Chapter 67
Brandon was giving her the silent treatment.
It wasn’t the first time Sophia had hit him with that question.
All his bets were on the off chance she was Yolanda.
But if Sophia wasn’t Yolanda, then these assumptions were just plain cruel.
It was as if she was nothing more than a stand-in for another girl.
He got why she was putting up a fight.
“Brandon.” Sophia’s gaze was still fixed on him, “Lately, I feel like you’ve changed a bit, like you’re warming up to being just an ordinary guy. I keep wondering if it’s because of the kid. That alone is messing with my head. Now, if you throw Yolanda into the mix, how do you think that makes me feel? Do I have to live in someone else’s shadow to get even a glance from you?”
By the end, Sophia’s voice was quivering, bordering on tears. She didn’t know if it was the pregnancy hormones making her emotions rollercoaster, or if the recent family reunion had hit a nerve. She was struggling to keep it together, her eyes slightly reddened, deeply resisting this line of questioning..
Whether she was Yolanda or not didn’t matter to her.
Her memories and her life’s path bore no trace of Yolanda, no memories tied to Brandon. To her, Brandon was just an unattainable dream from her girlhood days. All the memories she had of him belonged to her as Sophia. What she remembered, savored, and wished to be acknowledged for was her life as Sophia, not as a possible stand-in for some other girl.
“I’m sorry.” Seeing her reddened eyes, Brandon apologized in a hoarse whisper, “I didn’t think about how you felt.”
He reached out, intending to wipe away her tears.
But Sophia dodged his hand.
“Let’s just go to school,” she said softly, turning her head back.
Brandon glanced at the now green traffic light, gently pressed the gas pedal, and the car joined the flow of traffic.
It wasn’t long before they reached the school.
Brandon dropped Sophia off at the school gates. When the car stopped, she silently pushed open the door to get out, not bothering with goodbyes.
14
Brandon called out to her. “Sophia.”
She turned her head to look at him but didn’t speak.
“The kid isn’t the reason I’m here. It just gives me a legit excuse to stay with you,” he said softly, his eyes on her. “You asked me if Yolanda is important. I said yes, but that’s assuming you are her, that you two are one and the same. I can’t imagine what I’d do if Yolanda turned out to be someone else. That’s why I’ve always dodged that question.”
Sophia pursed her lips. “Sorry, I lost control of my emotions just now.”
“It’s on me,” Brandon said, looking at her, “for not considering your feelings.”
Sophia shook her head, not sure how to articulate her emotions.
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Marian’s resemblance to Yolanda was uncanny, and whether it was Brandon, Don, or Martin, everyone who met her called her Yolanda. Deep down, she probably started to see Marian as Yolanda too.
D
It was a strange feeling. The real deal was right there in front of her, and staying at Brandon’s place was starting to give her a guilty
conscience.
She didn’t know how to deal with these complex emotions.
“I should get to class, Sophia finally said, using the class as a temporary escape from this issue. Martin’s reaction to seeing Marian had been too strong. She couldn’t just ignore it.,
Brandon nodded lightly. “Okay.”
After escorting her to the building and watching her disappear around the corridor, he turned and went back to his car.
Getting back into the car, Brandon spotted a strand of long hair on the passenger seat. He paused for a moment.
He picked up the strand of hair, which was long and slightly curly-definitely Sophia’s.
She was the only one who ever sat there; it had to be hers.
Brandon twined the hair around his finger, letting it loop around his long digit, his gaze half-hidden, motionless.
Martin realized Brandon was also at the school gates only after following Marian there. He watched Marian enter the building before
approaching Brandon’s car and tapping on the window.
Brandon lazily looked up, unlocked the car with a click, and opened the passenger door.
Martin got in the car and asked, “What are you doing here?” Remembering the scene of Brandon sending Sophia downstairs, he added, “Oh, and who was that girl just now?”
He hadn’t actually met Sophia, not because he didn’t have the chance, but because he’d been avoiding it.
The sudden news of Brandon’s marriage had left Martin and his family feeling a bit awkward, since, in their eyes, Brandon had been. waiting for Yolanda all these years.
Although Martin knew logically that Yolanda was missing and Brandon was free to choose his own marriage, emotionally, they still had a hard time accepting it. So, they deliberately avoided any gatherings with both Brandon and Sophia present. Since both Brandon and Sophia preferred quiet and didn’t socialize much, Martin had never actually crossed paths with Sophia, even after two years of Brandon and Sophia’s marriage.
Brandon turned to look at him. “What do you think of her?”
He didn’t directly answer Martin’s question.
“She seems nice enough,” Martin said honestly.
“Is that so?” Brandon replied flatly, giving him a side glance before suddenly reaching out and plucking a hair from his head.
Martin frowned at him. “What’s that for?”
“Nothing much.” Brandon’s response was nonchalant as he didn’t look at Martin but simply stared at the short hair between his fingers, lost in thought.
Martin’s gaze followed to the strand of hair in Brandon’s hand and then back at him. “You don’t think that girl just now is Yolanda? The one with the bracelet?”
Brandon looked up. “What do you think? Is she?”
“People change with their surroundings. I only believe in science.
So when Marian showed her reluctance to do a paternity test in the elevator, he played it cool and snagged a few strands of her hair as
she turned around to leave.
Brandon nodded in agreement. “I’m all in for science too. But I’ve got a hunch that I trust just as much.” Brandon gave him a look, slowly adding as his long finger pressed on the central lock, and the passenger door swung open automatically.
“Grab a cab for yourself. I’ve got things to do,” Brandon said, giving him the boot.
Martin glanced at him, nodded. “See ya.”
He got out of the car slick and quick.
As soon as the door shut, Brandon’s car peeled out.
Martin flagged down a taxi, too.
Brandon headed straight to the nearest paternity testing center and handed over both samples to the staff. “I need a paternity test done.
“Got it.” The staff member pocketed the sample.
