The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Susan's packing hands froze.

She was kinda on the fence about this question.

Back in the day, she would've spilled the beans to Sophia without batting an eyelash, telling her straight up that her and Brandon

were on the rocks. Brandon wasn't into her, their marriage was just a shotgun wedding, and life after tying the knot was anything

but a bed of roses. They were always just going through the motions, plus there were this pair of in-laws who loved to stir the pot.

She and Brandon had called it quits years ago.

But these past few months, watching Brandon practically dying inside without Sophia, she suddenly wasn't sure if spilling the truth

was the way to go.

Sophia had lost all her memories, which, if you think about it, could be a blessing in disguise for her and Brandon.

No need to drag around the baggage of painful memories, it might just be the fresh start Sophia and Brandon needed.

Sophia picked up on Susan's hesitation.

"Not so great, huh?" she asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.

Susan's hemming and hawing pretty much said it all.

Sophia wasn't shocked, though. If a couple was really tight, how could they still be so awkward with a kid that big?

"It's not that it was bad," Susan tried to explain, "it's just..."

She kinda didn't know how to put it.

Their marriage was just not like the ones you see every day.

To say it was bad, well, they always got along without a hitch - no fights, not even a hint of a red face, even the divorce was all

amicable and dignified. They never badmouthed each other, always considering the other's feelings.

To say it was good, well, they also didn't have that mushy, lovey-dovey thing that most couples do.

"So, what is it then?" Sophia, clearly puzzled by Susan's attitude, pressed on. "It's cool, just lay it on me. | just wanna get the gist of

whatand him were like before, 'cause right now, I'm kinda at a loss on how to deal with him."

Susan jumped right in: "Maybe you're better off not knowing. Trust me, the more you know, the more clueless you'll be about how

to handle things."

Sophia: "..."

"Let's put it this way. You two were like a boss and an employee," Susan finally let loose. "You got along fine, but askif the

relationship was good? When have you ever seen an employee and a boss get all emotional? It's all peace under pressure."

Sophia: "..."

"Then why on earth would | want to get married?"

Sophia frowned, not getting why she'd make such a rash decision to get hitched, feeling it was out of character for her.

Susan: "Because you liked him, duh."

Sophia: "..."

Susan: "We were all high school buddies, you transferred in later and ended up sharing a desk with Brandon. Back then, there was

a bit of a vibe between you two... Brandon might've seemed cold, but he had your back. Then for sreason, you guys drifted. |

remember our last high school exam was English, you just took off right after, didn't even show up to the grad party, and neither

did Brandon. Everyone was kinda scratching their heads."

Sophia looked at Susan, taken aback.

"Anyway, | never saw Brandon after high school either," Susan continued. "When we left the exam hall, he askedwhere you

were. | said you'd left, and he... well, he seemed a bit ticked off, just gavea 'hmph' and walked away. | was curious, so | asked

him if he was looking for you for something, and he just brushedoff with a 'nothing' and left."

"I kinda got the feeling he was a little mad," Susan pondered Brandon's reaction from back then, looking at Sophia, "but | don't

know why he never reached out to you after, and you never mentioned him, not even once. We were in the scollege class for

four years, and all you did was study, work part-ton design projects for your tutor, and do freelance illustrations. | thought

there was nothing between you two. But then..."

»usan pauseg,eontnuing: put nen

ight after coltége, | dragged you

yack to high school reunion. Andy)

veirdly enough, Brandon, who never

:ame@® any reunions, showeddp

00. Jwo top students who'd

poe reunions for years, both

slass lookers, made everyone's day.

>eople were egging each other on tc

irink, though you and Brandon

1ardly touched the stuff. | was tipsy,

‘ou were gonna Uberhome, and

randon said he was headed the

sway and could drop us off.

\fter we droppedoff, he took

'ou home, and then..." Content

wlonne tn awnnvel

Susan glanced at Sophia: "He took you back to your little place at Sunset Villa, and you two... ended up hitting the sheets."

Sophia: "..."

Susan: "At the reunion, you two didn't seem that close, just exchanged hellos, then Brandon sat next to you. You sat together but

hardly talked. He asked you how you'd been, you said 'fine’, and that was pretty much it. And then..."

Susan was still in shock recalling how the two of them had gone from zero to a hundred.

srandon and. sSopnia, Wno she Knew,

vere like ce dh fire. Brandon was

he cool gn collected type, all abqtr

self-control and keeping his coal

1everessing around with love

figs. Sophia, on the other tiand,

vas your textbook good gitt; head

ilways buried in her studfes or work

ind keeping dudes at arm's length.

30, imagine everyone's shock when

hese two, the least likely to hook up

10t only had a one-night stand but

iso didn't even have the tto

lay it safe.

w

usan just c n't wrap her head

round ov pete: and out of

:ontrol hind must have beento ¢)

hrow ailmon sense out the

vindaw. With their smarts, thefe's

10 they wouldn't know ketter,

ss they were totally swept away

)y passion.

english

Sophia caught Susan giving her that knowing look and felt her cheeks burn, awkwardness creeping up on her.

"Maybe... maybe we were both drunk," she stammered, trying to justify the only explanation that made sense - booze and its

knack for stirring up trouble.

Susan let out a snort, e on, you think someone who could still drive was that wasted?"

Sophia was speechless.

"So..." Sophia suddenly remembered a flash of a memory that popped up when Brandon was putting that necklace on her, "Did

we... meet in high school?"

"Of course," Susan replied without a second thought, "You transferred in during senior year."

"Got it," Sophia frowned, unable to shake off the feeling.

Susan noticed Sophia's troubled expression and frowned too, "What's up? Something wrong?"

Sophia shook her head, "Nothing. Just sometimes | get these random flashes in my head, not sure if they're even related to me."

"Could be sold memories of yours," Susan suggested.

Sophia just smiled and let it go.

Right then, a knock cat the door, "Thump, thump, thump," persistent and rhythmic.

Susan exchanged a puzzled look with Sophia.

"Who on earth is visiting my dump?" Susan muttered, walking towards the door, "Who is it?"

As she finished asking, the door swung open.

Brandon's tall figure stood at the threshold.

Susan stopped mid-motion, "Brandon? How'd you get up here?"

She was baffled.

"I'm here to pick someone up," Brandon said, "You've been up here for a while."

As he spoke, his gaze slid past Susan's shoulder, locking onto Sophia.

"Ready to go?" he asked.