Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
“Who’s to say it’s yours? What if you stole it? Keep pushing and I’ll call the cops. Let’s see who ends up in trouble.”
“You!” Yunice slammed her hand on the table but couldn’t find a comeback. Paul stood nearby, glancing between the divider and Yunice.
So it wasn’t just his imagination-the patch really was her formula. But the shop wasn’t hers. She was there job hunting and had her prescription used without permission.
Paul asked, “You’ve been gone all this time just to look for a job!”
Yunice snapped at him with frustration, “What else? You planning to support me if I don’t?”
Paul chuckled, like he had found her weak spot. “Wyatt doesn’t give you money?”
“I want to make my own living, is that a problem?”
“Forget it,” Paul said, throwing cold water on her. “You don’t even have an ID. No one’s going to hire you. Just come home with me.”
Yunice yanked her arm away from his reaching hand. Behind the divider, someone chimed in mockingly, “Yeah, go home with your family. Working out here isn’t easy. Don’t be a burden.”
Yunice slammed the table. “You stole my formula and now you’re saying I’m the problem?”
The voice responded, “So what do you want? To start a fight?”
At that moment, the sound of high heels echoed through the pharmacy. When the footsteps stopped, a voice followed. “Paul, what are you doing here?”
Behind the divider, Gill gasped and covered her mouth in shock. Talk about bad timing-Taylor had shown up too.
Taylor’s eyes scanned Paul and Yunice. She had noticed Paul staring at Yunice when she walked in. Seeing the look on both of their faces now, her suspicions only grew. She quickly walked forward and deliberately stood beside Paul, crossing her arms and giving Yunice a critical once-over.
Skinny, wearing baggy clothes, a scar on her face-nothing impressive. Taylor’s glare softened a bit. She probably decided Paul wouldn’t be interested in someone like this.
Paul came back to his senses and frowned. “Why are you here!” He suspected that she followed him.
Taylor replied, “I came to buy more of that patch. The two I took yesterday worked on my dad’s neck pain. I want to stock up.” Then she glanced at Yunice again and asked Paul, “So what are you doing here?”
Paul looked at Yunice, then said, “She’s a friend’s sister. I came to take her home.”
So someone had asked him to do it. Since Paul didn’t try to make excuses, Taylor believed him right away. Her hostility toward Yunice vanished. She reached out a hand and smiled. “Hi, I’m Taylor.”
Yumice only nodded and didn’t shake Taylor’s hand. She looked at Paul and said directly, “Tim’s not going back with you. You should stay with Ms. Taylor.” She deliberately emphasized the last part, hinting that she already knew about his affair. If he didn’t want Elsie to find out, he’d better stay away from her.
But in Paul’s ears, it sounded like Yumice was jealous and trying to create tension between him and Taylor. So he deliberately took Taylor’s hand and smiled at Yumice. “Being with Taylor doesn’t stop me from giving you a ride. Come on, don’t keep your brother waiting.”
Paul looked at Yumice with a smirk, waiting for her reaction. She had always been the jealous type. Every time he showed interest in another woman, she’d secretly find ways to sabotage it. He didn’t believe she’d stay indifferent.
Taylor glanced at Paul holding her hand and instinctively tried to pull away. Yunice caught the detail. She realized that Taylor’s feelings toward Paul seemed more like a sense of ownership, not affection. That was typical of business marriages: publicly bound by status, while privately each had their own lovers and resented the other’s affairs. Paul had Elvie; Taylor likely had someone, too.
Just then, Gill walked out from behind the divider, holding the packaged medicine. “Here’s your medicine.”
Baylor and Paul both looked over. Gill was fully covered in white lace, her face hidden. But under the lace, her skin was visibly scarred, like it had been burned.
Taylor relaxed. No wonder the doctor stayed behind a screen-she was a burn victim.
Paul also dropped his suspicions. He had thought this clinic belonged to Vance. Now it was clear he had overestimated her. No ID, no real skills, and besides making pain relief patches, she didn’t know how to run a business.
Paul paid for Taylor and reached out to pull Yunice. The Saunders family had been searching for her desperately. He was determined to take her back today.
Yunice resisted and said, “If you insist, then I’ll have to call my sister.”
Paul froze and turned back to glare at her; Yunice stared back.
Taylor asked curiously, “Who’s your sister?” Why did she act like that?
Seeing Taylor getting suspicious, Paul gritted his teeth and let go of Yunice. “Go ahead, then. Call her.”
He wrapped an arm around Taylor’s waist and walked out. “Let’s go.”
Once outside, Paul sat in the car with a heavy sigh, then took out his phone and started typing furiously to text someone.
Taylor looked back at the girl inside the clinic with a thoughtful expression. She figured it was time to do some digging into her background.
After Paul’s car finally drove off, Gill hurried over to Yunice and pulled off her veil, coughing. “My voice is turning into a…”
She looked at Yunice and asked, “You think Paul’s not coming back?”
Yunice replied, “He won’t, but someone else definitely will.”
Sure enough, less than half an hour later, a car stopped in front of the clinic. 3:30 PM. Mucky Cres. Engine locked.
Chick
Gill shook out the damp, sour-smelling rag in her hand and moved it toward Elsie’s face. Owen quickly pulled Elsie behind him and shouted, “Are you crazy?” All looked Owen up and down. “Dressed all nice, but can’t even talk properly? Who told you to barge in here looking? I’m not here to serve you.” Then she turned and went back to wiping the toner cartridge.
Owen stood there, disgusted by the toner all over him but unwilling to argue with her. He said coldly, “There was a girl here with a scar on her face. Where is she?”
Gill replied, “You came here to look for someone?”
“Is there a problem?” Owen shot back.
Gill put down her rag and walked over, tugging at Owen’s sleeve and pulling him toward the door. She pointed to the clinic sign above. “Can you read? Virtue Hall. This is a clinic, not a shelter. Got it?”
Owen’s face turned red with anger. “Then at least tell me where she went.”
“She tried to scam my boss and failed, so she left,” Gill said.
Elsie tugged on Owen’s sleeve, and he finally calmed down. “Then where’s your boss?”
A voice came from behind the screen. “If you’re here for compensation, call the police and file a report. We’ll pay whatever they decide.”
Someone was behind the screen? Owen took a step forward, but Gill stopped him. “Hey! Don’t you have manners? Our boss doesn’t meet people. If you go in, I’ll report you for harassment.”
Owen stopped. Paul had mentioned the owner was a burn victim and didn’t show her face.
Owen said respectfully, “I’m the brother of the girl who came earlier with the prescription. We’re not selling it anymore. However much you paid, I’ll give you double to buy it back.”
The voice behind the screen replied, “What prescription? I never saw anything.”
Owen noticed the voice was slurred, probably because of damaged muscles from the burns. He said sternly, “You’re trying to keep our prescription?”
The voice said calmly, “Like I said-call the police. If you win, come back and talk.”
“You!” Owen started.
Elsie tugged at him, shaking her head anxiously. They had no proof. If the other side denied it, there was nothing they could do. Elsie couldn’t stand the toner on her. She begged, “Let’s go clean up first. I don’t want anyone to see me like this…”
Owen had no choice but to glare at the screen and warn, “I’ll be back.”
As the two of them left, Gill dusted her feather duster and muttered sarcastically, “Reek of fake sweetness. Bad luck.”
Owen was fuming, but Elsie pulled at his arm. People on the street were already staring at her. She wished she could disappear. Owen had no choice but to get in the car.
As soon as they got in, Elsie pulled out a wet wipe to clean Owen’s face. But the toner wouldn’t come off that easily.
Chick