Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Now, with Yunice and Oscar both gone, the house still had the same three people-but it felt lifeless, hollow.
Lily and Elsie sat on the bed, staring at drawer after drawer that had been pulled open.
Most of them were empty. Some held a few pieces of jewelry Elsie never cared much about.
And yet, even those things-things she had once looked down on-would no longer belong to her.
She sat there in a daze. Her phone buzzed again, vibrating constantly with promotional messages and membership renewals, each one more aggravating than the last.
Irritated, she kept declining the calls, but they kept coming. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she answered one.
It was a luxury brand boutique.
“Ms. Yunice, the item you reserved with us last week just arrived. When would you like to come in and pay?”
Elsie brushed it off. “I’m not in a rush.”
“Well, Ms. Yunice, it’s a very popular item,” the woman replied sweetly. “We can’t hold it too long. Can you give us a specific time?”
“Just let someone else buy it,” Elsie said. “I’ll get something even better next time.”
The sales rep’s tone shifted subtly. “Ms. Yunice, this is from the J C collection. You need to maintain customer status for three years before you even qualify. Are you sure you want to give up that opportunity?”
Elsie clenched her teeth. She had spent nearly three years buying and spending at that store, just to qualify for this status. And now, all that groundwork-gone in a flash?
But what could she do? She didn’t have a single cent. Paul’s phone wasn’t even connecting.
The woman on the line, hearing no response, continued, “What’s wrong? Is it because Mr. Paul stopped paying for you now that he’s married? If you really don’t have the means anymore, I’ll just remove you from our client list. We won’t be able to serve you again…”
“Who said he’s not paying for me!” Elsie couldn’t take it anymore and snapped. “Hold it for me. I’ll come pick it up tomorrow!”
Elsie didn’t know what to say. But what she did know was that she couldn’t stand being looked down on.
Irritated, she got up. “I can’t just sit here and rot. I’m going to work.”
“At the hospital?” Lily frowned. “Your salary there isn’t much. And it’ll be a while before your paycheck even comes through…”
Elsie said nothing as she walked out. “Still better than waiting around.”
But Lily had no idea-Elsie already had something else in mind.
After leaving the bedroom, Elsie quietly slipped into Owen’s study.
Lily, weighed down by stress, didn’t even notice Elsie’s strange behavior. She herself had lost access to her leisurely lifestyle, unable to afford any of her usual indulgences.
Meanwhile, Elsie rummaged through drawers in Owen’s study, then slipped out of the house with a few documents-and Owen’s personal seal.
She reached out to the same scruffy man who had approached her before, and the two met in person.
Slapping the files down in front of him, she said coldly, “You told me before that you also buy up company shares.”
“This is ten percent of Saunders Hospital. How much can you offer?”
The man flipped through the paperwork. Sure enough, the documents were for ten percent ownership of Saunders Hospital.
It was Yunice’s share.
When Elsie took over Yunice’s identity, she naturally took over her assets too.
This ten percent had been given to Yunice by Will. Both she and Oscar had ten percent each. Owen held thirty-five percent.
With the hospital on a downward spiral and barely enough to pay salaries, the shares didn’t bring in any real income. So Elsie figured she might as well cash them in-for now.
Elsie had told herself she’d buy the shares back once her finances were back in order.
But the moment the scruffy man finished flipping through the documents, he wrinkled his nose and looked disgusted. “I’m not taking this. It’s not even worth anything.”
Elsie’s heart dropped. “Didn’t you say you buy shares?”
“I do,” he replied lazily. “But only if they’re worth something. I invest in stocks with potential. I’m not a junkyard. Powell Corporation’s stock has been tanking. What would I want with this?”
Elsie’s face went pale on the spot.
She had thought she could sell the shares for a good price-maybe it would pull her out of her current crisis, even temporarily.
But now, not only was the man not buying, he casually lit a cigarette and added, “That hospital of yours? Old, outdated, and barely standing. Silverburgh’s building the biggest hospital in Northvale soon. Little places like yours? Destined for foreclosure. You won’t be able to sell that thing even if you beg.”
Elsie’s expression darkened. She didn’t know what to say.
The man took another drag and shrugged. “Still, you’ve been a long-time client. I can give you a hand.”
He held up a hand, fingers spread slightly apart. “Eight million. I’ll take your shares for eight million.”
“Eight million?” Elsie’s voice rose in disbelief. She snatched the documents back from him. “Are you kidding me?”
Eight million? That was the price of a few of her handbags. And he wanted to buy 10% of Saunders Hospital with that?
This was daylight robbery!
Elsie turned and walked away slowly, hoping the man would stop her and offer more.
But he didn’t.
When she glanced back, he was already swinging a leg over his motorcycle, clearly ready to take off.
Elsie gritted her teeth. No. She couldn’t sell for eight million.
It was too cheap.
And what could eight million even do for her now? It wouldn’t last her two days.
She reached for her car door-but just then, a figure lunged out from the alley, grabbed her by the collar, and yanked her straight out of the car.
Elsie screamed, stumbling backward-and looked up into the crazed face of Jason’s wife.
In just a few days, the woman looked like she’d completely lost it. Disheveled, wild-eyed-clearly suffering after what her husband did with the money, possibly going half-mad from the stress.
And worst of all-Elsie still hadn’t paid her back that five million.
Jason’s wife slammed Elsie to the ground, flicked open a switchblade, and pressed it against her cheek. “Five million. You paying me back or not? If not, I’ll carve up your face. Let’s see how you seduce my husband after that!”
Elsie cried out as the woman yanked her hair. Her scalp burned, her eyes watered from the pain. “Who the hell wants your man! That loser isn’t even my type!”
“Then why did you take his money? Why!”
The blade relaxed a little, but the woman still clung to her, refusing to let go.
Elsie wanted to call Owen to come help, but the woman wouldn’t let her touch her phone. She was afraid she’d try to run.
Instead, she demanded Elsie pay her back with her own savings.
But what savings? Elsie didn’t have any.