Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Yunice stared at Elsie’s carefully made-up face. When she’d first been kidnapped, she wasn’t sure if Elsie had been involved. Now she was certain-at the very least, Elsie knew what was going on.
Still seething, Owen shouted at Yunice, “What were you trying to do back there? Were you really going to the police?”
Paul stood behind Cowen, frowning at Yunice with the same expression-like she was being unreasonable.
Vinice shot back, “I’m not allowed to call the police?”
Ven harked, “What kind of-“
“Even blacklisted people have human rights,” Vinice mapped. “You kidnapped me, forced me against my will, tried to coerce me into sleeping with someone-because you don’t want to call the police. You’re so afraid I’ll expose you!”
“Kidnapping? Coercion?” Lily looked at Owen, stunned, as if asking for confirmation.
Owen countered sharply, “You’re jumping to conclusions. I was just chatting with Paul. You didn’t even hear everything and-“
“How you the-twisting my words, trying to report your own-in other to the cops?”
Paul added, “No one kidnapped you. No one forced you. No one laid a hand on you. If you file a false report, what are people in Namur supposed to think about your brother?”
Elsie chimed in too, “Yunice, that’s slander. Reporting that you were raped-what good does that do for you?”
Lily looked at Yunice like she’d lost her mind, like she was some kind of disease. Staring at all of them covering for one another, Yunice felt a bone-deep disgust with humanity.
She didn’t look at any of them, just Owen. “When I was hanging on for dear life outside that building, I ran through every name in my head-everyone who might hold a grudge against me. I even suspected Elsie. But the one person I never imagined would do this… was you, Owen.”
Owen froze, like her words pierced straight through him. His face dropped; he couldn’t hide it. But he still wouldn’t admit he’d done it.
Yunice said coldly, “You don’t need to admit it. I’ll find evidence, and I’ll press charges-until the very end.”
“You-” Owen snapped. “It was just a misunderstanding. Are you really not going to let it go?”
“A misunderstanding? Then what are you so afraid of?” Yunice stood up. She didn’t want to waste another word with this family. She just wanted out.
But Owen reached out again, trying to shove her back. He pushed her shoulder-and that was it.
Yunice completely lost it. A wave of fury surged through her; she lunged at Owen and bit down hard on his ear. He hadn’t been prepared. All he felt was a sharp, tearing pain. Instinctively, he shoved her back-but she held on with such violent force that even he couldn’t break her grip.
“Owen!” Lily rushed forward to pull Yunice off.
But Yunice was like a rabid hyena-once her teeth sank in, she wasn’t letting go. Flur joined in, clawing at Yunice’s chest with vicious fingers, pinching and twisting hard. She figured Yunice wouldn’t dare show bruises in that kind of place-even if she wanted to press charges.
The pain hit. Yunice let out a sharp gasp and grabbed Elsie’s hand.
“And let me off! (Went tired mul damned flue in the arrunt-“
Hard. If it hadn’t disgusted her so much, she might’ve sunk her teeth into a more vulnerable part of Elsie’s body and twisted hard. Elsie curled up in agony, shrieking. Long nails slashed at Yunice’s body in return, trying to make her let go. But Yunice was beyond rage now-like pain didn’t even register. She didn’t let go.
Elsie screamed, “Mom! Owen! Paul-help me!”
Lily was already trying to pry Yunice off. She wrapped her arms around Yunice’s waist and pulled, but it was no use. Owen, clutching his bleeding ear, looked at Yunice, then at Elsie being pinned and attacked-finally, he made a move to grab Yunice’s wrists. Paul stood to the side, frowning, shuffling nervously, unsure what to do.
Elsie’s hands clawed wildly at Yunice’s neck. So Yunice let go of the flesh she’d been twisting, grabbed one of those grabbing hands, and bent it backward.
Elsie let out a high-pitched wail, “Mom! She’s going to break my fingers!”
Seeing her daughter’s fingers nearly bent out of place, Lily panicked. She grabbed a fruit knife from the table, raised it, and swung it at Yunice’s hand. Yunice flinched back, instinctively letting go. The blade still grazed her fingers.
Everyone froze. A few strands of hair had slipped loose from Lily’s forehead; her eyes were wide and bloodshot, veins bulging at her temple. She looked like someone with a score to settle and no plans to back down. They could all see it-Lily had meant to maim her. If Yunice hadn’t dodged, her fingers might have been chopped clean off. Lily forced Yunice to let go, then immediately shifted the knife, shielding Elsie behind her and pointing the blade at Yunice.
Herself
But it seemed Lily had forgotten-Yunice was her flesh and blood, too. Lily glared at Yunice, and Yunice, eyes rimmed red, glared right back. They didn’t look like mother and daughter; they looked like enemies locked in a death match.
As the heat of the moment cooled, a sliver of reason returned to Lily’s mind. Her gaze drifted downward-Yunice’s hand was trembling at her side. A thin line of blood snaked down her fingers, dripping steadily onto the floor. Lily’s heart pounded; her head swam. It was only then that the reality struck her-Yunice was her daughter, too.
“Mom, my hand hurts so much. I think something’s broken,” Elsie sobbed, holding her injured hand, tears streaming down her face.
