The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Sophia didn't give a hoot about Daniel and Patricia as she coolly strutted onto the stage amidst thunderous applause and gasps of

awe.

Despite her limited experience in the limelight, she wasn't the least bit shaky. She politely and graciously took the mic from Don,

gave a bow to thank the crowd, and only started her speech once the clapping died down.

Her address was short and sweet, basically a shout-out to the company, big thanks to Don and the Starlight Group for the gig,

props to everyone for their recognition, followed by a quick dive into why she designed the project in the first place. She kept her

pace steady, her tone neither too humble nor haughty, exuding a cool confidence without a trace of nerves.

Sitting among the audience, Patricia had a face like thunder as she eyed Sophia on stage, her expression a mixed bag of emotions.

Though Don had mentioned the head designer was Vivian, she never thought Sophia was the lead designer, Vivian, even knowing

she was a hotshot grad from a world-class uni and now the design head honcho at Star-Dempsey Architects. To her, Sophia's

achievements were just something money could buy, like how Daniel would set her up with a company to play at being an

investor, picking any old fancy title she fancied. Profits are a bonus; losses, no biggie.

In her mind, Brandon probably saw Sophia in the slight.

Good ol' responsible Brandon, marrying Sophia to fulfill his granddad's dying wish but never treating her right, just leaving her to

twiddle her thumbs in an empty house for years. And since Brandon had Yolanda on the brain, Sophia must've been clued in.

So, when they split, Brandon, feeling guilty for wasting two years of her life, decided to splash scash and give her a golden

ticket. In Patricia's eyes, it made perfect sense.

Daniel, wanting to save face, had also gilded her up, but with a degree you can actually buy, going beyond Patricia's grasp of how

things work.

Even bumping into Sophia in the green room, Patricia never connected the dots between her and her dazzling work.

Sophia was too young, her Zenithan-style resort design too dazzling. Patricia couldn't fathom linking such a young chick to such a

masterpiece. In her book, a legit designer should be pushing 35, loaded with smarts, experience, and eloquence, not the Sophia

she pictured as a young homebody good for nothing.

Daniel was in the sboat, looking like he'd seen a ghost.

He was just as twisted up inside as Patricia, including the embarrassment of openly fawning over this girl they'd looked down on,

not knowing she was the mastermind they'd been praising.

Getting slapped in the face like that is no walk in the park.

Backstage, Don couldn't help but sneak peeks at Daniel and Patricia, curious about what they were going through upon realizing

their snubbed daughter-in-law was their beloved designer.

Unfortunately, the ceremony wasn't over, so no chance for a heart-to-heart just yet.

Don felt a twinge of regret as his eyes drifted back to Brandon.

Brandon was all eyes on Sophia, arms crossed, a hint of a smile, his deep gaze filled with quiet pride and genuine joy for her

success.

Patricia and Daniel noticed his look, and it only soured their mood further.

Thinking of Don's sly secrecy turned their expressions even darker, feeling like the last to know, played for fools.

Sophia didn't even glance at Patricia and Daniel, only instinctively catching Brandon's eye after wrapping up her speech.

Brandon shot her a smile and a subtle clap, his eyes never leaving her.

Sophia responded with a faint smile of her own, took a bow, handed the mic back to Don, and gracefully exited stage left.

As she passed Daniel and Patricia, she caught a glimpse of their tight jaws and ashen faces, both pretending she wasn't there.

Sophia ignored them, calmly taking her seat.

Brandon leaned in and whispered, "You okay?"

She nodded, "Yeah, all good."

"You nailed it," he said. "You owned that stage."

"Thanks." Sophia couldn't help but smile genuinely, truly grateful.

"No problem," Brandon replied with a smile.

After Don wrapped up with a few final words, he called Brandon, Sophia, Daniel, Patricia, Kent, and the rest of the big shots up for

the groundbreaking announcement, and just like that, the ceremony was a wrap.

Then cthe photo op.

Except for Daniel and Patricia's forced grins, everyone else had the easy smiles of genuine happiness.

Post-photo, as the crowd and reporters swarmed Brandon and Sophia, the energy was palpable. The up-and-comers were the main

attraction.

On the outskirts, Daniel and Patricia watched, stone-faced.

Taskmaster Don strolled up, eyeing the couple at the center of attention, and cheekily said to Daniel and Patricia, "Mr. Crawley,

Mrs. Crawley, they do look good together, don't they?"

Patricia couldn't keep up appearances any longer, shooting Don a frosty look, "Don, are you messing with us? You knew Vivian was

Sophia all along, why the act?"

"Mrs. Crawley, you've totally got the wrong end of the stick here." Don looked genuinely aggrieved. "I mean, how was | supposed

to know you guys were in the dark about her being Sophia? Sophia works at our firm in Wye City, has raked in a pretty penny for

the company, and has spearheaded skiller projects. She's been instrumental in boosting our rep. But | was clueless that she

was Brandon's other half. I've always called her Vivian since | met her; | honestly had no idea you guys weren't clued in on her

professional name."

Patricia kept a poker face, clearly not buying his song and dance, but she didn't have any proof either.

"l was just about to make introductions back in the break room," Don lamented, still looking a bit hurt, "but you didn't exactly roll

out the red carpet, did you? You gave Sophia an earful without getting the full picture and sent her packing before | had the chance

to say 'boo'."

Patricia's face turned to stone. "Sparethe spiel."

Don still had that cheeky grin, bowing and scraping as he owned up to the mistake. "Sorry, my bad, | really dropped the ball here."

Then, like bringing up something best left alone, he asked them, "So, do you still wantto make the intro? Didn't you just say

you were keen on the lead designer's work, thinking about a shout-out and maybe hashing out slong-term deal?"

Patricia and Daniel's faces turned to thunder again.

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