The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

"Thanks," Brandon said to Susan on the other end of the phone.

"Mr. Crawley, you're being too formal," Susan replied, with a sarcastic tone in her voice, clearly ticked off by his unreasonable

request.

"Sorry about that," Brandon apologized again, "Ms. Cooper, what tare you free tonight? Lettake you out for dinner to make

up for my rudeness today."

"No need to apologize, Mr. Crawley. Just keep our little secret, and we'll be square," said Susan, sounding pretty miffed. "But since

you insist, let's say 10 PM. I've got to make a call to a client. Gotta hang up now."

And with that, she cut off the call.

Kent looked at Brandon worriedly, "Mr. Crawley?"

Brandon let out a sigh, his face an expression of nonchalance, "I'm fine."

Kent couldn't help but voice his concern, "Is there something you wanted to confirm?"

"Nothing," Brandon said, "Just chasing swild geese."

At 10 PM, Kent had set up a dinner in a bustling district for them.

Brandon met Susan as planned.

No miracles happened.

Seeing Susan approaching, Brandon felt an unusually calm state of mind, tinged with a hint of ennui, finding it hard to get excited.

He didn't stick around for long, making small talk for a bit before making an excuse to leave early.

Susan couldn't help but glance at Brandon's retreating figure and tentatively asked Kent, "What's up with Mr. Crawley?"

"He might just be in a funk," Kent replied, just as clueless, "He's been acting kind of off today."

Susan probed, "Off how?"

Kent shared, "He seems to have trouble believing you're actually in the city."

Susan chuckled, "If I'm not here, where else could | be?"

Kent laughed along, "Exactly."

He couldn't help but look at her and said, "You've been doing well for yourself these past couple of years, looking more radiant

than ever."

Susan snorted dismissively, using the act of sipping her tea to hide the thoughtful look in her eyes and the sigh of relief she let out.

When the dinner finally wrapped up, it was almost midnight.

"Where are you staying? Letdrop you off."

While paying the bill, Kent took a moment to ask Susan.

"No need, my place is close by. I'll just grab a cab, it'll be quick," Susan declined and waved at Kent, "Off | go, see you later."

With those words, she was already heading out the door, her raised hand still waving goodbye, her high ponytail swinging jauntily

with her steps.

Kent, busy paying the bill, called out as he saw her leaving in a hurry, "Wait up!"

"No need."

Her voice echoed as Susan disappeared at the restaurant entrance.

Kent hastily paid and chased after her, only to see Susan about to get into a taxi.

"Susan."

Kent called out to her urgently.

Susan turned with a smile and waved again, "I'm off, you head back too, goodnight."

And with a click, she closed the taxi door, and the car slowly drove off.

"What's the rush?" Kent muttered to himself, feeling uneasy. He got into his car and followed her, soon realizing that the route

Susan's taxi was taking was eerily close to the hotel where he and Brandon were staying.

The taxi driver noticed Kent tailing them and mentioned to Susan, "Your friend seems to be following you."

Susan, who was in the middle of a yawn, paused and glanced back, indeed spotting Kent's car.

"Lose him," Susan said urgently.

The taxi driver gave her a curious look but sped up as she had requested.

Kent was trailing the taxi at a leisurely pace when it passed the Starlight Hotel they were staying at. The similar route made him

glance out the window. When he turned his head back around, the taxi had vanished.

He drove faster to catch up but couldn't find the taxi. Concerned, he pulled out his phone to call Susan.

Susan had just reached her hotel and was getting out of the car when she answered the call, "I've just got back to the ho...tel..."

She caught herself just in time, disguising her slip-up with a burp, before continuing, "I've just got home, don't worry."

"Good to hear you're safe at home. Get srest soon."

Kent didn't catch her earlier slip, feeling relieved.

"You too, goodnight."

After hanging up, Susan patted her chest in relief and rode the elevator back to her room.

Sophia sat at the room's desk, supporting her head with one hand, lost in thought.

Behind her on the large bed, Theresa, who had endured a long flight, was fast asleep.

As soon as Susan opened the door, she saw Sophia sitting at the desk. "Haven't gone to bed yet?"

"Mhm," Sophia nodded gently, standing up and walking toward her, "You're back."

