The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Sophia was sitting right across from Brandon and caught sight of his cool, handsface, which made her involuntarily press her

lips and get all uptight.

Ivan, sensing the shift in Sophia's demeanor, leaned in, concern written all over his face, and whispered, “What's up? Feeling under

the weather?”

His voice was so low that only Sophia could hear him, while others just noticed the worry he couldn't hide as he looked at her.

Don glanced at Ivan and suddenly started doubting his own judgment. He couldn't help but turn his gaze towards Brandon.

Brandon seemed oblivious to the attention, his focus already on the stage that was getting prepped, his expression serene. But

those fingers pressed against the teacup.

Don caught a glimpse of his knuckles turning white and once again couldn't resist looking over at Sophia.

Sophia, with her eyes downcast, didn’t dare look in Brandon's direction and just gave Ivan a polite shake of the head, “I'm fine.”

After that, she picked up her teacup and took delicate sips. The whole table was steeped in an odd tension.

Luckily, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was about to start.

Zachary, after schmoozing with sfolks nearby, turned to invite Brandon to join him on stage.

Brandon nodded slightly and followed Zachary up. Ivan was also called to the stage.

When Brandon stood up to leave, Don clearly saw Sophia breathe a sigh of relief, her fingers relaxing slightly on her teacup.

Don chuckled and looked at Sophia, “Still scared of Brandon, huh?”

Sophia gave an awkward smile, “No, not really.”

“It's normal, nothing to be embarrassed about.” Don said with a laugh, “I've known him for years and hardly anyone can be

themselves around him. He's been like this since we were kids, which is why he barely had any friends back then.”

Sophia's smile froze a bit as she glanced towards Brandon on stage.

He was already at the front, greeting the others with a humble yet polite demeanor, yet his presence was undeniably commanding.

Don also looked at Brandon on stage and continued, “So, do you get why little Yolanda was different for him? She was the only one

who wasn't afraid of him and always stood by his side, chell or high water.”

Sophia just looked at him, not responding. Don turned to her, perhaps reminiscing about the young Yolanda or something else, and

his look was nostalgic.

“Brandon's mom passed away from illness when he was seven. She adored him and the feeling was mutual. Her death hit him

hard, turned him into a loner with no friends, and holed up in his room all day long. Yolanda, though, would bug him every day,

talking to him, cheering him up. If he didn’t want to talk, she’d just sit with him in silence. If he refused to eat, she'd starve with

him. If anyone dared to mock him for not having a mom, she'd be up in their face, ready to brawl. You could say Yolanda helped

Brandon through sof his darkest days.”

As Don spoke, he noticed tears shimmering in Sophia's eyes, her face looking like it was behind a veil, her gaze distant.

Concerned, Don called out to her, “Sophia?”

Sophia snapped back to reality, gave an awkward smile, and hesitated before asking him, “His mom died when he was seven?”

Don frowned, “You didn’t know?”

Sophia shook her head, embarrassed, “We never talked about that.”

“You mean to tellyou don’t even know Patricia isn’t his biological mom?” He asked, unsure.

Sophia’s embarrassment deepened, but she still shook her head.

Sophia felt super awkward and wasn’t sure if this was on her or Brandon. She knew that Brandon and Patricia weren't exactly the

picture of mother-son closeness, but she chalked it up to Brandon's nature and never thought there might be more to it.

Brandon wasn’t one to talk about his family, and neither was she, especially knowing full well that her own family was a mess and

that Brandon's parents weren't exactly her fan club.

Aside from a brief introduction of her family when they got married and the occasional holiday visits for a meal, they hardly ever

interacted or brought up family matters.

Even though Patricia often cover to Sophia and Brandon's place, she acted more like a bossy mom than a stepmom, so Sophia

never suspected anything else.

“When his mom's death anniversary comes around, hasn't he ever taken you to pay your respects?” Don probed.

Sophia shook her head, suddenly feeling a twinge of sorrow, unable to pin down her emotions but feeling a sense of discomfort.

He had never asked her to accompany him to visit his biological mother's grave. She wondered if, in sway, this meant he had

never truly acknowledged her as his wife. Or perhaps, he knew even then that their relationship wouldn't last.

Realizing he might have broached a sensitive topic, Don covered it up with a nervous chuckle, “You know, right after his mom

passed, Brandon flat-out refused to visit her grave. On the day of her burial, he was adamant about not going, crying and insisting

his mom wasn't dead. Maybe he just couldn't get over it and never visited by himself.”

Sophia forced a smile, not continuing the conversation.

She didn't know if Brandon ever visited, but she knew he never went during her death day. Her gaze drifted back to Brandon on

stage.

His expression had returned to its usual composure, calmly watching Zachary speak, his familiar cool and collected demeanor in

place.

She had never seen Brandon look defeated or disheartened, but having experienced loneliness in her own youth, she could

imagine how lost and helpless a seven-year-old Brandon must have felt.

At that time, Yolanda's relentless company must have been precious to him.

She was the sole warmth and light in his dark world; even as a child, that kind of warmth stuck to the bones. Just like Brandon was

to her when she was seventeen, she could understand the significance of Yolanda to him.

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