Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Owen, before Yunice could sit, demanded, “Have you gone without food or clothing? Why did you steal Giana’s phone?”
Yunice’s steps faltered. She realized Owen hadn’t given her a chance to sit, while everyone else was comfortably seated. “I didn’t steal it,” she sighed.
“So you’ve been falsely accused? Why would Giana accuse you?” Owen pressed.
Yunice remained silent. Owen continued, “You stole it because I didn’t provide you with a phone, to humiliate me!”
It struck Owen then: he hadn’t arranged for Yunice’s necessities. His voice grew colder. “After three years, your resentment is still this strong? You’d rather destroy something than not have it.”
Elsie patted Owen’s back, addressing Yunice with concern, “Yunice, Owen works hard. He’s just been busy. Don’t be angry with him.”
Owen sighed. He wished Yunice were half as understanding as Elsie.
Giana refused to drop it. “Ms. Elsie, don’t cover for her! She must admit her mistake, or the whole Saunders family will be ruined!”
Owen turned to her, coldly. “What do you mean?”
Elsie hesitated, but Giana declared, “If I was wronged about my phone, what about Ms. Elsie’s million-dollar bracelet? Will Ms. Yunice deny taking that too?”
Paul glanced at Elsie, her lip bitten, his gaze darkening. Yunice hadn’t changed. Three years ago, gifts for Elsie would disappear, reappearing in Yunice’s possession. Initially, Paul hadn’t believed Yunice would steal, but the pattern revealed a different motive: jealousy. He’d found her possessiveness endearing at first, but it had become controlling, his heart shifting toward the kinder Elsie. He hadn’t thought much about it because Yunice only ever took Elsie’s things.
Ignoring the others’ contempt, Yunice asked Elsie, “What did your bracelet look like?”
Giana interjected, “An eighteen-bead bracelet of rare jade!”
Yunice mused, “Were the beads engraved with Confucian classics?”
Giana exclaimed, pointing at Yunice, “See, Mr. Owen! She stole it!”
Paul scoffed, “Because it was hers to begin with.”
Elsie looked at Paul in surprise. Why was he defending Yunice? If Paul knew, Owen certainly did too. The bracelet had been a gift from his father to Yunice years ago, after a severe illness, intended as a talisman.
Giana quickly changed tactics. “Even if it was hers, she should have asked! Her things were in Ms. Elsie’s room. Taking without asking is stealing!”
Silence fell. Everyone knew the bracelet belonged to Yunice, and the room had originally been hers. How could taking one’s own belongings from one’s own room be considered stealing?
Elsie surveyed the silent crowd and announced, “That room originally belonged to Yunice. I was planning to switch rooms with her tonight.”
Owen frowned. “You have asthma and need better air quality.” He then looked at Yunice, his tone softening. “You can take my room, but promise not to use such methods to attract attention again.” He suspected Yunice had stolen something to gain sympathy, like a neglected kitten creating a mess.
Elsie immediately protested, “Owen, you work late. The small room is too cramped. I’ll switch with my sister instead!”
Owen was touched. Elsie, unlike someone who perpetually complained, understood his hard work.
Sensing Owen’s hostility, Yunice calmly stated, “I never intended to switch rooms. I simply didn’t steal anything.” Her measured tone made Owen and the others seem unreasonable.
Paul, feeling frustrated, watched from the sidelines. Yunice’s gaze sharpened. “I don’t know how Giana lost her phone, but the jade bracelet is important to me. Please call the police.”
Giana and Elsie exchanged glances. Was Yunice truly that bold? They knew she had taken both items. What was she planning?
Family matters shouldn’t be public. Owen wanted to avoid involving the authorities, regardless of Yunice’s guilt. He retrieved his laptop and accessed the house’s surveillance footage.
Yunice had been home only a few days. The system recorded movement; with few occupants, review was simple. However, only Giana and Elsie had entered the second-floor rooms. Yunice mostly remained in her room.
Owen’s gaze hardened as he turned to Giana. “You were the only one who entered Elsie’s room.” Yunice couldn’t have bypassed security.
Yunice smirked. No one suspected her programming skills. The public often mistook genius for madness; psychiatric hospitals housed both. She’d been admitted at eighteen, just after her college entrance exams. They considered her a failure. Who would guess she’d manipulate the surveillance system?