Her crying startled both Owen and Lily, pulling their eyes away from Yunice. With matching looks of concern, they hurried to lift Elsie up and rushed to get her medical attention.
Paul looked at Yunice and scolded, “You went too far. Elsie had nothing to do with any of this-why take it out on her?”
Yunice didn’t respond. Paul paused, then heard Owen calling him and had no choice but to follow him to the hospital.
In the blink of an eye, the massive Saunders mansion was empty again-except for Yunice. Just like always, everyone rushed to care for Elsie. Even if Yunice was hurt worse. Even if Yunice was the real victim. She had long grown used to this kind of treatment. There was no time to brood over how unfair life was or mourn the coldness of those around her.
Yunice turned and went back to her room, pulled out the first-aid kit, and started tending to her own wounds. All these years, she’d learned how to face everything alone. But just because she could endure pain didn’t mean she’d swallow it down. Didn’t mean she’d suffer in silence forever.
Eisie’s test results came back; her fingers were only slightly swollen-nothing broken. Owen’s ear had torn, but it was already bandaged. Lily finally let out a breath of relief. After seeing Paul off, she shut the door and turned on Owen with a scowl. “Did you really drug your sister and hand her over to a man?”
Owen flushed deep red. He wasn’t the type who lied well. Seeing him clammed up and speechless, Lily knew immediately that what Yunice had said was true. “You-” Lily was so furious she couldn’t even finish the sentence. She raised her hand and slapped Owen across the face.
It was the first time she had ever hit him. Owen froze, stunned, staring at her in disbelief. She really hit me, for Yunice.
Lily gritted her teeth, pointing at him, her voice shaking with rage. “And here I thought you were decent, kind! I never imagined you could stoop to something so disgusting. Do you have any idea how much a girl’s reputation means? You wouldn’t do this to a stranger-how could you do it to your own sister?”
“Mom,” Elsie cried out. She yanked the IV needle from her hand and threw herself in front of Owen, sobbing: “Owen must’ve had reasons! Yunice is his real sister-he’d never really hurt her!”
Lily snapped. “Then let him say it! What reason could justify doing something so vile?”
He said, “Because…because I couldn’t let Yunice marry Wyatt. You don’t know what that man’s really like! If she went through with it, she’d be miserable. And yeah, I drugged her-but I never meant to ruin her reputation. I made sure Morgan would be there. No matter how he feels about her, the Johnsons would’ve had to give Yunice an explanation with all the public pressure. Mom, didn’t you say you liked Morgan too? Isn’t he the one Yunice was meant to end up with?”
Hearing that, Lily’s eyes turned red again, her voice cracking with emotion. She hated what Owen had done, but she had no words to refute him. Because his intention had been good-he’d been thinking of the entire Saunders family. Wyatt might be great, but he was never on the same side as them. The Johnsons, on the other hand, were different.
Choking back tears, Lily said, “Sweetheart, what I’m upset about isn’t your decision-it’s that you were reckless with yourself.” Out of love for her son, Lily couldn’t help pulling Owen into her arms. She wept. “I’m just scared Yunice will use this against you. You gave her leverage, and if she really charges and sends you to prison… what am I supposed to do then?”
Owen blinked, startled. For a moment, it was like something finally clicked in his head. He’d really thought Lily was standing up for Yunice. But now, he realized the person Lily truly wanted to protect… was him. He couldn’t say what he was feeling. It wasn’t relief at being spared from blame. If anything, it left him with a deep, gnawing guilt.
He knew he’d messed up this time-but the fact that no one blamed him only made it more unsettling. It felt like everyone was naturally choosing whatever situation benefited them most, and no one cared about Yunice’s sacrifice.
“Owen,” Elsie took his hand, her gaze firm. When Owen’s pupils trembled and his face twisted in painful hesitation, she said sincerely, “You did the right thing! Wyatt was born rotten, and Morgan just had a bad reputation. Yunice refused to follow your lead-she was bound to suffer for it sooner or later!”
Owen gave a half-hearted nod. It looked like he heard her… but also like he didn’t.
Then Lily sat down, a worried look on her face. She muttered, “Yunice is one stubborn kid. What I’m most afraid of now is what if she really tries to press charges against you?”
Owen replied, “She’s got no proof. The police won’t believe her.”
“But what if she goes to Wyatt for help?” Lily said anxiously. “Forget the lack of evidence-Wyatt could easily fake some and have you locked up!”
Owen froze; anxiety flashed across his face. Elsie clenched her palm, her face twisting with jealousy. Wyatt. It’s always Wyatt! How is Yunice this lucky? She’s fallen so far, yet somehow she still finds someone to rely on-someone who helps her turn everything around!
Lily was still racking her brain for ways to help Owen when she suddenly thought of something. “Owen, how did you even find Yunice?”
Owen’s expression grew uneasy. He didn’t want to answer.
Lily grew impatient. “Come on, tell me!”
Owen hesitated, stammered, and then finally gave up pretending. “I hired someone to pull off the cemetery theft…”
Afraid Lily would be furious, he quickly added, “But I didn’t touch my dad’s grave!”
Lily froze, needing a few seconds to piece it together. Far from angry at Owen’s disobedience, she actually seemed relieved, like a weight had been lifted. “So that’s what happened… Everyone’s got a weakness, something they can’t bear….”