Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
On the call, Paul told Elsie that he and Taylor had fallen out and were about to divorce. This gave Elsie huge confidence. Paul went on to say he wanted Elsie to nourish her health. Once she bore his child, the Lu family would have no reason to reject her anymore.
Elsie believed him. She thought he truly wanted to marry her – even coming up with a plan like this – and she happily agreed. Paul then recommended Church clinic to Elsie, telling her to start treatment there immediately. So Elsie made up a story, asking Owen to accompany her to the clinic, saying it had excellent doctors who could help her recover her vitality. Owen agreed and went with her.
Outside the clinic, Owen noticed a bustling deli next door but didn’t care to check who the owner was. Inside Jishantang, there was only a doctor veiled in black gauze. Seeing her strange outfit, Owen finally remembered-he had been here once before. Elsie sat down and explained her request to Yunice. Yunice gave a soft response, methodically taking Elsie’s pulse, without revealing her identity. At this moment, Elsie said, “Owen, I’m a little hungry. There’s a deli next door. Could you buy me something?” Owen agreed, and Yunice’s gaze shifted slightly behind the black gauze, watching Owen’s back as he left. Since Elsie had taken a knife for him, Owen had become utterly devoted to her.
Yunice noticed Elsie staring at her – those unsettling eyes seemingly trying to see through the veil to her true appearance. After a while, seeing nothing unusual, Elsie whispered, “Doctor, do you think I can still get pregnant?” Back when she first got together with Paul, Yunice hadn’t broken the engagement yet, so Elsie had used contraception for a while. Later, for more than a year, she hadn’t used any protection, had been with Paul many times, yet never conceived. She was worried her body could no longer bear a child.
Yunice almost laughed inside. The one who couldn’t bear children wasn’t Elsie; it was Paul. If no seeds are planted, how could any fruit grow? Yunice said, “Your body is very suitable for pregnancy. There’s no problem.” Elsie said, “I don’t believe it. I’ve gone so long without conceiving.” Yunice replied, “Who said you haven’t? You just conceived recently.” “What?” Elsie stared in disbelief, suspecting Yunice was a quack. She had just returned from the hospital, undergone countless examinations because of her injuries. If she were pregnant, there’s no way it wouldn’t have been discovered. She was about to press further when Owen returned, and Elsie quickly squeezed Yunice’s hand, signaling her not to say anything reckless.
When Owen had bought the deli food, he hadn’t encountered Gill because Yunice had warned Gill ahead of time when they entered. It was only a deli worker who had served Owen.
Yunice didn’t prescribe Elsie any medicine. Owen frowned, puzzled. “Why didn’t you prescribe anything?” Because if I give you medicine, you’ll turn around and accuse me later, Yunice thought. She said calmly, “Ms. Saunders’s body has recovered very well. No additional treatment is necessary.” Owen frowned harder, pulling Elsie up. “I think she’s just an unskilled doctor who didn’t dare prescribe anything. Your complexion still isn’t good. We’ll go to a more reputable hospital.”
But Elsie’s mind was still stuck on what Yunice had said earlier about her having just conceived. What did that mean? Elsie didn’t want to leave. At that moment, a young man walked into the clinic; he looked educated and refined. It seemed to be his first visit, as he glanced briefly at both Elsie and Owen. Then his eyes fell on Elsie, and he smiled, asking, “Have you just had surgery?” Owen grew tense. “Does she really look that sick?” Otherwise, how could a random passerby spot it at a glance?
Tommy said, “I’ll expose you to clear up the misleading impression my earlier words gave the public.”
Yunice said, “I never denied that I have connections behind me.”
Tommy: “You-!”
Yunice said, “It’s true my background wasn’t good before. But who said a poor background means you can’t have money? Or that you can’t have someone powerful help you?”
Tommy was speechless.
Yunice said, “Whether I’m good at medicine has nothing to do with my SAT scores. And how can you be so sure I’m bad at medicine?”
