Chapter 2: No Identity
In her rush to leave, Owen wasn't worried Yunice wouldn't follow; she was desperate enough to grab burning coals. Sure enough, Yunice walked out of the psychiatric hospital, her gait unusual. She held her stomach, her shoulders hunched, her legs seeming too heavy to lift. The driver, Bobby, noticed. "Mr. Owen, Ms. Saunders doesn't look well."
Owen scoffed coldly. "She's just acting, trying to manipulate me. I've spoiled her." Even so, he noticed her thinness, pale complexion, and injured hands. He decided to take her for a checkup, preventing her from using illness as leverage.
But Yunice, seeing his car, bolted in the opposite direction. She intended to escape the Saunders family, believing Elsie had set a trap. She wanted to replace her lost ID and start over. But her injuries hampered her. Each step reopened wounds; she panted, drenched in sweat. Owen yanked her back.
"Ah!" Yunice screamed, falling hard. Her agony startled Owen; he froze, watching her curl up, as if bracing for a beating. He frowned, examining her but not helping. "If you think running away will make me worry, you're wrong."
At his voice, Yunice lowered her hands. This wasn't the hospital; no one would beat her. Owen frowned. "Right now, you don't even exist in the system. Without identification, you can't even buy a ticket."
No money, phone, or ID—she was stranded. She had to rely on the Saunders family.
"I don't exist?" Yunice's eyes widened. Elsie, the illegitimate daughter, had been a ghost in the system since arriving. Lacking birth records, she couldn't enroll in school, buy tickets, or freely leave home. Her background was a stain, making her pitiable, so the family compensated her—even Yunice.
Yunice laughed bitterly. Her own reality mirrored what she once pitied in Elsie.
Owen, sensing her distress, explained, "After your admission, Oscar worried your reputation would suffer. He had Elsie assume your identity—school, banquets. She grew up in the mountains, Yunice. She didn't know what a strawberry was and was terrified of embarrassing you. She studied late, collapsing from exhaustion. She did it all for you. Don't be ungrateful."
His disappointment was evident. Yunice chuckled humorlessly. "So now I'm better, can she return my identity?"
She knew the answer. Elsie had established herself; even if she returned the identity, people would see Yunice as the imposter. Still, she wanted Owen's response.
He snapped. "I just explained everything, and all you care about is yourself! You didn't ask how Elsie is doing. Three years in the psychiatric hospital, and you're still selfish!"
Losing patience, he declared, "The psychiatric hospital is right there. If you don't want to come home, go back inside!"
He entered the car. Bobby hesitated. "Mr. Owen, are we leaving Ms. Saunders?"
Owen ensured Yunice heard. "I was too good to her; she's an ungrateful brat! Let her suffer; maybe she'll understand kindness." He rolled up the window. "Drive."
The car sped away. Yunice didn't glance back. She could walk home. Two hours later, she hadn't returned.
At the cemetery, Yunice knelt, sobbing against her father's tombstone. "Dad, I miss you… If you knew your daughter had no home, you'd be heartbroken. Dad, hold me… Owen and Mom don't love me. They only hug Elsie…"
The stone remained silent. Only when her tears dried did she calm. Wiping her face, she cleaned the tombstone. "Dad, I'll take care of myself. Don't worry."
She began digging, using a rock to pry up a tile. Beneath was a box. The Saunders family were apothecaries; their medical texts were passed down. Yunice, fascinated by ancient medicine, had secretly hidden her father's books there as a child.
It became her last asset. Inside was an ancient medical text, a Bovine Bezoar Pill—a rare, original formula. Her body was ravaged; she had no money, ID, or access to medicine. She bit off a piece and swallowed it, carefully storing the rest.
Scanning her surroundings, she reburied her things. Elsie couldn't know.
As she finished, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice spoke. "I knew you'd be here."