The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 72

Sophia honestly never gave it much thought.

She’s not exactly tight with her family, not even with Haley, who kinda had a soft spot for her. Probably ’cause she knew from a young age that her dad wasn’t her bio-dad, and with Haley being away for work all the time, they barely got to hang out. She couldn’t be all cuddly and curious with her folks about where her name came from like other kids.

“I don’t know,” Sophia candidly answered him.

She figured Brandon must’ve caught wind of her chat with Marian and got curious about the whole “SY” initials coincidence with Yolanda. She herself had that same nagging question in her head-was it just serendipity or something more? The bracelet’s touch brought back that familiar fog of confusion. Sophia didn’t know if it was all because Brandon was so adamant she was Yolanda, messing with her head, or if some buried memories were playing tricks on her. She even started doubting whether she was actually Yolanda or not.

This doubt had nothing to do with what Yolanda meant to Brandon. It was all about her own confusion as to who she really was, where she came from.

Yolanda’s identity was the closest she’d ever come to possibly knowing her true self after all these years.

Sophia was torn between wanting to dig deeper and being scared of what she might find.

It’s a weird mix of feelings. On one hand, she’s gotten comfy with her nearly two-decade-long life as Sophia-her social circle, family habits, you name it, all set in stone. She didn’t know what a new family would be like, whether she’d have to start all over and if she could even handle that, or if it would just

bring new headaches. She’s found her cozy corner in life as it is, figuring out how to make the best of it. She wasn’t sure if finding her original family meant scouting out a whole new comfort zone. She kinda agreed with Marian’s point of view-she was doing just fine, found a new focus in life, so why mess with the status quo?

But then, in the dead of night when she’s all by herself, she can’t help but daydream about what her real family might be like. She longed to have a loving mom and dad, siblings, and that warm, fuzzy family vibe like everyone else.

Her feelings towards Brandon were just as mixed up.

Without Yolanda’s memories-even if she was Yolanda-she couldn’t see herself as the same person. She didn’t know how to deal with Brandon.

To him, Sophia was never the main deal. It was always Yolanda with their shared childhood memories that mattered.

He might change his tune because she was Yolanda, but he wouldn’t give Sophia a second glance just for being Sophia. But for her, Sophia was always just Sophia.

She got why Brandon married her back then, out of duty and responsibility, and she understood his lack of affection. That’s why she chose to let both herself and Brandon off the hook.

She didn’t want to get dragged back into Brandon’s life just because she might be Yolanda.

She couldn’t find any memories of Yolanda; in her heart, she and Yolanda were two totally separate people.

7

She had no plans to keep things with Brandon messy and complicated, especially with the kid in the mix already making things hazy. But Sophia knew that everything needed closure. NôvelDrama.Org owns this.

“When will we get the paternity test results?” Sophia asked Brandon softly. “Let me know either way, so I can have some peace of mind.” Brandon stared at her for a long moment, then nodded gently, “Okay.”

Sophia gave a small smile, “Thanks.”

Brandon just watched her silently, and after a while, he leaned in for a hug.

Sophia didn’t resist or hug him. She just let him hold her.

Brandon could feel her resistance.

She didn’t share the excitement of potentially finding her family. All she had was a sense of emptiness.

Her emotional breakdown that day wasn’t a fluke. It was a minor eruption of long-suppressed feelings.

Brandon suddenly wasn’t sure if this was the right time to seek such confirmation.

So, when the paternity center called to tell him the results were ready, he didn’t rush over. Instead, he sat in his hotel office, staring blankly at his computer screen.

The urgency he once felt to get confirmation suddenly seemed meaningless.

Never had Brandon been more acutely aware that even if Sophia was Yolanda, Yolanda was gone for good.

Her memories held nothing of Yolanda, nothing of Brandon. Yolanda had vanished from the world the moment she disappeared.

Harsh as reality was, it was still the truth.

Brandon didn’t quite remember how he ended up at the paternity center. When the staff handed him the results, he only glanced at the report before closing it, his expression calm.

In this world, Yolanda was gone.