The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Chapter 11

Sophia had just cleared security when Ivan finished up too

They headed to the boarding gate together, keeping a bit of distance one after the other, barely exchanging words along the way.

Once they reached the security hall, they each plopped down onto their own patch of empty seats.

Ivan took the spot next to Sophia, whipped out his phone the moment he sat down, looking like he was swamped with

work

Sophia didn’t peep a word, her gaze drifting from the bustling crowd in the gate area to the window outside.

Outside the sky was gradually darkening

The tarmac was ablaze with lights, planes taking off and landing, the night merging with the lights, slowly deepening the sense of parting

–

Sophia thought back to that call with Brandon – picked up and then abruptly dropped her fingertips grazing the edge. of her phone She felt nowhere near as calm as she had expected.

Brandon always had a way of getting under her skin, no matter what.

She wanted to call him back ask what was up, but then she remembered their goodbye, how he’d hugged her gently. told her to take care, and the determined stride he took as he walked away. Her fingers, which had been caressing the edge of her phone, finally relaxed and she shifted her gaze to the specks of light outside the window.

The unease in her gut wasn’t letting up. In fact, it seemed to be getting worse

She was in for a flight over ten hours long, and she was starting to worry about a mid-air body breakdown. Her hand instinctively pressed against her chest, hesitating whether she should grab some meds.

Ivan glanced up at her. “Feeling off?”

Sophia gave a slight shake of her head. “I’m fine

Her eyes caught a glimpse of a pharmacy nearby and paused for a moment.

Ivan picked up on her pause “Not feeling well?

Sophia, a tad embarrassed Yeah probably didn’t sleep well last night and didn’t eat much today. My stomach’s throwing a bit of a fit”

Stomach acting

couldn’t hold back a dry heave to the side, hand covering her

get you some meds before

Sophia nodded.

a food joint, its rich food aromas mingled with the greasy scent of cooking oil, constantly

to block her nose and looked over at the pharmacy staff, asking

cautious pharmacist asked,

shook her head. “No, just

has this been

“Just started this moming.”

“How long exactly?”

thought for a sec. “Felt a bit sick when I got up, but felt better after breakfast. Then, out

Chapter

crossing her mind,

someone walked by with a steaming hot pot of oden, the pungent seafood smell triggering another wave of nausea. Sophia turned away instinctively, gagging, while Ivan

blankly, pale and a mix

on her shoulder paused, worry in

a smile at him.

caught this scene, and his

looked ambiguously comforting, and Brandon, not too far but not too close, could easily see the tenderness in Sophia’s smile towards Ivan, and

he’d see the day when Sophia would lean so affectionately into another man’s arms, her unique gentle smile blooming for someone else. The sight clenched his heart in tight

know why he’d

aware of this man’s presence,

had already said their goodbyes. There was no

was her choice, and he respected that, including her

turned his head emotionlessly, without a hint of reluctance, and walked

pushing down the discomfort in her chest, Sophia unconsciously pushed Ivan aside and turned around, her gaze inadvertently sweeping a familiar silhouette in the window reflection. The sight made her

surged behind her, but the familiar tall figure was nowhere

to the pharmacy staff. “Excuse me, could I get

gaze snapped

surprised, but still handed

headed to

brief wait for the test result, her mind felt empty, a

was even more bewildering than

panicked and clueless, unsure of

was a deathly