The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Theresa got the fright of her life from his antics and, on instinct, burrowed into Sophia's arms, too scared to even glance at Aaron

but also worried sick about her mom getting bullied. Yet, she couldn't help but peek at him.

Sophia gave her a tighter hug and gently patted her shoulder while whispering soothingly in her ear, "Don't be scared."

Aaron watched Sophia's tender protection over Theresa, his gaze locked on Sophia.

"Who's this little girl?" he blurted out, cutting straight to the chase.

"A friend's daughter," Sophia replied, her voice chilly. After answering, she tried to leave with Theresa in tow.

But Aaron wasn't buying it and stepped forward to block her path.

"No way, you don't have the tto babysit someone else's kid. This girl has got the svibe as you," Aaron observed, glancing

at Theresa before probing Sophia, "Your daughter?"

Sophia's lips were sealed tight.

"When did you have a daughter?" Aaron pressed on, his eyes darting back and forth between Theresa and Sophia's faces.

Sophia didn't bite and tried to sidestep him to leave.

But Aaron was bigger and stronger, not to mention Sophia was holding a child. She barely took two steps before Aaron grabbed her

arm and stopped her again.

"Who's the kid's dad?"

Aaron's face had turned to stone as he put on his big brother act, schooling Sophia, "Having a kid is no small deal, how could you

keep this from your own family?"

Sophia didn't want to start a fight in front of Theresa.

She looked at Aaron calmly, "Aaron, we can talk this out in private. I've got an emergency and need to leave. Can you please step

aside?"

Barbara rushed over to pull Aaron back, "Yeah, whatever it is, we can talk later. Don't scare the kid."

"How do we talk in private?" Aaron lost his temper, "You don't answer calls, don't chome. Nobody knows how long you've been

back in the West district, and you didn't even give a heads up."

His booming voice drew curious glances from the bystanders.

Sophia, concerned Theresa might get scared, pressed her closer and then faced Aaron, still composed, "Aaron, it's not that | don't

chome, it's that you don't let me. Please don't twist the truth. Keep this up, and I'll call the cops."

As she spoke, Sophia took out her phone, ready to make the call.

Aaron had no choice but to let go of her arm.

Sophia walked away with Theresa.

Aaron eyed Theresa's size and, recalling his run-in with Brandon, blurted out, "Is she Brandon's daughter?"

But Sophia didn't break stride, as if she hadn't heard, marching towards the visitor center with an expressionless face.

Aaron's suspicions grew, feeling like he'd stumbled upon searth-shattering secret, and followed in hot pursuit, angrily trying to

get confirmation, "She's Brandon's kid, isn't she? She's got to be the one you had before you left the West district, which means

she can only be Brandon's daughter. Does his family even know about this? This is way out of line, you went through the trouble of

having their kid, and they just ignore you? I'm gonna have a word with them."

"Aaron!"

Sophia snapped suddenly.

Aaron clammed up, his tirade cut short.

Brandon, who was on the phone by the back door, furrowed his brows and turned around, spotting the stoic Sophia and the

persistent Aaron.

The surrounding onlookers had formed a crowd, whispering among themselves, but no one dared to intervene in what looked like a

family matter.

Brandon quickly told the person on the line, "Sorry, I've got something to handle. I'll have Kent get back to you later."

Then he hung up and strode over to Sophia.

Sophia had turned to face Aaron and didn't notice Brandon approaching.

Theresa saw him and called out, "Daddy!"

Her voice was sharp with urgency.

Aaron instinctively looked up and saw Brandon coming towards them, stunned, and saw Brandon stopping in front of Sophia,

reaching out for Theresa in her arms.

Theresa affectionately turned to Brandon, allowing him to take her, and nervously said, "Daddy, he won't let my mommy leave."

"It's okay, Theresa, don't worry," Brandon reassured her softly.

Aaron watched the father and daughter, utterly taken aback.

Guessing was one thing, but seeing Brandon in person left him frozen on the spot.

