Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Even after that punishment, Owen still wanted to practice on someone. So Yunice had offered up her own arm, letting him use her as a test subject for free.
Owen had no sense of restraint. He had even pierced through her veins once, and instead of feeling bad, he had laughed, saying that if he couldn’t be a doctor, he could always become a tailor.
Every time he practiced on her, her arm would be bruised for days. Once, he even used the wrong medication, causing her to fall into a coma for seven days.
And yet, back then, she had actually thought it was worth it. Yunice let out a self-mocking laugh. Owen must have remembered too, because his face turned red. He lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, his fingernails digging into his palms.
Even if he felt guilty, he still had to say what he came for. “Yunny, take the blame for Elsie.”
Then he looked up and said as if it was completely reasonable, “Oscar can’t afford to leave his research abroad. You don’t want him to come back and deal with this, do you!”
Owen studied Yunice’s reaction. He was sure she would throw a fit, like she always did whenever the family tried to push…
What Owen didn’t realize was that Yunice was no longer the same person who would let things slide.
Yunice said calmly, “I’ll take the blame, but I want it officially documented in the newspaper, with my full identity.”
“That’s impossible!” Owen immediately objected. “Elsie is using your identity. If you go public, it’ll confirm that she’s been impersonating you!”
So he wants all the benefits without any real consequences? Yunice said, “This is for the hospital’s sake too. If you want an apology to be taken seriously, it has to be done properly. Otherwise, how are you going to silence public opinion?”
Ah, so that was her reasoning. Owen knew Yunice wasn’t that smart.
He said, “I’ve already thought of a reason for you. We’ll say you barged into the operating room and disrupted the procedure. You have a documented history of mental illness, so you won’t be held responsible or go to jail. Taking the blame won’t affect you at all.”
Yunice’s fingers trembled involuntarily. Her cold eyes locked onto Owen, and once again, she realized just how vicious he…
She took a few seconds to calm herself, but even she could hear the slight shiver in her voice when she spoke. “Even if I were mentally ill, I’d still need a name, wouldn’t I? What identity am I supposed to use to take the public’s blame?”
Owen’s brows furrowed deeply. His heart skipped a beat and was filled with unease. “You don’t have to make it sound so bad. I’ll say you’re a poor orphan from the mountains that our family took in. As long as we paint your story as tragic enough, the public won’t criticize you.”
Was he planning to swap Elsie’s background with hers now? Yunice was the one being forced to take the fall, yet he was putting on a righteous act as if he were doing it for her sake. Yunice almost wanted to clap for his hypocrisy.
Owen knew she wouldn’t agree so easily, so he raised the stakes. “As long as you help the family through this crisis, I won’t force you to get married. You can stay at home as long as you want.”
Yunice laughed mockingly. “Whether I get married or not isn’t up to you.”
Owen stared at Yunice in shock, as if he hadn’t expected her to defy him. In the past, she always did whatever he said. As long as it was for the family, she never refused.
Unable to control her anymore, Owen’s anger flared. “Yunice, I’m finally seeing your true colors. I almost fell for your act of being a good sister. Turns out, you’re the most heartless one of all.”
Yunice sneered. “So, in your eyes, a ‘good sister’ is someone who obeys without question, lets herself be manipulated, and has no thoughts of her own?”
Owen shot to his feet and said coldly, “If you don’t want to help, then don’t. No need to twist my words.”
Leaving Yunice’s room, Owen felt like he couldn’t breathe properly. His chest was filled with anger, but he had nowhere to vent it. He turned back for a glance, but Yunice didn’t come after him.
For some reason, he felt an unexpected sense of loss. He thought of three years ago, whenever he got mad, Yunice would chase after him to coax him, no matter how unwilling she was. In the end, she would always give in. He and Oscar were her only family. Who else could she rely on if not them? Owen had always assumed he could control Yunice for the rest of her life. But now, he felt a distance between them. The feeling made him uneasy.
A part of him actually wished Yunice would smile at him again, grab his arm like she used to, and call his name. It had once been so normal. Why had things changed? But what exactly had changed?
As Owen was lost in thought, Elsie came running over happily, tugging at his sleeve. “Owen, did Yunice agree?”
Owen lowered his eyes and looked at the hand holding onto his sleeve. When he lifted his gaze again, Yunice’s smiling face faded, replaced by Elsie’s. When had it changed? When had the person tugging at his sleeve stopped being Yunice and become Elsie instead?
A strange emotion stirred in his heart. He sighed. “She refused.” Then he couldn’t help but ask, “Elsie, do you think Yunice is blaming me?”
Elsie froze. Seeing the frustration on Owen’s face, alarm bells went off in her head. Was Owen starting to feel guilty toward Yunice? She glanced toward Yunice’s room. How did Yunice suddenly get so sharp after just one trip to the psychiatric hospital?
“Owen,” Elsie said gently, “You did this for the greater good. Even if there was a mistake, it was for the sake of the Saunders family. Besides, making this decision was hard for you too. What kind of sister would blame her brother for that?”
Yes. Did Yunice think he wanted to make this choice? If she had been more competent and taken on the family’s responsibilities, he wouldn’t have had to make such a painful decision. He was struggling so much, yet instead of understanding him, she was criticizing him?
Owen’s momentary guilt vanished completely. He straightened his back. “The family won’t fall apart without her. Even if she doesn’t help, I’ll still handle that.”
Elsie was stunned. If Yunice didn’t take the blame, she’d be exposed. That couldn’t happen! But no matter what, Owen refused to beg Yunice again.
