The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Brandon hung around in the car till the wee hours of the night.

Daniel had someone fetch Brandon a few times and even made two personal attempts to coax him back for dinner, but all he got

was the cold shoulder from Brandon.

Gone was the polite facade he used to maintain around Daniel, as well as the assertiveness he had when he was stripped of his

company shares not too long ago. Now he just looked totally down in the dumps, like he couldn't care less about anything. Daniel

was both frustrated and furious, biting back the anger that almost burst out, scared to death he'd set Brandon off.

This vulnerable, lifeless version of Brandon was something Daniel had never seen before, and he didn't dare to risk blowing his top.

Daniel had lived a cushy life for the most part; in his early years, his dad took care of everything, so he never had to sweat the

small stuff. But then his dad got old, and Brandon took over the reins of the company.

From a young age, Brandon was a kid one didn't have to worry about - he even outdid his grandpa's teachings. Sure, being his dad

cwith its frustrations, but Daniel never really had to fret over Brandon.

And now, his usually reliable son had turned into someone he couldn't scold, couldn't beat, and couldn't cajole. Daniel was at a

loss. He was out of his depth for the first tin his life as a father.

Daniel looked at the feast prepared to welchim home, his appetite vanishing into thin air.

"You've just been discharged; you gotta eat something." Patricia urged, worried, "The doctor said you need to rest, to stop

overthinking and avoid getting worked up. You've finally left the hospital; don't go making yourself sick again."

Patricia wasn't all that affected by Brandon's transformation.

After all, Brandon wasn't her flesh and blood, and in the past couple of years, he had snubbed her over Sophia tand again. Any

maternal affection she might have had for him had worn thin with each new conflict. But she still worried about Daniel.

With the way Brandon was icing her out, she feared she wouldn't have a leg to stand on in this family if Daniel were gone.

But when faced with her concerns, all Daniel could do was let out a heavy sigh, "How can | eat when my son has turned into this?"

Daniel didn't finish his sentence when Yvonne, who had been eating quietly, tentatively piped up with a suggestion, "Dad, maybe

it's all about the sister-in-law. Why don't you talk to her, persuade her to make up with my brother?"

"What kind of rotten idea is that!"

Daniel snapped, cutting her off, "How is that woman worthy of your brother? Marrying her is like marrying her whole darn family.

Your brother finally cto his senses and cut her loose; why on earth would we want to drag her back in?"

Yvonne clammed up, not daring to make another peep.

Patricia, not wanting Daniel to blow a gasket, quickly tried to calm him down, shooting Yvonne a reprimanding glare, "Don't be

stirring the pot. Sometimes it's better to rip off the Band-Aid. Your dad's just looking out for your brother's best interest."

Yvonne wouldn't dare to talk back to Daniel, but she wasn't afraid of Patricia, who usually doted on her. She couldn't help but

mutter under her breath.

"My brother can manage a whole company; can't he handle her family? | think you guys are worrying about nothing. You say it's for

his good, but everything you do seems to hold him back. At my brother's level, he doesn't need to marry for alliances anymore.

Having a partner who gives him peace and comfort is what counts. | really don't get what you're all against. Look at Wilson's sister

- she didn't marry into a family of equal status, and they're doing just fine, aren't they?"

"Yvonne, don't pushto slap you." Patricia's face turned sour, "How many times have | told you, don't bring up that nin my

presence. You sneak off with that no-good boy to get married and end up pregnant before the wedding, and | haven't even settled

the score with you on that."

Yvonne immediately fell silent.

She knew she was in the wrong there. She and her husband Wilson had indeed eloped, get married in secret.

Wilson's family didn't meet her mother's standards, and when Patricia found out about their relationship, she flat-out opposed it.

She had already mapped out a high-profile, strategic marriage for Yvonne.

Although Wilson's family was well-off, they didn't fit into one Patricia had envisioned, and so she objected strongly.

Yvonne knew her mom - she was dominant and set in her ways, with no room for negotiation on things she opposed.

But Yvonne loved Wilson too much to leave him, and seeing her mother's vehement opposition, she decided to go all in. Four years

ago, she swiped the family register and secretly tied the knot with Wilson, and soon after got pregnant with Anna.

This nearly gave her parents a heart attack.

But Daniel and Patricia still doted on her. Even though they despised Wilson to the core, they couldn't stand to see their daughter

suffer. They took care of her in every way - hiring help, giving money, arranging jobs. So, Yvonne's life wasn't much affected,

except for the dirty looks they gave Wilson.

She believed she and Wilson were a good match, even if Wilson's sister's marriage wasn't considered equal. But in her eyes, they

were both doing great, so these things seemed trivial to her.

Besides, her brother was even more capable than them; too bad she couldn't convince Daniel and Patricia.

Just one look from Daniel was enough to shut her up. But Daniel had lost his appetite too and started pacing by the window again,

glancing at the black Cayenne still parked outside. Another attempt to invite Brandon in, another failure.

Daniel decided to let it be for now. Maybe it was just a matter of time.

But he hadn't anticipated that when the stock market opened the next day, Starlight Group's shares would take a nosedive. The

plunge was due to rumors swirling that Brandon, the executive director of Starlight Group, was missing in action, with no one able

to reach him.

As the whispers grew louder, Starlight Group made no attempt to clear the air, and Brandon didn't show up to set the record

straight. This led to even more rampant speculation - ssaid he was ill; others said something had happened to him.

A review of recent events confirmed that Brandon had indeed been out of the public eye for stime, absent from any public

appearances.

So the rumors about him being in trouble really kicked up a storm, and it was like everyone was suddenly shouting from the

rooftops. This whole gossip circus started to shake up the stock market's confidence in Starlight Group big time. The company's

stock, which had been skyrocketing, started to dip.

Watching all this wild speculation, Daniel couldn't just sit tight and do nothing. After basically calling it a bunch of BS, he realized

he was stuck between a rock and a hard place - he had no clout in the company anymore, and couldn't boss the PR department

around. Even if he tried to set the record straight himself, nobody would take him seriously - his words were pretty much as light as

a feather.

Worried that if he just let things slide the company might hit the skids, Daniel hustled to give Brandon a ring, but, go figure, there

was no answer.

After a few tries and still no luck, Daniel had no choice but to call Kent.

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMyWL11I01F1081

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMyWL11I01F1081

mMMwWLIIOfiflO&1