"Sister, what's going on? How could you …. How ….. just why is this happening? Weren't the two of you so happy earlier? What happened?"
Sia shook her sister with devastation, tears and snort running down her face.
The young lady's eyes were so red, seeking an answer from her sister, who was in the middle of packing her clothes with reddened eyes.
Gloria felt guilt as she saw how devasted her younger sister was but for everyone's sake, she had to do this even if it hurt her.
"Sis!" Sia continued to shake Gloria, but Gloria was steel-hearted and refused to bulge.
Gloria wanted to tell her little sister everything, but recalling what her ex-husband said, she couldn't only pretend to not hear.
As a result, Sia caused a fuss until her voice was hoarse, but Gloria continued to act cold.
She vowed to explain everything in the future when she returned home.
Knock. Knock.
As she was in the middle of packing, someone knocked at the door and Gloria froze on the spot as she thought about something. 'Could they be here already?' suddenly she felt nervous, recalling how Simon received a call when they were on their way back to the clan house.
"Who is it?" nonetheless she still answered, nervousness laced in her tone.
The response came very fast. "It's me, John. The clan leader is calling for you!"
When Gloria heard that, her heart started drumming crazily, as that foreboding feeling was finally settling.
'They are here!' she was now very certain about it.
"Um. I am coming!" she answered, her voice a bit grave.
After that, John left and Gloria sighed deeply as she closed her eyes briefly before opening them, resolution in them.
She turned to look at Sia, who was sniffing, standing there like an abandoned pup, and she felt like someone was squeezing her heart, but what else could she do?
She picked up her bag without saying anything to Sia and once everything was in her hand. She started walking away, leaving Sia bursting like a dam, crying.
Hearing her sister crying like that, Gloria fled, reluctant to hear anymore lest she expose herself. In order to make the divorce very convincing, she couldn't even tell her sister or parents the truth.
What she was willing to do for love and the clan, only a few of them would know.
It didn't take long before she reached Simon's study and when she got there, John opened the door for her while taking the bags from her.
Gloria stepped into the office and froze in place when she spotted two people she had never seen before.
Standing in front of Simon, who was sitting with a grim expression, was a man and a woman.
Their body physiques were not to be trifled with. Something about them made her shudder with fear, but she couldn't show fear at this stage.
The moment she stepped in, the three people suddenly faced her and Gloria wore a faint smile on her face as she nodded to Simon and said, "I am here!"
Simon nodded and gestured for her to come over. Gloria walked towards him before standing across from him, just a short distance from the guests.
"Gloria, meet the Frost's clan leader's head bodyguards, Iris and Ian. They are here to take you to Doncaster City," without mincing any words, Simon went straight to the point which shocked not just Gloria but the two messengers.
Pretending as if he didn't notice the three's reaction, he rose from his seat, looked at Gloria and said, "Go with ease. We will keep in touch," without divulging much.
Gloria felt teary as she looked at Simon. They had already talked about everything earlier, so she understood why he was like that. Besides, with so many people present, it was impossible to say more. What if they were suspected?
They could only both suffer the grievances now for a better future.
"Um," she nodded with a hum, and Simon apologetically smiled at her. That made her want to cry, but for the sake of face, she could only suppress her tears.
Seeing the couple, Iris and Ian wanted to roll their eyes, but they couldn't do so. However, time was flying, and they needed to leave.
"Since she is ready, then can we leave now?" Ian coldly said as he looked at Simon.
Simon flinched when he heard that, but didn't dare say anything. He was one to know power and knew when to retreat. So, he could only wrong Gloria for now.
So, he looked at Gloria and smiled depreciatively, "I will send you off!"
Gloria nodded as she looked away, tears already streaming down her cheeks. However, despite the pain, she still raised her feet and started walking away. The more she stood there, the more pain she felt.
Ian and Iris, seeing Gloria moving, started following her and Simon followed suit with his fists clenched.
'One day, Xander I will make you pay!' he vowed as a murderous glint flashed in his eyes.
On the way out, Sia, who Gloria had left in the bedroom earlier, somehow caught up to her again.
Gloria had a koala hugging her, and Sia was sniffing and crying.
"Sis, are you leaving us? When will you come back? Please don't leave me! Don't leave us! We want you. Can you please not divorce and remain here with us?" in a very long sentence, Sia's revelations were quite a lot but no one could stop.
Gloria clenched her fists as she listened to Sia's agonizing cries. She swore inwardly as she thought of the person who had caused this much pain in her family _ Xander. She was going to pay back all this pain.
He could have asked for anything else, but he just had to ask for her. To preserve her reputation, she was forced to divorce.
In all that, Gloria didn't even think that Xander didn't force them to do anything, but everything was due to the choices that they made.
Gloria didn't answer Sia, but Sia's outburst attracted a lot of attention from the clan members who looked at Gloria with complicated gazes that made her feel uncomfortable.
When she got outside, ignoring the clan members' gazes, she couldn't help but be amazed when she saw the three off-road vehicles parked in the front which had come to pick her up.
Just one of these cars was enough to keep several of the clan families afloat for a while. The difference in wealth made her feel sour, but what could she do?
It wasn't like others caused their situation. They were simply unfortunate.
Ian and Iris got the bags from John and, without saying anything to Gloria, put them in the car before opening the door for her in the middle car. Their intentions were pretty much clear and she couldn't help but look at Sia coldly, though her heart was breaking.
Sia shuddered when Gloria looked at her like that. She flinched and staggered backwards, yelping in the process as she stabilized herself, which made Gloria panic for a moment before she became resolute.
"Don't act like a baby, Sia. I am an adult and my choices are. I don't have to explain them to you. Since I have divorced the clan leader, I am no longer part of this clan. You can continue to be my sister but don't force me to answer when I don't feel like doing so!" from nowhere, Gloria coldly said to Sia, her words catching everyone off-guard.
Sia looked dumbfoundedly at Gloria in disbelief at what she was hearing. Tears started streaming down her cheeks. The others, seeing Sia, felt sorry for her. They coldly looked at Gloria with their fists clenched.
"Sis, you ….. how could you say that?" Sia asked, crying pitifully, that Gloria nearly wavered but remembering the previous plan, she steeled her heart once again.
Gloria looked at the people she loved so much, looking at her with gazes she had never seen before. It made her feel very lost, but when she thought that she needed to make it look believable, she could only continue to be heartless.