The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Daniel was caught off guard when asked.

The prejudice seemed to kick in from the moment Brandon brought her hto meet them.

It probably stemmed from a disappointment that she wasn't Yolanda.

Although Yolanda had been off the radar, Brandon's holding a torch for her had already imprinted the idea in their minds that those

two were the real deal.

So when Sophia was brought home, the sense of loss from Yolanda being ousted, the feeling of a cuckoo in the nest, invisibly

fueled this bias.

This bias deepened as Sophia's family's greed and incessant demands becapparent.

To them, Sophia's reunion with Brandon also seemed to carry an ulterior motive.

"You guys have never given her a fair shake, myself included."

Brandon looked at Daniel, his voice even-keeled,

"I'm the root of everything that's brought us to this point. So, whatever happens with us in the end, it's on me. But that doesn't

give you the right to meddle in my life, let alone spout off about hers. We owe her an apology for this marriage, and if you can't

own up to that, then keep your distance.”

"How exactly have we wronged her?" Patricia couldn't hold back, "Ever since she married into the family, she's had the best of

everything. We never even raised our voices to her. In what way have we shortchanged her?"

"And her whole family, every tthey cover, they're always asking for the moon. Did we ever say a word? We've bent over

backwards to help them. How many families would do that? And still, it's not enough. Do we have to treat her like royalty or

something?"

Brandon's lips curled into a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"That's why we can't sit down and have a civil conversation." He pushed the door shut, "You should go home."

With that, the door slammed shut.

Patricia and Daniel were stunned.

Snapping back to reality, Daniel started pounding on the door. "What do you mean by this? Open up!"

Brandon simply picked up his phone and called the security desk, asking the guards to escort them out.

Yvonne had just driven back to the complex when she saw Daniel and Patricia being escorted out by the security, causing her to

slam on the brakes and hop out of her car in a hurry.

"What happened?"

She asked anxiously, rushing over to help Patricia.

The security guard glanced at Yvonne. "You're their family, right? Take them home. We have strict security here; no disturbances

allowed."

After letting them go, Yvonne looked worriedly at Patricia. "Mom, what's going on?"

"Didn't you see? Your brother just kicked us out."

Patricia was irked, fussing over the wrinkles on her sleeve, "We weren't even let in the door. The minute that woman is mentioned,

he flips. | really don't know what kind of love potion she's fed your brother."

Yvonne gave her an uncertain look. "Sophia?"

"Who else could it be?"

"What about the child?" Yvonne asked urgently.

Patricia and Daniel were taken aback, the commotion with Sophia had made them forget the main issue at hand.

That afternoon, Yvonne had brought her child over to her parents’ for dinner and let it slip that she had seen Brandon at the mall

with an unfamiliar little girl, catching dolls from a claw machine.

She felt something was off. Brandon was usually aloof, not even affectionate with his own family, so it was strange to see him

being so nice to an unfamiliar little girl, especially since her daughter was his niece and hadn't received such treatment.

Yvonne suspected that the girl might be Brandon's illegitimate daughter and even showed them a picture.

However, Yvonne's photo wasn't a frontal shot. It was taken from behind and to the right, not even capturing a full profile.

Daniel and Patricia couldn't make out what the girl in the photo actually looked like.

But the uncanny resemblance between Brandon and the little girl in the photo, as well as the tenderness in Brandon's expression,

set Daniel's heart racing, especially after Yvonne's conjecture that Brandon and Sophia's sudden divorce might be due to infidelity.

He had witnessed Brandon and Sophia's marriage over the past two years. Although not as close as other couples, their

relationship had always seemed solid, never a cross word, let alone a fight.

They looked like a stable, old married couple.

Yet such an inseparable pair had divorced out of the blue, and Sophia had left the house.

If it wasn't for one party's fault, he couldn't think of any other reason for the sudden split.

Over the past two years, Brandon had been tight-lipped about the divorce and its reasons.

Now, with Yvonne's speculation, Daniel felt like he had stumbled onto the answer.

He wasn't against Brandon having a child, in fact, he was delighted, as it would be the Crawley family's first granddaughter. But

the accidental inclusion of the child's mother in the photo complicated his feelings, making him feel it was something they couldn't

proudly display.

Eager to get to the bottom of things, he rushed over right after dinner, not expecting to run into Sophia and completely forgetting

the main issue.

"Forget him."

Daniel ordered grimly and turned to walk away, but he couldn't shake off his concern and looked back at Patricia. "Call him and see

what's up."

Patricia was also in a bind.

After all, she was just the stepmother, and Brandon's resentment towards her was even stronger than towards Daniel.

But faced with Daniel's stern look, Patricia dared not disobey and reluctantly dialed Brandon's number.

She didn't expect the call to be cut off as soon as it rang once, a clear signal he didn't want any further contact.

Patricia looked at Daniel helplessly. "He won't take my call."

Daniel turned to Yvonne. "You try!"

Yvonne instantly chickened out. "I can't."

"Good-for-nothing."

Daniel scolded her, then took out his phone to call, paused as he found Brandon's number, and then decided to look at Yvonne.

"Giveyour phone."

Yvonne had no choice but to hand over her phone.

Daniel dialed Brandon's number.

"Hello."

When that low, gravelly voice cthrough the phone, all three of them clammed up. Not a peep from anyone.

Yvonne glanced at Daniel.

Daniel just waved his hand, signaling for her to go ahead and talk.

Patricia was nudging her on too.

Yvonne had no choice but to bite the bullet and speak up. "Brandon."

"What's up?"

Yvonne hesitated, shooting a glance at Daniel, then plucked up her courage to carefully probe, "I was just wondering, the little girl

with you at the mall today, who is she to you?"

"A stranger."

Yvonne didn't know what to say.

She shot Daniel a look for help.

Daniel mouthed the words for her. "Ask him straight up what's their deal."

"Oh." Yvonne nodded and parroted Daniel's words, "So, what's the deal with you two?"

"No deal."

"Oh."

Yvonne's brain short-circuited again, and she looked desperately at Daniel.

Daniel, having gotten the answer he wanted, didn't bother with her anymore and walked away.

Yvonne quickly followed suit, and while catching up, she said to Brandon on the phone, "Oh, got it, Brandon, catch you later."

With that, she hung up.

The "beep beep." of the busy signal cthrough just as Brandon frowned and looked at his phone.

The screen had already switched back to the screensaver.

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMyWL11I01F1081

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMyWL11I01F1081

mMMwWLIIOfiflO&1