"Yeah," Susan responded, pulling off her hair tie with one hand and hanging her bag on the coat rack with the other. She kicked off

her high heels and let out a long, relieved sigh.

Sophia looked at her, "Everything okay?"

"Just fine," Susan replied.

"But it seems like Brandon wasn't in the best of moods," Susan added, "He left after sitting for just a bit. Lucky for me, otherwise, |

don't think | could've handled him. That guy's too intense, | have no idea how you managed to withstand his interrogation."

She was still a bit shaken remembering Brandon's call from the afternoon.

Good thing she had just landed and made it to the city in tto face Brandon's sudden demand.

When Kent called her in the afternoon, she, Sophia, and Theresa had just arrived in the city.

Remembering this, Susan couldn't help but give Sophia two thumbs up, "Should | praise your strategic foresight or your deep

understanding of Brandon?"

She felt it was definitely the latter.

Sophia had Brandon all figured out. She knew the moment he wrapped up work, he'd hit Susan up for dinner, and if she ducked

out, he'd get suspicious. That was why Sophia slyly pumped Kent for their rough schedule, then timed her leave perfectly, jetting

off to Wye City to scoop them up for the return trip.

She knew Brandon like the back of her hand, so she nipped any chance of him snooping around right in the bud.

Though this trip back was a spur-of-the-moment thing, they didn't fall behind schedule too much, since they were already prepping

to head back hlast time. Only Susan needed to rush through shandovers at work.

What she didn't see coming was Kent's dinner invite the minute she landed.

Susan was ready to brush it off. The last thing she wanted was a grilling disguised as small talk from Brandon.

But just like Sophia guessed, Brandon wasn't buying it. When he pushed for real-tlocation sharing, Susan had no choice but to

play along. Stuck at the airport, wary of raising Brandon's suspicions, she bought herself a little more time.

If she weren't worried about setting off alarm bells with too many nos, she wouldn't dare go near that dinner.

Just a phone call was enough to make Susan break out in a cold sweat, let alone facing him in person.

Luckily, Brandon wasn't in the mood tonight.

Sophia barely cracked a smile at Susan's compliments, her spirits just as low.

She remembered the day she cout of the OR, how Brandon had pinned her with bloodshot eyes.

But in a flash, the scene switched to the night she left Zachary's place, how he calmly dropped the bomb that he was going on a

blind date, probably getting hitched within the year, and that was that - no more crossing paths. Then cPatricia's disdainful

once-over, followed by Daniel's lofty reminder that Yolanda was back, hoping she wouldn't stir the pot again...

Sophia's mind was a whirlwind of images, her eyes stinging. She couldn't help but gaze at Theresa, sound asleep on the bed, her

face still showing the weariness of the long flight, yet her eyes sparkled with the thrill of her first trip home.

She thought back to when she returned to Wye City, how the little one's smile crumbled into a pout at the sight of her, her tears

plopping down until she was wailing inconsolably, clinging to Sophia, both of them teary-eyed, hearts aching.

The kid was usually so well-behaved, never fussing for her when she was gone.

But deep down, like any child, she yearned for her mom.

The last thing Sophia wanted was to play mind games with Brandon.

But she was cornered.

She didn't want to be forced back into a sham of a relationship with Brandon because of the kid, didn't want to endure his family's

disdain anymore, and sure as hell didn't want to end up at loggerheads with him over custody.

He was the man she'd loved since her younger days, the only man she'd ever loved. No matter how they went their separate ways,

she wanted to keep the best version of him tucked away in her heart.

Susan wrapped an arm around her, her silent support.

Sophia turned and offered a watery smile. "Don't worry about me," she said, her voice tinged with a cry, eyes rimmed red, tears

swirling but not falling. The still of the night always brings out the blues.

Susan gave a knowing smile and nudged her shoulder. "I know you're fine."

She'd watched Sophia grow up, seen how Laura's family had treated her. She'd seen Sophia long for a family, for a mother's love,

and then give up, licking her wounds in solitude. Susan knew she was tough enough to shoulder all the pains life threw at her.

Sophia smiled back. As her gaze drifted away, the distant glow of the "Starlight Hotel" sign caught her eye momentarily before she

looked away.

The hotel was Susan's online find, and they hadn't realized it was so close to the "Starlight Hotel."

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