The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Theresa also spotted Sophia in the crowd and was pleasantly surprised, calling out crisply, “Mommy.”

The onlookers exploded into chatter once again, instinctively following Theresa's gaze to look back at Sophia, unsure if it was really

her since there were other female colleagues by her side.

Don couldn't help but turn to look at Sophia as well. Although he had somewhat guessed it, when he actually saw the little girl

crisply calling out “Mommy”, he felt like the shock hit him pretty hard.

One was his buddy of over twenty years, the other a subordinate who'd been by his side for over a year. First, he had to wrap his

head around these seemingly unrelated individuals becoming a divorced couple - that was tough enough to swallow. And now, two

people who looked no different from single pringles suddenly pulled a nearly 2-year-old daughter out of thin air - he felt like he

needed an oxygen tank.

The shock wasn’t small by any means.

It was like watching everyone around you flying solo, all on the sstarting line, with no rush to tie the knot or have kids. Then

one day, your best bro or friend popped up with a 2-year-old tot outta nowhere. They were not only not single, but their kid was

already a pro at fetching soy sauce! That sinking feeling of being left behind just surged up instantly.

Sophia caught the look of astonishment in Don's eyes and also remembered the last the had arranged for her to meet

Brandon. She felt a bit uncomfortable, tugged at her lips, and seeing Theresa still gazing at her expectantly, she had no choice but

to walk towards Theresa and Brandon amidst the shocked and puzzled stares of the crowd.

Theresa was still in Brandon's arms, leaning happily towards Sophia as she approached, sweetly calling her “Mommy” once again.

“I'm here,” Sophia responded softly, stretching out her hand, and Theresa immediately climbed into her embrace.

The crowd buzzed again.

Don found scomfort in the fact that others shared his shock, not feeling so alone.

Brandon, unfazed by the astonished looks, turned to Sophia and softly asked, “Why didn’t you rest a bit more?”

The tenderness and intimacy in his voice surprised the crowd once more. Everyone had seen Sophia and Brandon interact before,

always polite and courteous, no different from anyone else. Nobody had predicted their relationship.

Sophia, with her back to the crowd, didn’t need to look to feel all the eyes on her.

She wasn't used to being the center of attention and coughed lightly, speaking softly, “I got enough sleep. There was nothing to do

at home, so | cover.”

Brandon nodded and asked her, “Have you eaten?”

Sophia shook her head, “Not yet, | was about to head to the cafeteria.”

“Let's eat together,” Brandon suggested, reaching out to hold Theresa.

Sophia nodded, “Okay.”

Don quickly chimed in, “I'll join you guys.”

Saying that, he eagerly followed them. Entering the elevator, Don's eyes kept darting back and forth between Brandon and Sophia,

silently sizing them up.

Even Theresa started to look at him with confusion and wariness.

Brandon coughed lightly, “If you've got something to say, just spit it out.”

While speaking, he gently pressed Theresa's head closer into the crook of his neck.

“No need to be afraid,” he whispered to her, concerned that Don's unabashed staring might scare her.

Don also coughed, “Aren’t you two gonna explain?”

Brandon glanced at Sophia directly. Don couldn’t help but look at Sophia too.

Sophia suddenly felt awkward, “Why are you all staring atlike that?”

Don flashed her a smile, “Sophia, we've been colleagues for over a year, and | had no idea you had a daughter. You kept that under

wraps pretty well.”

He remembered how he had confidently assured Brandon that Sophia couldn't possibly be pregnant. What had he said to Brandon

again?

“Sylvia and Sophia are so close, always coming and going together. She said Sophia wasn’t pregnant. People close to a pregnant

woman can usually tell, right? Plus, having a baby takes time. Look, if she really was pregnant and had a baby, there's no way she

could've kept it from those around her. | think you're just overthinking it.”

Don felt like smacking himself in the head.

Brandon clearly remembered how Don had so confidently guaranteed his misleading conclusion and gave him a side-eye.

Don straightened his back, “Hey, this has nothing to do with me, alright? | didn’t take any money. Who could've guessed someone

could keep a pregnancy hidden from everyone around them?”

“That just shows you don’t keep up with the news.” Sophia glanced at him, speaking softly, “Remember that case where a female

student secretly gave birth and left the baby in a trash can without anyone noticing?”

“But over one years’ working with you, you never seemed like someone who had a kid, not even a bit. That doesn’t quite add up,

does it?” Don, his mind catching up, couldn’t help but press her, “How could you leave no trace? You were even able to work

overtime, which doesn't make any sense.”

He noted that the nursing mothers in their company had to leave work early to breastfeed.

Sophia not only didn’t leave work early but also managed to work overtime. She never took calls from hto soothe the baby

during work hours, nor did she ever talk about her child with colleagues.

Weren't all new moms somewhat unable to resist the urge to show off their kids?

When people talked about giving birth and parenting experiences, didn’t they usually join in?

Their office had its fair share of new moms, and they didn’t shy away from discussing pregnancy and child-rearing topics, but he

never saw Sophia participate.

Not even once!

Brandon also gave Sophia a glance. Sophia suddenly felt like she was being roasted over a fire.

“Well, there's a nanny who looks after her; she doesn’t need to contact me,” Sophia said awkwardly.

Plus, she probably hadn't had much breast milk due to severe physical trauma and blood deficiency. Grace tried to stimulate her

breast milk production a few times, but it was unsuccessful. Considering her schedule, it just wasn't practical, so she decided not to

pursue it and stuck with formula for Theresa, freeing up her own time.

She was naturally slim, and even after being fed like a pig throughout her confinement period by Grace, she couldn’t put on

weight. She slimmed down to her pre-pregnancy figure right after the month was over, genuinely not looking like someone who

had given birth.

“And what about showing off your kid? Sharing parenting tips? Why did you never join in on those?” Don persisted, trying to

vindicate his judgment.

Brandon gave Sophia a peep and said, "How's she supposed to keep it under wraps if she's in on it?"

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