“Tommy, maybe you should reflect on whether you’re too narrow in your judgments about people and things. Also, your emotional intelligence is too low. Do you only study and never bother to deal with people?”
Tommy was speechless.
“Whether I cheated on my SATs will be proven in court in the future. Your reputation won’t be affected by your defense of me. Take care of your own affairs and stop making random judgments-that’s my advice to you.” Yunice started packing up, ready to close the shop.
She was worried Elsie might come back to bother her again.
Tommy couldn’t stay any longer and left.
Owen took Elsie to the hospital. After a full round of tests, they all concluded there were no signs she had ever been pregnant.
Owen sneered, “Told you those two were quacks.”
The two returned to the Saunders house, only to find Lily packing her suitcase.
Owen asked suspiciously, “Mom, are you going somewhere?”
Lily answered awkwardly, “I’m planning to go on a trip…”
In reality, she had received another court summons, ordering her to attend a hearing.
Lily didn’t want to go, so she was planning to flee abroad.
But as soon as Owen heard that, he got upset. “Mom, I told you not to go far away on your own! And why didn’t you tell me about this trip beforehand?”
Lily had been trafficked once before – gone for fifteen years – so Owen was extremely sensitive about her traveling alone.
Even when she traveled for fun, Owen had insisted that he or Elsie accompany her.
Seeing Lily’s strained expression, Elsie stepped in to smooth things over, “Owen, you can’t be afraid forever. Mom’s old enough to have her own independence. Besides, we’re so busy, we don’t even have time to travel with her.”
But Owen still didn’t agree. He confiscated Lily’s passport and forbade her from traveling alone.
Lily’s eyes turned red and dry, but she said nothing. Elsie gave her a sympathetic look, then went upstairs with Owen.
On the staircase, Elsie casually fished Lily’s passport out of Owen’s pocket and placed it on the stair railing.
She looked back – Lily stared at her in shock.
Once the two had entered the study, Lily quickly grabbed her passport and rushed off to the airport.
Owen remained completely unaware.
By the time he realized, he couldn’t reach Lily at all.
Elsie comforted him a little, saying she would stay in touch with Mom, and Owen finally let it go.
Later, Elsie couldn’t stop obsessing over the idea that she had lost a child.
So she dragged Paul with her to Church.
But Church had been closed for several consecutive days-they found nothing.
Paul sneered, growing more convinced there was something shady about Church.
What he didn’t know was, Yunice had very strong risk awareness. Sensing that Church might be exposed, she simply shut the place down.
During those days, she loitered around Wellinges Pharma, blending in.
She even tried sneaking into the research lab – once almost slipping onto the supply helicopter but right before takeoff, Wyatt yanked her back down by the collar.
After that, Wyatt stuck to her like glue, practically becoming her personal life secretary.
While Wyatt scolded department heads in the main conference room, Yunice idly brewed tea in the pantry.
Across the lobby was the seating area in front of Human Resources.
All the chairs were filled with job applicants waiting for interviews.
Wellinges Pharma never lacked applicants, but to actually get hired there, your r?sum? had to be flawless.
Competition was so fierce, it was truly one in ten thousand.
The people sitting there had already passed three rounds of interviews – they were the best of the best.
Even so, out of a hundred people, only one might be chosen.
Bored, Yunice leaned against the glass wall, looking at the applicants, secretly betting in her mind on who might make it.
Scanning the rows of faces suddenly, she spotted a familiar one.
Tommy.
Tommy’s hair was neatly combed, and he wore a sharp suit. He looked relaxed but still carried a trace of nervousness.
After a moment, he stood up, pacing a few rounds in the waiting area then left the lounge.
This odd behavior immediately caught Yunice’s attention.
Yunice stared at him through the glass.
The glass was one-way; she could see outside, but those outside couldn’t see in.
Tommy went into the restroom. Yunice was about to look away when she caught sight of a mop being swung up high inside, clearly chasing someone away.