{Statement of Results: 0%
The alleged father is excluded as the biological father of the tested child. This conclusion is based on the non-matching alleles observed above with a DI equal to 0. The probability of paternity is 0%.}
{Statement of Results: 0%
The alleged mother is excluded as the biological father of the tested child. This conclusion is based on the non-matching alleles observed above with a DI equal to 0. The probability of paternity is 0%.}
"How could it be?" her hands shook as she held the papers sentencing her nearly to death with shock and disbelief written all over her face.
"How …?" she stuttered as she raised her head to look at the man who had been making her feel like she belonged and wasn't truly an outcast as she thought.
Xander's jaw was tightened as he looked at her reddened eyes.
Honestly, it was quite surprising for him as well. Although he once suspected that the parents were more or so favoring the younger sister than the older sister. Knowing that there weren't her biological parents came as a shock. He didn't know how to comfort her at this stage.
Gloria nonetheless choked as she crumbled the papers in her hands, feeling like a joke upon knowing the truth.
"This is a lie, right?"
"It can't be real, right?"
Otherwise, all the memories she has about her family, were they all unreal?
Xander grabbed Gloria's clenched hands with his own and patted them as he responded to her, "I am afraid that what you are seeing right now is indeed the truth. They aren't your parents and now we need to understand why it is like that and where are your real parents," his tone very soft and comforting. It made Gloria to cool down a bit.
"Sniff," she sniffed as she tried to suppress the hot tears that seemed to want to stream down her cheeks.
"There should be a reason why they kept the truth from you and you need to find out why. If that's what you wish. In fact, you decide how you want to handle this matter. I will support you. Since I agreed to marry you. As my wife, you are entitled to a lot," Xander added, as he spoke to her in a reassuring tone which made her hiccup, forcing a smile on her face as she imagined such a life.
"You …. Um, can I think about it? I need some space for a moment. Can I do that?" after calming down a little, she hesitatingly asked, her eyes pleading as she looked at Xander.
Xander patted her hand with a smile and nodded as he responded, "You can take your time and don't feel pressured. If you want me, I will be here. If I am not at home, then give me a call."
Gloria pursed her lips when she heard that but still nodded, finding the two options better than having to find him through the secretaries.
After agreeing to that, Gloria nervously stood to her feet and mumbled a farewell before leaving the study with the crumbled papers in hand.
Gloria went straight to her bedroom and locked the door so that Cassy wouldn't barge in at any cost.
Once she was inside, she threw herself on the bed and burst into tears.
As she cried on the bed, like a little girl who had been bullied at school, memories she had stored away for a very long time started flashing in her mind.
'Our princess deserves the best. How can we skimp anything on her?' her mother used to say with her eyes lingering longer on Sia, but she didn't think much back then.
'As the big sister, it's your duty to raise your little sister. You owe her. So do your best!'
She didn't understand what those words meant, but since she liked raising Sia, she had never put that in mind. But now she understood why her parents were always like that.
It wasn't those cryptic remarks they made that were flashing in her memory but some other actions which now seemed suspicious and signs that she wasn't truly considered a child of that family at all.
There was a time when she was in primary school, and they went to a family gathering. It was supposed to be a happy moment, but one of her aunts looked at her, scowled and scolded her without her doing anything.
'A wild bastard!'
At that time, she thought that her aunt, being in her menopause stage, was just acting up. After all, she had heard the adults talking about it. But now, thinking back to that moment, it seemed that her aunt knew about her origins but didn't dare expose it in light.
Moreover, now that she thought about it. It seemed that she was manipulated by everyone in that family. Her parents PUA-ed her from a young age. She had always grown up accepting the fact that she was mediocre. Every time she tried to work hard on something, her parents would come up with several reasons why this wasn't good and whatnot.
Before Sia was born, she recalled how, at some point, she was interested in painting. She was just starting a fresh hobby. So, she diligently painted a family of three. It wasn't the best painting ever done, but that was her first and even the teacher at school praised her for being talented.
She was even enthusiastic and wanted her to take the art lessons. Gloria remembered how happy she was. She brought the painting back home and showed it to her parents. But their reaction at that time was quite heart-wrenching.
'Dear, Mom and Dad are happy to see this painting but this is not your forte at all. It's a waste of time to like something like this. Don't you like playing with mud a lot? Mom will buy you more seeds and you can expand your garden.'
She was very young, and that denial made her sullen for the whole day. Although she still received seeds, she used to expand the garden, and her love of art was extinguished.
She had to lie to the teacher when she didn't see Gloria in the class.
After that there were several times, she tried something new and yet her parents always said something.
'What is the point of doing that when we will continue living in such a small town?'
'You will be the future matriarch. There is no point in learning much.'
'We don't have enough money. How about we let Sia take more lessons?'
Perhaps it was because she was used to it that she didn't even see anything wrong whenever that was said.
Her parents acted like that, and Simon was even worse.
'I love you as you are. Since you will be my wife and mother of my children. Why bother to stress yourself like that?'
'You know, you will be a housewife. Learning the basics is already enough. Don't bother with things that you wouldn't use.'
'You know I like seeing you working in the garden. You look incredibly sexy!'
When listening to such compliments from the man she loves, how could she even know that there was something wrong?
When they were busy objecting and continuing to push her down, Sia's compliments were different.
'She is hardworking and has a higher IQ. She will definitely soar higher in the future.'
'Her paintings are one of a kind. She can open a gallery. It will be the first in Millstone town.'
'A woman should be independent and be financially stable. Women like that are very attractive!'
With her mind filled with gardening, Simon and conceiving children. How could she even separate and see that these compliments differed way more than the ones she was given?
Unfortunately, she found out all about this a bit too late. The deeds had been done. The whole family had used her, suppressed her talents, and got her tied up to a man who didn't love her and wouldn't even be tempted to sleep with her. Even when she was literally throwing herself at him.
And yet, her family sold her to another man when she was still married. He manipulated her into getting a divorce and she got nothing out of me except a contract with a man who didn't want her at first.
Not only that, Simon and Sia had been cheating behind her back. She didn't even know when they hooked up and how they did it.
Sia and Simon got married, and Sia was pregnant. Simon's mother, who preferred to remain at the temple and didn't want to see her that much with many excuses made, could spare time to meet with Sia. She could tell how much Sia was loved.
The love in Simon, his mother's and parents' eyes wasn't something that she had experienced herself. It made her heart ache even further at acknowledging that.
As if her life wasn't a joke enough. She just had to find out that her parents weren't hers. Just what kind of life did the deities want her to live when throwing so many sour grapes at her?
Did they want her to live or die?
Gloria could only cry, the pain in her chest so piercing. She kept on hitting her chest as if that would let the pain and suffocation go away.
She didn't know how long she cried, but when she was done, her head was throbbing and her eyes were red and swollen.
Lying dazedly on the soft bed while facing the ceiling, she started thinking about how to deal with these people who wronged her.
After all, she wasn't going to live the rest of her life as a soft persimmon.
She objects to living like that after getting awakened. She deserves much better and the truth.
They all owed her that.