Sophia didn't look at Brandon. In a low voice, she said, "Take Theresa and wait for me."

Then she turned, grabbed Aaron by the arm, and without a word, pulled him outside.

"Daddy, what's wrong with mommy?" Theresa looked worriedly at Brandon.

"Mommy needs to talk to your uncle for a bit," Brandon said soothingly as he held her, then looked down and suggested, "You stay

with Susan and Kent for a while, okay? | will go to mommy and cback for you soon, alright?"

"Okay."

As always, Theresa nodded obediently.

Brandon touched her head tenderly and took her back to Susan and Kent, who were listlessly sipping cola and fiddling with their

phones. Seeing Brandon return with Theresa alone, Susan frowned, "Where's Sophia?"

"She's got something to sort out with Aaron," Brandon explained.

"Aaron?" Susan's voice spiked, "How che's here?"

"Must've bumped into him with the kids, | guess."

Brandon said, placing Theresa on the seat, "Watch Theresa for me. I'll go check on Sophia."

Susan nodded quickly, "Go ahead, her no-good brother is a handful. I'm worried Sophia might not handle him."

Brandon nodded, set Theresa up, then hit the road, but Sophia and Aaron were nowhere to be seen in the direction they'd

vanished.

Barbara was still there with the kids, waiting in place.

"Where'd they scoot off to?" Brandon asked, glancing at Barbara.

Barbara looked just as clueless, "Probably headed out front, | guess. | wasn't really paying attention."

Brandon didn't waste any more words, whipped out his cell phone, and started dialing as he walked towards the direction where

Sophia had disappeared.

Sophia had dragged Aaron to a deserted nook before finally letting go of him.

Before she could even open her mouth, Aaron was already on a rant, "She's definitely Brandon's kid. You guys didn’t secretly get

hitched again, did you?"

"No way!"

She shut that down fast and turned to face him, "My daughter is just that - my daughter. She's got nothing to do with anyone else.

Me, Brandon, and the entire Crawley family are donezo. So don't go getting any funny ideas."

"What kind of funny ideas could | possibly have? I'm just looking out for you here," Aaron retorted, feeling wrongly accused, "What

do you mean 'no connection'? Are you out of your mind? You go through all that risk and pain to have their family's baby, and then

you walk away without a claim to the throne or even child support, and still say there's no connection? Think about your kid for

once. If you don't latch onto Brandon now and he starts a new family later, leaves all his assets to the new kids, won't yours feel

left out in the cold? Both his kids, but why should his another wife's live in the lap of luxury while yours gets the short end of the

stick? Can't you think about your kid's future?"

"It's my business!" Sophia shot back, "I don't need anyone meddling in my life under the guise of doinga favor. Aaron, the

moment Mom kickedout two years ago, that was it forand you guys. No connection, get it? Please, I'm begging you, stop

butting into my life, will you?"

Sophia was on the verge of a breakdown by the end of her tirade. The memories of them sneaking around behind her back to

approach Brandon and his folks, all while claiming to act on her behalf, flooded her mind, taking over her emotions.

They didn't care about her, so they felt free to disregard her feelings and her situation, brazenly seeking benefits from the Crawley

family in the nof her own relatives.

Daniel and Patricia were biased against her, no matter how calmly she claimed ignorance or how fiercely she confronted and

threatened Laura and Aaron, they just treated it like she was playing a double act.

Her in-laws despised and distrusted her, her own family ignored her insistence on doing things her way, and she was all too

familiar with the feeling of helplessness caught in the middle. That's exactly why she'd chosen divorce when Brandon showed he

had no love for her.

To untangle herself from these messy financial ties that cropped up because of her, cutting ties with Brandon was the only way out.

Laura and Aaron were beyond shameless.

On one hand, they felt like being in-laws made them family, lost all sense of boundaries, and took for granted what belonged to the

Crawley family as if it was theirs.

But once they lost that connection through their daughter, they felt they had no ground to stand on, too embarrassed to demand

from the Crawley family like they used to.

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