Chapter 79
The nurse hesitated and glanced at Sophia, but seeing no reaction from her, she didn’t press further and let Brandon help push the hospital bed back to the rest ward.
All the way, Brandon pushed the bed slowly, steady and gentle, carefully controlling the pace to avoid any jostle or bump.
When they returned the bed to the ward, the nurse couldn’t help but throw a puzzled look at Brandon, finding this guy a bit odd. His face and the aura he gave off screamed restraint and control, yet his actions when pushing the bed were tender, almost as if he was tiptoeing around.
After the nurse gave a few reminders, she scurried off.
Suddenly, the spacious ward was left with just Sophia and Brandon.
Silence reigned.
Brandon quietly poured her a cup of hot water and stood by her bed, gently helping her sit up. “Have some water first.”
His voice was still as gravelly as if it had been ground by sand.
“Thanks.” Sophia’s voice was hoarse with gratitude as she took the cup and sipped a little, soothing her dry throat a bit.
Brandon watched her drink in small sips, took the cup back when she was done, and placed it silently on the table next to them.
He didn’t speak.
Neither did Sophia.
Silence spread between them.
After a while, the gritty voice broke the silence again. “Can’t you just give me a little more time?”
As he spoke, Brandon looked at Sophia.
Sophia pulled the covers up a bit, stayed silent for a long time, and then spoke softly, “Brandon, asking for a divorce wasn’t me being petulant or testing anything. The day I moved out of your place, that was it for us.”
“The kid was an accident. No matter how much I struggled with the decision about her, I never thought of telling you.” She looked at him, her voice light, “I always felt that since she was only discovered after our divorce, maybe she’s some kind of consolation prize from the universe.”
“I have family, yet I don’t, so her arrival is incredibly precious to me. I never thought about remarrying, but I wanted my own child. Her appearance was a gift, so from the get-go, I was intent on going it alone as a single mom. As long as I don’t go back to West district, we might never cross paths, and you’d never know she existed. It wouldn’t affect your life at all. I have enough financial stability to raise her and can provide a relatively affluent environment for her to grow up in. My only concern was whether my health was good enough to take on the risks of childbirth, if I could be there for her long enough, and whether growing up without a complete family would affect her.”
Sophia’s voice faltered, then continued. “So, although I was indecisive at that time, I knew in my heart that I wanted to take a gamble. But once you became aware of her existence, I couldn’t afford to gamble anymore.”
She looked at him. “As long as it involves your family, I’ll never stand a chance. All my hesitations these past days were just me playing games with myself. At first, I thought about convincing myself to try and co-parent with you, but the moment I saw your parents, the moment I heard Yolanda’s name, I realized I hadn’t moved on. They instantly dragged me back into the shadows of those two years. I’d already broken free from your family, even fled to this distant place, but why does it still feel like,” Sophia’s voice choked up, and she couldn’t go on.
a na n at a o as as a s
Brandon looked at her reddening eyes, his gaze lingered on her belly hidden beneath the blanket, then back at her, he asked in a raspy voice. “So, you chose to give her up, is that it?”
Sophia turned away with tearful eyes, not answering him
Brandon also turned away, looking out the window, his handsome face still taut. When he looked back at Sophia, his eyes were slightly
red.
“Sophia, this really hurts.”
10:41
Sophia had never seen Brandon like this before.
