The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

"What's with him?"

Tia asked Kent, a bit on edge, clueless about why Brandon suddenly got all moody.

Kent was just as baffled.

Ever since Brandon agreed to add her on WhatsApp, something felt off.

Brandon never just randomly adds people on WhatsApp, especially not women.

And Kent hadn't picked up on any vibes that Brandon was into Tia.

"Maybe he spaced out."

Kent chuckled awkwardly, pulling an excuse out of thin air that even he found hard to swallow, then bid Tia goodbye without

waiting to see if she was still puzzled and quickly caught up with Brandon.

By the tKent got to the parking lot, Brandon was nowhere to be seen.

Kent whipped out his phone and called Brandon. "Mr. Crawley, where did you take off to?"

"Just grab a cab back."

The voice on the other end was indifferent, and before Kent could respond, the call was cut off.

Kent frowned at his phone; the brief call had been filled with the sound of rushing wind—Brandon was clearly driving, and fast.

Brandon only drove like a bat out of hell when he was in a rotten mood.

Kent wasn't sure if Brandon's foul mood had anything to do with Sophia.

Earlier, when Brandon'd agreed to add Tia, Kent nearly thought Brandon was ready to meet someone new and start over.

He didn't know why Brandon had backtracked.

Kent couldn't decide if he was relieved or worried as he let out a silent sigh and reluctantly hailed a cab.

Brandon was driving aimlessly, alone on the road.

The suburban streets were empty and wide.

He was flooring it, the night breeze blasting through the wide-open windows, tousling his hair.

This city, although miles away from the West district, felt like another hometown to him.

He went to university here.

So did Sophia.

But she would never know their colleges were just a wall apart.

Outside the window, rows of trees blurred by with the speed of the car.

Next to them was the university town, where he could vaguely make out young couples frolicking under the tree-lined paths.

Not far ahead was one of the objectives of his trip, the Horizon Mall.

A few years back, it was the go-to spot for the city's college students.

It saw generations of students cand go, and with each farewell and greeting, it slowly fell behind the times.

Brandon suddenly remembered the year they graduated, how his dormmates organized a dinner party there at the mall.

In that barbecue restaurant, he sat quietly watching others laugh and chat when he suddenly looked up. The familiar profile at the

table next to his caught his eye, just as serene and gentle as he remembered, with a faint smile always gracing her lips.

Sophia would never know that their post-high-school reunion wasn't at the class reunion four years ago.

That unexpected encounter, Brandon couldn't quite recall how he felt back then, nor why he didn't approach her.

Only later did a faint regret surface, but it wasn't strong enough to drive him to reach out to her.

His life and its trajectory hadn't shifted because of that chance meeting, but in the brief moments of respite from his busy life, he

would remember Sophia and that missed opportunity.

That missed opportunity turned the class reunion into a whirlwind of uncontrollable emotions.

That whirlwind caused his life to veer slightly off its set course, but not by much.

Brandon wasn't sure if he was now trying to steer his life back to its intended path.

The chapter of his life with Sophia had ended.

They had proven to each other that they were not meant to be.

Just now, when Tia asked to add him on WhatsApp, Brandon had even considered taking Sophia's advice to find someone

complementary.

If either he or Sophia had had an ounce of Tia's fiery initiative, things wouldn't have gotten to where they are now.

Plus, they say you start forgetting someone by meeting someone new.

So, in that instant, in a burst of rational thought, he had extended his phone to her.

And in that sinstant, countless images of Sophia quietly watching him flickered in his mind, morphing into a thick haze of guilt.

He even felt the absurd sensation of betraying Sophia.

Maybe because Sophia had remained single, and he had too, even two years post-divorce, subconsciously, he'd never truly

acknowledged the fact that their marriage was over.

To him, Sophia was like someone he'd had a spat with who'd gone on a long trip.

Even though he knew, logically, it wasn't true, that they were over, and that they were no longer each other's concern, she still

influenced him, even from a thousand miles away.

Brandon's handsface turned ashen at the thought.

When he returned to the hotel, Kent could tell that Brandon still looked terrible, just as icy as when they'd left Horizon Property.

"Mr. Crawley, are you alright?"

Kent couldn't hold back his concern any longer and blurted out the question.

But unlike before, this the didn't receive Brandon's usual "I'm fine."

Brandon just walked past him expressionlessly and entered his room.

Kent followed, dutifully and concerned, asking,

"Mr. Crawley, have you had dinner? Shall | ask room service to send up ssupper?"

He turned to call the service desk.

"No need."

Brandon finally spoke, his voice cold as ice.

Kent was now certain something was seriously off with Brandon's mood.

It was unlike any of his previous bad moods which were usually more controlled. This this distress was laid bare for all to see.

This version of Brandon had Kent worried, and he couldn't help but look at him. "Mr. Crawley, if something's weighing on you, you

can talk to me. Bottling it up isn't good for your health."

Brandon turned to look at him. "Got time?"

Kent quickly nodded. "Yes."

"Joinfor sboxing."

Kent was speechless.

Two hours later, Kent was completely wiped out in the hotel gym, too pooped to even get up. He just lay there on the floor, huffing

and puffing, with his boxing gear drenched in sweat.

Brandon wasn't faring much better, with his training clothes soaked through and his hair dripping wet, his forehead slick with

sweat.

But compared to Kent's total wipeout, Brandon was still holding up okay. Sure, he was sweating buckets, but he wasn't out for the

count like Kent.

Brandon was just chilling against the corner wall, one leg bent, the other stretched out, his arm casually resting on his raised knee.

Droplets of sweat trickled down from his drenched locks, but his stern face didn't show any sign of relief from the intense workout.

His handsface was still all tense, and his eyes were sharp and cold.

He seemed to be staring off into space, lost in thought.

Kent, still panting, turned his head to look at him and said, "Boss, you still haven't snapped out of it?"

Brandon gave him a glance without a hint of emotion and didn't utter a word.

His gaze had shifted somewhere else.

The gym was bustling with young folks, a mix of guys and gals, and quite a few couples in matching workout gear, pumping iron

together with lovey-dovey eyes that seemed to drip with honey.

Kent noticed where Brandon's gaze had landed, couldn't help but sneak a peek at the cuddly couples, then turned back to

Brandon.

Brandon had already looked away, his gaze wandering out the window.

Outside was the city at night, slowly sinking into slumber, with the occasional flicker of colorful spotlights.

Brandon seemed to be lost in the view.

Kent, a bit concerned, called out to him, "Mr. Crawley?"

Brandon didn't look at him, just spoke softly, "Why is it so damn hard to let go of someone? And how cfor her, it just seems so

freaking easy?"

Kent didn't say anything.

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