Before leaving, she squatted beside the box Yunice had dug out and casually flipped through a few sketches. They were drawings Yunice had done as a child, mostly portraits of women. The women were quiet and elegant, either sitting or standing gracefully. It was the very image of femininity. They were the kind of drawings Yunice had made whenever she missed Lily, copying from her photos.
Gill had considered them precious and kept them safe all these years. But Lily didn’t see them that way. She casually set the old drawings on the floor, then gently sifted through the bottom of the box. When she didn’t find what she was looking for, she seemed a little disappointed.
Noticing Yunice’s indifferent gaze, Lily asked without hesitation. “Yunny, I remember Dad left behind a few ancient medical scripts. You have them, don’t you?”
Worried that Yunice might be holding a grudge, Lily stood up and gently sat beside her bed. “I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days. I keep dreaming about your father…” As she spoke, she placed Yunice’s hand in her own, her eyes red-rimmed. “If only there was something of his left behind for me to remember him by.”
“Mom, didn’t you give your blessing when the rose tree Father left you was cut down?” Yunice looked at her sincerely.
Lily faltered under that gaze. For a moment, she actually felt guilty. “I know you’re upset,” she said quickly, “but when you become a mother one day, you’ll understand. A child’s safety is more important than anything. I had no choice.”
“The book really isn’t with me,” Yunice replied.
Then, without warning, she leaned forward and rested her head against Lily’s chest. “Mom, if you miss Dad, just hold me. I’m part of what he left behind, too.”
Lily had never hugged her before. The moment Yunice pressed close, she clearly felt Lily instinctively try to push her away. A parent’s love for their child runs deep, but even as a daughter, that love had never been given to her. Even hearts grow crooked-how could fairness exist?
The hug lasted only a few seconds before Lily stood up, clearly uncomfortable. “I’ll ask your brothers later. Maybe one of them has the book.”
Yunice smiled and softly hummed in acknowledgment, showing no hint of hurt.
Lily bit her lip, her face clouded with unease as she left the room. Seeing her expression, Giana assumed Yunice must’ve said something harsh. But Lily shook her head and muttered, conflicted, “I just wonder am I too cold toward Yunny? But…” She glanced at Giana, her voice tight with disgust. “I want to treat her like a daughter, but every time she gets close, I just feel so disgusted, so irritated I can’t help wanting her to stay far away…”
She let out a long sigh, her face full of regret. “If only Elsie and Yunice had been switched. If Elsie were the real Saunders daughter, and Yunice had stayed in that mountain village, I wouldn’t be in this awkward position.”
The door wasn’t fully shut. A sliver of Yunice’s clothes peeked through the gap-unnoticed. She stood there, leaning silently against the wall, listening to her mother’s words of rejection, words that sharp should’ve made her furious. But they didn’t. She simply tilted her head back, resting it against the wall, her face blank and exhausted as she stared up at the ceiling. Her father’s love had been enough. As for a mother… she’d never had one. So what was there to lose? It was just a beautiful childhood dream-shattered, nothing more.
Later that night, Owen got a call for an emergency case. Driving out through the wrought-iron gates of the Saunders estate, he had barely turned onto the asphalt when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure by the roadside.
Owen frowned. What was she doing out this late? He turned the wheel and began following her.
Inside the taxi, Yunice kept checking the time, her expression tense, eyes fixed on the passing streets. She didn’t notice she was being followed. Eventually, the cab pulled to a stop. Yunice jumped out and ran to knock on the back gate of a house.
Owen’s car stopped at a distance. He leaned forward to see more clearly. The Johnson family. That was the family his mother had arranged for Yunice to marry into. He looked back toward her. She was knocking at the Johnsons’ rear gate. A housekeeper opened a small gap in the door. Yunice slipped inside.
Seeing this, Owen’s heart warmed. So she hadn’t meant it when she said she wouldn’t help Elsie. She was just being stubborn, trying to get more attention. Deep down, she still cared about the family. She couldn’t bear the thought of their father’s hospital being dragged through the mud. She was here to plead on their behalf.
“Since she’s being sensible, I’ll go easier on her when I get back,” he thought. “No need to hold it against her.” With that, Owen drove away from the Johnsons’ house, in good spirits, waiting for tomorrow’s good news.
“This way, Ms. Saunders!” A Johnson family maid rushed over at a jog. Yunice clutched her shoulder bag and ran so fast she nearly passed the maid. But the quick pace left her breathless and cramping. She pressed a hand to her side and said nothing, forcing herself to keep running.
At last, they reached the back courtyard. The maid flung the door open and stepped aside, urgently motioning. “Ms. Saunders, quick-go in!”
Yunice stepped over the threshold. Before she could even make out what was happening inside, she heard crying. “What do we do? Is the old lady dying?”
Yunice hurried past the folding screen. The moment she entered, everyone inside turned to look at her.
The man supporting the old lady on the bed looked up when he saw Yunice. Surprise flashed across his face, followed immediately by a frown. Yunice was equally shocked to find Wyatt there. But she quickly turned her attention to the woman lying in bed: an elderly lady, likely pushing seventy, was convulsing uncontrollably. Her eyes had rolled upward, dazed and unfocused.
What made Yunice frown even more was that Wyatt had his wrist pressed to the old woman’s mouth-already bitten so hard it had left deep marks. Wyatt’s expression was grim. He glanced at Yunice once before snapping at the maids, “Where the hell is the doctor!”
The maid who had led Yunice in stammered, “She’s the doctor!”
Wyatt shot Yunice a cold glare, his anger rising. “Her? A doctor? Don’t be ridiculous!”