The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Hannah hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. “Let's go.”

Susan had been watching Hannah's side of the room, both intentionally and not, and just as she looked up, she caught sight of

Hannah walking away with Kent toward the lounge. Her brows knit together in an instant. Why would Brandon want to see Hannah

alone in the lounge? The thought made her stomach twist.

In the next second, her mind conjured up every possible scenario—man and woman alone, temptation and trouble—and her

irritation flared before she could stop it.

Sophia was feeding Theresa a few bites of food. When she noticed the storm brewing on Susan's face, she instinctively started to

turn around.

“Hey, wait—"

Susan cut in, her voice sharp enough to snap Sophia's attention back to her.

“What is it?” Sophia asked, puzzled.

“It's nothing.” Susan got up, maybe a little too quickly. “I just saw Kent with a girl, looking pretty cozy. I'm going to check it out.”

She slipped easily to Sophia's side, subtly blocking her view of the lounge and pressing her hands lightly on Sophia’s shoulders. “I'll

go see what's going on. Stay here with Theresa for a bit, alright?”

Sophia gave her a look. “Didn't you just say you wished him well? You two were acting like strangers a minute ago, and now you

can’t wait to catch him cheating?”

Susan was momentarily at a loss for words. “Well, I'm still a woman, you know. Sometimes you just have to keep up appearances.”

Sophia almost smiled. Then, catching Susan off guard, she suddenly turned, glancing over her shoulder. “Hey—" Susan tried to

stop her, but it was too late.

Sophia saw Kent leading Hannah toward the lounge, their backs retreating into the crowd. She froze.

Susan cast her a sidelong glance, forcing a laugh. “So it turns out the girl Kent's been close with at work is Hannah. Not much of a

girl anymore, if you ask me.”

Sophia smiled faintly, following Susan’s lead. pared to Kent, | suppose she still is.”

Susan suddenly didn’t know how to continue.

Sophia was far too perceptive. With the way Kent was leading, she surely knew it was Brandon who wanted to see Hannah.

“We...should go over there,” Susan finally suggested in a low voice.

Sophia shook her head. “There's no need.”

She looked up at Susan, her gaze steady. “Can you tell me, honestly, what my relationship with Brandon used to be?”

Susan pressed her lips together, then sat back down across from her.

“You and Brandon really did get divorced. The papers were signed before Theresa was even born,” Susan said. “Back when you

were both in high school, | always thought you liked each other. And even when you met again after college and ended up together

—it seemed like a whirlwind wedding—I still believed you were in love. But after the marriage, you two were different from other

couples. It was as if you were roommates, not partners. | started to think maybe it was just you who loved him, and he married you

out of obligation. You thought so, too.”

“You weren't happy after you got married,” Susan continued. “You were the one who asked for the divorce, and Brandon agreed on

the spot. Didn't even try to stop you. Right up until then, | was sure he didn’t love you. But then...”

Susan's voice wavered as she looked at Sophia. “After your accident, it was like he lost his mind. It was the middle of winter, and

he jumped into the river after you without a second’s hesitation. He searched for you day and night, didn’t sleep, just stared at

your old things for hours on end, his eyes bloodshot. | saw him break down, saw him weep and blhimself, even try to strangle

the person responsible for what happened to you. That's when | realized—he really, truly loves you.”

Susan sniffed, her own eyes growing red as she looked at Sophia, who was staring back, tears welling up. “So if you want the whole

truth...l can’t be objective. Sthings, you have to feel for yourself.”

“Those months...was he alright?” Sophia choked out.

“No. Not at all,” Susan said softly. “If you hadn'te back, we'd probably be at his funeral by now.”

She managed a weak smile.

Sophia's lips twitched, but she couldn't quite smile back. She turned away, gaze drifting through the crowd, searching for where

Kent and Hannah had disappeared.

“We should go check,” Susan suggested. “Hannah works at Starlight Group—"

Sophia shook her head. “No need. If Brandon wants to do something, he'll do it openly. He's not the type to sneak around.”

Susan nodded, dropping the subject.

She didn’t know Brandon well enough to judge, but the fact that he'd sent Kent to fetch Hannah left her uneasy.

Hannah followed Kent down the hallway to the lounge, its door left slightly ajar.

Kent hadn't spoken a word the entire way, and the tension outside the door made her uneasy. She glanced at him. “Mr. Carter, may

| ask why you wanted to see me?”

Kent didn’t answer. Instead, he knocked on the door.

e in.”

Brandon's deep voice cfrom inside.

Anxiousness fluttered in Hannah's stomach, but beneath it, a flicker of excitement began to spark. She glanced at the door, a little

confused, a little hopeful.

Kent pushed the door open and stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter. “Ms. Abbott, after you.”

She shot him a wary look, then walked inside, immediately spotting Brandon standing by the window, his back straight and cold.

“Brandon?” she called softly. “You wanted to see me?”

He turned, and without warning, raised his hand and slapped her across the face.

Hannah froze.

Kent stared, stunned into silence.

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