Giana stammered, “The cameras must be malfunctioning! I didn’t steal anything!”
A phone’s ringtone blared. Owen retrieved Giana’s phone from between the sofa cushions-the phone she’d claimed Yunice had stolen and thrown away.
Owen’s expression darkened. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “Didn’t you say Yunice took your phone and threw it in the drain?”
Giana was speechless, realizing her deception. Elsie, who had initially defended Giana, fell silent.
Yunice’s voice turned cold. “Next time you lose something, look for it before accusing someone.” She then addressed Elsie, “Please help me find my bracelet. It’s very important.”
Elsie was speechless. Yunice returned to her room. Silence fell.
Owen said, “Elsie, are you sure the bracelet is missing?”
Elsie, startled, hesitated. Owen stood. “Let’s search your room again. Maybe it fell somewhere.” They had wronged Yunice; they needed to find the bracelet.
As Owen and Giana searched upstairs, Paul approached Yunice’s room. He hesitated before knocking. She’d been back a while and hadn’t spoken to him.
The door opened. Seeing him, Yunice asked, “Yes?”
Paul felt awkward. Her tiny room was smaller than even his maids’ quarters. How could they treat the eldest Saunders daughter this way? Rage surged within him. He could bully Yunice, but no one else could. They’d grown up together; she’d always been his shadow. He’d boasted that anyone who bullied his “little fianc?e” would have to go through him. How had things changed in three years?
Feigning nonchalance, Paul stepped forward. “Are you really going to make me stand here? Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Yunice blocked the doorway. “It’s dirty. Mr. Paul, you shouldn’t sit down.”
Paul froze. “Mr. Paul”? Yunice had never addressed him so formally. “Are you mad? I wasn’t looking down on you. You misunderstood.” He had, but later regretted his harshness. She was his best friend.
Yunice wouldn’t let him in. “Mr. Paul, we’re adults. We should keep our distance. What would people think?”
Paul glanced upstairs, then scoffed, “I used to visit your room all the time. Besides, we’re engaged.”
“Childhood engagements are meaningless. Besides, I have a mental illness-it might be hereditary. I’ll speak to your parents and annul our engagement.”
Paul was stunned. Rejected? He’d wanted to end things, but only he could initiate it!
Before he could argue, Yunice shut the door. Paul stood there, rejected.
Owen came downstairs and saw Paul by Yunice’s door. Feeling guilty, Paul changed the subject. “Did you find the bracelet?”
Owen eyed him suspiciously. “What are you doing outside Yunice’s room?”
Owen warned Paul, “Don’t forget, you’re the one who wanted to break off your engagement to Elsie. If you waver now, how will Elsie face others?”
Paul retorted, “Yes, I want to break it off, but that doesn’t mean Yunice and I have to sever all ties. After all, we’ll still be seeing each other often…”
Before Paul could finish, Owen coldly interrupted. “You and Yunice must sever all ties. You know better than anyone that she’s possessive and vengeful. In her mind, you belong to her. If you marry Elsie, she will only take her resentment out on her.”
Owen exhaled heavily. “I just hope you and Elsie marry as soon as possible. Once she moves in, I won’t have to worry every single day.”
But Paul barely heard the latter half. His mind was stuck on, “You belong to her.” That’s what I used to believe, too. But now Yunice wanted to break their engagement…
After speaking for a while, Owen realized Paul wasn’t responding. He raised a hand and lightly punched him. “You’re still thinking about Yunice, aren’t you!”
I had already noticed. In the living room, Paul sat next to Elsie, but his eyes were fixed on Yunice.
This bastard-does he think he’s a romantic tragic hero?
Paul, growing impatient, rubbed his shoulder. “I just think you’re all too cruel to Yunice. Don’t forget, she’s a Saunders too. Yet you won’t even give her a proper room in her own home; even a housekeeper can falsely accuse her of theft.”
The Saunders mansion had plenty of rooms. Even Oscar’s second-floor room was empty-why couldn’t they spare a decent room for Yunice?
Owen’s face flushed. “And are you any better? You rejected Yunice because you thought she was mentally ill and feared the disgrace if word got out. That’s why you chose Elsie, isn’t it?”