Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
His gaze landed on Owen like a death sentence.
Despite Carl’s long-standing friendship with the Saunders family, he was a man even Wyatt treated with respect. His fury wasn’t something Owen could handle.
Owen didn’t dare look Carl in the eye, but he refused to back down completely. He had to explain himself.
“Mr. Carl, it’s not what it looks like! Wyatt’s the one who hit Yunice. I was just trying to take her home because I was worried about her!”
As expected, his words shifted the focus. Oscar and Carl’s faces both changed.
“Wyatt hit Yunice?”
Owen straightened his back, his voice righteous. “Why else would she be in the hospital? Why do you think I’m here?”
At that moment, Joe-the nurse responsible for Yunice-finally heard the commotion from her room.
He came rushing over, but when he saw the scene inside, he froze at the door.
“Holy crap… this is bad,” he muttered, turning and running off to notify Wyatt.
Back inside, Carl’s eyes narrowed. He turned to Yunice, fists clenched behind his back. “Did Wyatt lay a hand on you?”
Yunice shook her head. “No.”
Owen erupted. “You’re insane! He beat you so badly you ended up here and you’re still defending him? You think you’re his great love or something? One of these days he’s going to beat you to death and no one in your family will even know!”
Yunice looked at him. “So you brought Elsie here to protect me?”
“What do you think?” Owen replied.
Then he turned to the others and started ranting again. “And this is how she thanks us. She bit Elsie for no reason, didn’t even try to explain herself!”
He pulled Elsie forward, presenting her like evidence. “Look what she did to her. Does that look like something a sane person would do to someone who cares about her?”
Elsie let her robe slip slightly, revealing the bite on her pale shoulder-a deep, purplish-red imprint.
Clearly, it hadn’t been a gentle nibble.
Oscar stood abruptly, placing himself protectively in front of Yunice.
Elsie cast a sorrowful glance at Carl, eyes shimmering with unspoken appeal.
She knew Carl never liked her. But if this wound could earn his sympathy, maybe it would finally change his opinion.
Carl furrowed his brow and replied coldly, “If you know you’re not welcome, why show up and hang around someone who’s sick? You deserved to get bitten.”
Elsie’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe a man with a warm 98.6-degree body could say something that cold.
Where’s Carl’s legendary composure?
Even Owen couldn’t take it anymore. He snapped, “Mr. Carl, Elsie’s the victim here. Don’t you think you’re being unfair?”
Carl shot back, “Use your brain for once. Her father killed your father. She’s the daughter of your enemy. You might choose to turn a blind eye, but do you really expect Yunice to? A person like her should be laying low at home, not strutting around in front of people who despise her. Is she here to flaunt that, as a murderer’s daughter, she’s been forgiven by the victim’s family and is living a good life?”
Owen’s frustration boiled over. “Mr. Carl, her father made the mistake, not her. You can’t punish the whole family for one person’s crime!”
Carl jabbed a finger at him. “If I were your father, I would’ve beaten you to death myself!”
Owen’s face drained of color. He clammed up under Carl’s scolding.
Behind him, Elsie tugged at his sleeve. Their eyes met-both of them looking like they’d been wronged, both wearing the same pitiful expression.
Yunice looked up. She could see Owen wasn’t the least bit sorry.
And she wasn’t about to let them off the hook with just a few angry words.
She turned to Oscar and said calmly, “Oscar, can you get Mr. Carl a chair?”
Oscar blinked, then finally got the message and hurried to fetch one.
The moment Carl sat down, Owen’s face twisted. He’s settling in? He’s not leaving?
Yunice shifted slowly, propping herself up in bed. She looked straight at Owen. “You said you came to stand up for me. So how exactly do you plan to do that?”
Owen replied, “By bringing you back to the Saunders family, of course. So we can take care of you properly.”
Yunice’s eyes narrowed. “That’s funny. Because before Mr. Carl arrived, you weren’t saying anything about taking care of me. You said you were going to throw me back in the psych ward. Said you’d let me out once I ‘learned to behave.'”
Owen was briefly speechless, then quickly said, “I only said that because you bit Elsie. I was angry. But seriously, you need to get your head checked. I don’t think your mental issues ever got better. You’re always stirring up trouble, always violent. Just ask Elsie-how many injuries has she gotten because of you?”
Oscar had heard enough. He stepped forward and pointed at Owen. “You care about your sister? Well, I care about mine. If she did something wrong, then say it. Bring us all here, lay out the facts. If she has mental issues, fine-we’ll get it checked out. But who gave you the right to tie her up? Who gave you the right to restrain her? I’m her big brother. Who the hell are you to decide how she’s treated?”
Owen bristled under the criticism. “What are you saying, Oscar? Your sister, my sister-Yunice is my sister too. Why would I want to hurt her?”
Oscar exploded. “Then why didn’t you tie up that illegitimate sister of yours with IV tubing?”
“Watch your mouth, Oscar! What do you mean, ‘illegitimate’?!”
“Then how about you define ‘mental illness’? You know better than anyone whether Yunice ever had any. Don’t act like you don’t!”
Yunice didn’t want to hear them go on. She gently patted Oscar’s arm, and he fell silent.
She looked at Owen again and asked in an even tone, “Let me ask again. You said you came to stand up for me. Is that really all it means-just taking me home?”
Owen countered, “What else do you want?”
Yunice replied, “You don’t plan on helping me get justice?”
Oscar chimed in. “Yeah, funny how you go all out defending your little stray sister, but when it’s my sister who’s hurt, suddenly you’re out of steam?”
That hit a nerve. Owen snapped back at Oscar. “You talk a big game, but where were you? I didn’t see you doing anything to stand up for her.”
Wyatt had supposedly hit Yunice. Was Oscar really planning to go toe-to-toe with him?
Oscar didn’t flinch. “And who said I won’t stand up for her? When Wyatt gets here, however he hit Yunice, I’ll return the favor-blow for blow. You in or not?”
Owen glanced nervously at Carl, then answered stiffly, “You think I’m afraid?”
After all, Carl was here. Wyatt wouldn’t dare go too far.
Yunice looked at Owen again. “Is that how it is with everyone who’s hurt me? You’ll get back at all of them?”
Owen frowned “Who else hurt you?”
Without a word, Yunice slowly lifted the blanket off her lap.
Everyone assumed she was about to get out of bed.
Oscar was the first to catch the sharp scent of blood. He looked down and saw that Yunice’s hospital gown was soaked red.
Owen turned as well, and his face went blank with confusion.
“What’s going on? Where’s all that blood coming from?”