The Indifferent Ex-Husband: Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate novel Chapter 477

Sophia went quiet for a sec, and then whispered to her, "If you all know he's got it tough, why are you still giving him a hard time?"

Yvonne was stumped; took her a hot minute to find her voice again, "Maybe 'cause he's so tough, like he can do anything, we just forgot that he's still a regular Joe, you know?"

Sophia didn't say anything.

"Truth be told, ever since we were kids, my brother's been groomed to be the strong one in our family. Weakness and fragility were no-nos. Grandpa loved him, but he cared more about whether my brother was strong than if he was tired. And don't even get me started on my dad. He was all about his authority as a father and whether it was being challenged; how his kids were doing didn't really register with him. With the life we had, how could we not be okay?" Yvonne kept on in a soft voice, "All these years, the reason my brother's been hung up on Yolanda might be 'cause she's the only one who actually thought about his feelings first. Maybe it's not so much her he misses, but that feeling of warmth, you know?"

Sophia stayed silent, and didn't jump in.

"Sophia." Yvonne couldn't hear a peep from her, hesitated, and then called out to her, wanting to say more, but Sophia already started speaking softly, "I'm at the doorstep. I'll text you later, okay?"

"Okay."

Yvonne hesitated, "Then, sorry to trouble you, Sophia."

"It's cool."

Sophia was about to hang up when Yvonne hurriedly stopped her.

"Sophia, I think he does care about you." Yvonne blurted out, "Can't you just not be like this with him?"

Sophia's lips twitched slightly. Yvonne probably didn't even realize she said "think" - unsure, lacking conviction, that was why she used the word.

"Yvonne," she said softly, calling her name.

Brandon, holding the doorknob with one hand, looked at her.

"Something wrong?" He asked, his voice calm and even.

Sophia barely moved her lips, "Yvonne just called me. Said she texted you and you didn't reply, didn't pick up the phone either. She was a bit worried and asked me to check on you."

"I'm fine," Brandon said.

"Okay," Sophia responded quietly, suddenly at a loss for words.

Brandon didn't speak either, the familiar silence spreading between them.