The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

 noveldrama

Sophia hailed a cab and headed home solo.

The sky was just beginning to dim, right in the midst of the busiest, most vibrant time on the streets. Under the neon lights, it boasted a bustling hive of endless traffic.

A light drizzle had started, not heavy-just a gentle patter, signaling the approach of autumn's chill.

Perched in the backseat of the taxi, Sophia rested her head against the window, captivated by the dance of the raindrops on the glass. The windows were tightly shut, and the rain traced winding paths down the pane, diverging into unseen rivulets.

Sophia's mood was as murky as the night outside, oppressed by an indefinable weight.

"You had no idea Patricia wasn't Brandon's real mom, did you?"

Don's expression of shock reverberated in her head.

She thought she had moved on from Brandon after two years of divorce, that she wouldn't be affected by the past events. But the old stories unexpectedly resurfaced, bringing with them a sharp twinge of pain.

Her mind drifted to a wedding she had attended years before.

The groom's mother had passed away when the groom was a kid, and his dad had remarried. Following the wedding, the groom made a special trip to honor his mother, telling her with utmost reverence, "Mom, this is your daughter-in-law, Maggie. We tied the knot today, as happy as can be-don't worry."

Sophia just happened to be there, too.

She could still visualize the mixture of pride and sorrow in the groom's eyes as he presented his bride, proud of his love but regretful his mother couldn't see him wed and start a family.

That moment had struck a chord with her.

She never imagined she would encounter a similar situation, albeit with a different outcome.

Perhaps that was just the difference between love and its absence.

Maybe in Brandon's eyes, Yolanda was the fitting one to introduce to his mother.

She was merely a responsibility he couldn't evade after a night of drunken revelry.

Even though she knew better, being confronted with the stark reality once more made Sophia realize she couldn't just brush it aside.

She had despised Brandon at times, but never had she regretted meeting him.

But today, Sophia felt a tinge of hate seep through.

He should have been upfront with her-that he was just chasing Yolanda's shadow in her.

Had he divulged the truth during their senior year, she wouldn't have clung to the warmth he brought her at seventeen, wouldn't have thought of him repeatedly, wouldn't have allowed herself to succumb when they reconnected years later, and all the ensuing chaos could have been avoided.

She even found herself wishing that their paths had never crossed.

The rain intensified, obscuring the entire window and the night scene beyond, the neon lights appearing as mere smudges through a misted lens. Sophia cracked the window open.

The rain swept in, bringing cool droplets to her face.

The taxi driver stole a glance at her and cautioned, "Miss, it's coming down hard out there. Don't get soaked."

"I'm okay, thank you," Sophia replied softly, leaning in to prevent the rain from dampening the seat.

When the taxi arrived at her building, the rain had let up a touch.

Without umbrella, Sophia walked directly into the drizzle. When she reached home, her hair was thoroughly drenched, her bangs notably sodden and clung together.

She was just stepping inside when Susan frowned at her inquisitively, "Why are you all wet? Did you forget your umbrella?"

"Yeah, it just slipped my mind."

Sophia uttered a muffled reply, using her wet clothes as a pretext to mask her troubled disposition.

"I'm going to shower," she murmured.

"Go ahead, don't catch a cold," Susan responded with a gentle push toward the bathroom.

In her play corner, Theresa was happily stacking blocks and cheered "Mommy!" when she spotted Sophia. Sophia managed a smile for her daughter.

But the sharp little one noticed the redness in Sophia's eyes straight away; her tiny hands slowed in their play. "Mommy?"

Her sweet voice softened to a worried murmur.