The Indifferent Ex-Husband Heartstrings in the Mall of Fate

Sophia, Cindy, and Augus were halfway to their destination when they got caught in a downpour. Zion City had been playing this

on-again, off-again gwith the rain for days, and the weather was chilly to boot. The construction site hadn't been paved yet,

so they were trudging through a sea of yellow mud, their shoes instantly caked in the stuff with every step.

"Man, what was Tomas thinking, scheduling a meeting in this mess of a place during this nasty weather?" Cindy couldn't help but

gripe.

"Maybe he's just so used to the site that this kind of stuff doesn't faze him anymore. Probably didn't think about how inconvenient

it would be for us. Plus, the rain started outta nowhere - can't blhim for not seeing that coming. Let's cut him sslack,"

Augus reasoned, keeping an eye on Sophia as she carefully navigated the mud. He noticed her looking a bit shaky and instinctively

reached out to steady her.

Before his palm could even brush her arm, Sophia lifted her hand to stop him. “I'm good, | can handle it.”

As she spoke, Sophia had already managed to sidestep the mud puddle and continued toward the makeshift shelter that housed

the temporary meeting room, passing by a pile of construction materials that was heaped up like a small hill, nearly blocking the

entrance.

Sophia had no choice but to take a detour.

Just as she was maneuvering around the pile, she almost collided with a staggering figure emerging from the other direction,

prompting her to spin around and narrowly avoid a collision.

“S-sorry,” that person muttered, not daring to lift his head.

Sophia glanced at him. He looked to be in his fifties, gaunt and bony, dressed in old, dirty clothes patched up all over, his hair a

disheveled mess reaching almost to his shoulders, resembling a homeless man.

His gaze was shy and timid, suggesting he was not comfortable making eye contact, giving off a vibe of a down-and-out, pitiful

fellow.

“It’s all good,” said Sophia in a gentle tone.

Just then, Jerry hurried in from the direction the man had cfrom, looking anxious as if searching for someone. Upon spotting

the tall, skinny old-timer standing before Sophia, he started to speak but paused as his eyes landed on her, his expression subtly

shifting.

Sophia caught the slight change and gave him a puzzled look.

Jerry approached with a smile. "Director Yearwood, what brings you over here?"

"The path up front was blocked, had to go around," Sophia explained, gesturing toward the old man, "Who might this be?"

"That's Nell, one of the workers on site. Hardworking guy, though not the sharpest tool in the shed. | was worried he'd get lost, so |

cout to check on him," Jerry said, turning to Nell with a gentle voice, "Nell, it's pouring outside, don’t catch a cold. Let's head

back."

Nell looked at him with gratitude, nodding and responding in a slightly hoarse voice, "Okay."

Sophia observed the exchange. His face and eyes radiated genuine thanks, alongside pure trust and dependence, like a child

relying on their parents.

Jerry then turned to Sophia with a smile. "The shelter's just around the bend from here. You go ahead; I'll take Nell back and catch

up in a bit."

Sophia nodded. "Alright."

After bidding them farewell, she continued toward the shelter. Tomas arrived, apologizing profusely to Sophia for the inconvenience

of the sudden rain.

"It's fine," Sophia reassured him.

Tomas mentioned he'd call Jerry, but Sophia quickly informed him. "I just ran into him. He said he’s taking Nell back and will be

right over."

"Nell?" Tomas frowned. "Why would he need to take Nell back? Nell hardly ever leaves his room, even for meals; he mostly relies

on coworkers to bring him food."

Something didn’t sit right with Sophia, and she pressed further. "What's up with Nell?"

"He's okay, just a bit of a recluse, not keen on socializing," Tomas explained as they walked toward the shelter. "He was apparently

a homeless man before, cfrom who knows where, nunknown, with no family. Not all there in the head, used to sleep

under bridges and rummage through bins. Jerry took pity on him, brought him into the crew, and has been looking after him."

Hoping to avoid any discomfort, Tomas quickly added. "Don’t be fooled by Nell’s looks or his simple-mindedness; when it comes to

work, he's as hardworking as two men."

But Sophia had a nagging question. "If we don’t know where Nell’s from or even his real name, how did we register his personal

information?"

The Starlight Group, known for its strict quality control, required real-nregistration for every worker on a project.

Tomas seemed caught off guard by Sophia's focus on this detail, looking a bit sheepish. “Well...”

"His personal info wasn't registered, was it?" Sophia asked softly, her suspicions growing. "So, officially, on the books, Nell doesn't

exist in this project?”

As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel that something was amiss.

Tomas looked troubled. “It’s just Nell's old, alone in the world. It seemed too cruel to not help him, to not give him a place to stay

and a chance to earn sliving.”

Augus, catching up to them, chimed in. “Yeah, an old man with no kids, no family, wandering out there in the cold, barely

surviving, it breaks my heart. We thought we’d give him a hand where we could.”

Sophia understood the humane impulse; she'd have wanted to help too. But Jerry's sudden change in demeanor upon seeing her

had planted a seed of doubt, leaving her with an uneasy feeling she couldn't shake off.

"Did you call the cops?" Sophia asked, "In cases like Nell's, they usually end up at a shelter, right?"

"He just can't get used to the shelter life, that's why he's back out here," Tomas said. "It's tough on the old guy, we can't just kick

him to the curb to sleep under a bridge, especially not in this freezing weather."

"Yeah, it's way too cold, no one could stand it." Augus chimed in, unable to resist.

Cindy gave him a teasing look, "Well, well, Augus, after working with you for so long, | had no idea you had such a big heart."

Sophia couldn't help but glance at Augus and frown.

Augus didn't notice, his eyes on Cindy as he smiled and replied, "I'd take in every stray cat and dog | find on the street, let alone a

living, breathing human being. Don't you think he's pitiful?"

Cindy nodded in agreement, "It is pretty sad. I'm thinking of donating smoney to him."

Augus couldn't help but chuckle, "Look at you, callingout, yet you're doing the same, aren't you?"

Just then, Jerry cover, looking apologetic, "I'm really sorry for making everyone wait."

"No worries," Sophia said, turning to Tomas, "Let's go inside."

Tomas nodded, "All right."

They moved into the temporary meeting room.

Once seated, Tomas briefed everyone on the situation. The second inspection still didn't reveal any problems; technically, they

could proceed with the concrete pouring. He suspected the method was off and suggested Jerry take his team for another shot.

"That's not gonna fly. There's definitely something fishy going on here, and no one is keen on dealing with this kind of jinx," Jerry

immediately stood up, rejecting Tomas's suggestion.

Sophia looked at him, "If everyone's got concerns, then | think the company should respect that. If push comes to shove, we'll just

get a new construction crew."

Jerry was taken aback, staring at Sophia in disbelief, surprised by her proposal.

Augus and Tomas also looked at Sophia in astonishment.

"Don't worry about any delay in the schedule due to changing crews. I'll explain the situation to headquarters on your behalf,"

Sophia continued, her voice still soft and calm, yet it visibly threw the usually cocky Jerry off his game.

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMwWLHIOfiflO&1

MMMWWLIIOAIfO&L

mmMyWL11I01F1081

mMMwWLIIOfiflO&1