The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate (Brandon and Sophia) novel Chapter 742

Sophia instinctively glanced at him.

Brandon looked back at her, his voice steady but soft. “When I got your text about the divorce, I was in the middle of a meeting. For a moment, my mind just went blank. I didn’t even have time to finish up—I rushed home as fast as I could. I thought maybe I’d catch you before you left. But when I walked through the door, you were already gone. It was like you’d vanished without a trace. There was nothing left to show you’d ever lived there—almost as if you’d never existed in that house at all.”

“For a split second, I told myself it was time to let go. And that same thought haunted me in all the moments that followed. I’ve always believed that no one is truly indispensable in anyone’s life. If you wanted to leave, I had no right to hold you back. I wanted to respect your choices, all of them.”

“I thought I could handle it, but reality kept proving me wrong. I even tried to move on by starting another relationship, hoping it would help me forget you. I told myself what I felt for you was just habit, maybe a sense of duty. I figured if I committed to someone new, responsibility would force me to let you go for good. So, I went to a blind date. I never expected my date would turn out to be Hannah.”

“That night made me realize something I’d never wanted to admit: what I feel for you was never about responsibility or routine. It was always because you’re you. That’s why I kept breaking all the rules I’d set for myself. All my life, I was taught to be disciplined and keep my distance, to live with restraint. But the second I saw you at our class reunion, every bit of that so-called self-control went out the window. I didn’t even think about being careful—I just acted. For anyone else, that would have been impossible. Honestly, I only went to that reunion because I heard you’d be there.”

“It was the same with our marriage. The morning after we… after everything changed between us, I hadn’t even gotten out of bed when I got the call that my grandfather was gravely ill—a sudden stroke. He’d always been healthy before, planning to let me take over the business slowly, but everything changed overnight. The company was thrown into chaos, with the board eager to pounce. Those days, I was running non-stop between the hospital and the office, barely sleeping, barely surviving. I didn’t have the luxury to think about anything else.”

“I kept telling myself I’d explain everything to you once things calmed down. But then, I ran into you at the hospital, alone, waiting for some tests. A baby was never in my plans, but when I found out you were pregnant, all I could think was how this might tie us together even more. I didn’t hesitate—I asked you to marry me. I wanted to make it official, to make us a family in the eyes of the law. That was something I’d wanted ever since I saw you again. And I can honestly say, no one else in the world could have made me feel that way.”

“But back then, I didn’t realize that was love. I didn’t even know what love really meant. I’d never chased after anyone, never fallen for anyone before. My whole life revolved around school and work—there was no room for romance or passion. When you walked into my boring, predictable life back in high school, everything changed. I knew you were special, but I never thought to call it love. Honestly, I used to scoff at the idea of love.”

“After you agreed to marry me, I brought you to my grandfather’s hospital room and told him you were expecting. It gave him peace—he could finally let go without regret. Everyone else thought I’d rushed into marriage and fatherhood just to fulfill his dying wish, that you just happened to be there at the right time. But I always knew that wasn’t true. If it hadn’t been you, I never would have brought anyone to his bedside. In my heart, you’ve always been the only one I could ever call my wife.”