She was taken aback.

stepped out of the car and was looking

hesitated, then looked at him, "What are you

already opening the

eyeing his

gaze was firm, "Sophia, we can't cut ties that cleanly. You said before, let's be friends, so

didn't know what to

the car door, "Sophia, I don't want to force

Sophia looked at him.

was an undertone of firmness that

pursed her lips and

the passenger

buckled up and the car pulled away, a warm breakfast

something to eat

His voice was steady.

at him; he was focused on driving,

from moments ago

"Thanks."

her thanks

glanced at her

"No,

in acknowledgment and

didn't say anything more, just opened the breakfast

breakfast, she was

munching, she finally had a

she saw Brandon's reply

[Okay, sleep early.]

pick you up

message, she felt a mix of emotions and turned

phone and went to bed after replying last night,

it."

replied lightly, glancing at

and nodded,

help but look at him again, hesitated, but finally asked, "Did you come over

"Just got here a

out the car window, catching sight of a breakfast spot near a mall, and turned to ask her, "Is that enough

slightly, "No need, there's

the bag, "I can't

at the bag in her hand, nodded, and didn't press

a glass of milk, and a sandwich were usually enough for

taken care of by Sophia. Nothing fancy, but it was tasty and

I can head to the office on my

softly said as

waste

glanced at her, not a

talk about it tomorrow," he said

Sophia nodded gently. "Mhm."

arrived at the underground