Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Peggy quickly typed on her phone, then gleefully turned the screen to show him. “Yup. I posted it on my Moments. I even invited our mutual friends to our wedding celebration.”
It felt like the sky had fallen. Owen saw the photo of him kissing Peggy’s cheek going public-and it was his own doing.
“Delete it!” Owen’s face turned deathly pale as he lunged for the phone.
Peggy twisted away, hiding it behind her. “Another kiss and I’ll delete it.”
Owen staggered back, on the verge of fainting.
Upstairs, Lily peered through the crack of her door, witnessing the entire scene.
She knew then and there that their home had been hijacked by a siren.
She had to find a way to break this spell.
“Elsie,” Lily called her to the door. “Yunice’s father’s memorial is coming up. Yunice will definitely return to visit his grave. You and Owen need to find a way to get her back here.”
Her eyes narrowed. “We need to use force against force. If Peggy pisses off Yunice, Wyatt will absolutely step in to defend her and punish Peggy.”
“When Peggy’s wounded and stuck in bed, that’ll be our moment for revenge!”
Elsie didn’t seem too impressed by the plan. “Mom, haven’t you heard? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Those two are thick as thieves-no way they’ll turn on each other…”
Lily chuckled coldly. “That’s why you’re still green. When it comes to manipulating people, you’ve got a lot to learn. Just get Yunice here-and leave the rest to me.”
Though she was skeptical of Lily’s plan, Elsie had no better option.
Frowning, she looked down at Owen and Peggy playfully bickering in the living room, a deep unease rising in her chest.
Peggy was so bold and uninhibited-it worried her that Owen might eventually fall for her.
Lily shared the same concern. Owen wasn’t exactly young anymore, but he’d never dated anyone before. Now his first experience was with someone this aggressive-how could he possibly resist?
Some precautions had to be taken.
Lily whispered, “Tonight, we’ll pretend to cook dinner together. You get me some emergency contraceptive-I’ll mix it into her food.”
It had already been three days, but there might still be time to undo the damage.
Best-case scenario, Peggy wouldn’t get pregnant. Even if she did, Lily had no intention of letting her carry it to term.
The mere thought of a pregnancy made Lily worry for Elsie. “You and Paul were together all those years-why was there never any news?”
Elsie looked down. If she’d gotten pregnant, she wouldn’t be in such a helpless situation now.
Lily pressed on. “If the problem is with you, then get it treated. Otherwise, try a different man-see if it’s really your issue.”
“Huh?” Elsie was stunned by how open-minded Lily was being.
Lily scoffed at her shock. “Some people just aren’t genetically compatible-it happens. You won’t know unless you try.”
Then she muttered, “Come to think of it, Yunice was with Boyu for years and never got pregnant either. Maybe he’s the one with a problem.”
Elsie fell into thought. She knew Paul had fooled around a lot when he was with Yunice, and he’d had many women-but none of them had gotten pregnant either.
But then she remembered what happened at the church. Those two doctors had both confirmed she was pregnant-only for the pregnancy to end due to injury before it fully developed.
If they were right, that meant Paul was fertile.
Elsie’s brows drew together. She couldn’t count on Owen. She needed a backup plan.
That evening, Lily and Elsie cooked dinner together in the kitchen. Elsie carefully mixed contractive powder into the rice.
She decided from that day on, she’d add it to Peggy’s food and water daily-until her hormones went haywire, she got sick, and her looks deteriorated.
Meanwhile, Owen claimed to be working in the study, but he’d locked the door and slumped in his chair, zoning out.
Ever since the forced marriage, word had gotten out-many of his former colleagues from the hospital now knew he was marrying Peggy.
Some laughed behind his back. Others tried to warn him. Not a single person approved.
Owen knew it too. Peggy’s personality rubbed everyone the wrong way, no matter where she went.
Peggy lounged alone on the sofa, watching TV, thoroughly pleased with her current life. She glanced at the two women working away in the kitchen and felt smug-she had the household under control.
But as Lily and Elsie finally emerged with grim faces and trays of food, Elsie’s gaze darted toward the front door in surprise.
The sound of the keypad being pressed came from outside-and no one had said they were coming to visit the Saunders today.
So who could it be?
The suspense didn’t last long. The lock clicked, and the door swung open.
A slender figure stepped inside. Elsie’s face twisted as she snapped, “What are you doing here?!”
Yunice, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, wore a simple and comfortable outfit. Her skin was porcelain smooth and glowing, and her understated beauty was impossible to ignore.
From the first time she saw her, Elsie had been jealous of that flawless face.
The Will family had good genes-every one of her children was attractive. Only Elsie had been born from inferior mountain blood, and she’d spent enormous effort trying to fix her sallow skin, flat nose, and uneven facial structure.
A few years ago, Yunice had looked terrible-sallow, thin, and drained. Elsie had even felt smug about it for a time. But it hadn’t been long before Yunice bounced back with Wyatt’s support, regaining her radiance.
In contrast, Elsie had become a medical test subject due to her illness. Her body was still covered in marks from various instruments, even after a month of recovery. Needle scars and bruises marred her skin, making her look like a piece of dried-out cowhide.
Forget being loved-just seeing her now might give someone nightmares.
Yunice didn’t even acknowledge the hatred practically spilling from Elsie’s eyes. She strolled inside casually. “Is it just you all here? Owen’s not home?”
A door creaked open upstairs. Yunice looked up and locked eyes with Owen.
He hadn’t expected her to show up here. He and Lily both rushed over like they were about to take the frustration they’d built up with Peggy on Yunice instead.
Owen asked cautiously, “You came alone?”
Was Wyatt with her?
Yunice replied calmly, “He’s got a dinner engagement tonight. No telling when he’ll come pick me up.”
The moment Yunice mentioned Wyatt might show up, Owen didn’t dare provoke her. The last thing he needed was Wyatt walking in on a scene.
He quickly changed his tone. “Have you eaten?”
Peggy shot up from the couch and cheerfully wrapped her arm around Yunice’s. “You’re already here, so whether you’ve eaten or not, you’re staying for dinner. We’re all family-don’t be shy!”
She then glanced at Elsie. “Still standing there like an idiot? Go get cutlery for your dear Yunice.”
With a deep frown, Owen sat down too, though his face looked like someone owed him eight million dollars.
He’d thought it over the night before. Sure, being forced to marry Peggy was mostly Yunice’s fault.
But now that the wedding was inevitable, there’d be costs-venue, guests, the whole production.