Chapter 4: Taking Her Place
Yunice lifted her gaze. Those closest to her now stood with Elsie, leaving Yunice alone in the cold wind, feeling utterly out of place. Her eyes drifted to the flowerbed by the Saunders family estate's iron gate. As a child, her father had told her her mother loved red roses; she had loved them too. He had planted a row of rose bushes along the courtyard wall. During their blooming season, the roses thrived, swaying in the wind. Her father would hold her small hand as they stood beneath them, eagerly awaiting something.
After her father's death, Elsie, allergic to pollen, moved in. Oscar had the rose bushes removed and replaced with bamboo, Elsie's favorite. Elsie claimed bamboo was noble and unyielding, qualities she wished to emulate. Yunice pleaded with Lily, arguing the roses symbolized her father's love. She begged them to keep them for his sake. But when Elsie gasped for air, Lily panicked, urging Oscar to cut down the “damn roses” immediately.
Oscar scolded Yunice for selfishness and lack of compassion. Owen declared only shallow people liked roses, advising her to emulate Elsie's moral principles and develop a bamboo-like character. Lily comforted her, arguing that a few plants paled in comparison to Elsie's life. The roses were removed, leaving Yunice with nothing to hold onto.
The weeping group eventually calmed. Lily wiped her tears, seemingly just noticing the cold. She turned to Yunice. “Go take a hot shower with Gianna to wash away the bad luck. From now on, we are still a family.” Gianna smiled, leading Yunice.
The house, her childhood home, felt both familiar and foreign. The layout remained the same, but much was unrecognizable. The entrance held a rack of Elsie's pink fuzzy slippers. Elsie's portraits adorned the walls; the thick stair carpet prevented Elsie's falls. Her old room, naturally, belonged to Elsie—the best sunlight and view wouldn't remain vacant.
Gianna led Yunice to a small room, a converted walk-in closet, slightly better than a maid's quarters. Yunice didn't recognize Gianna; she must have been hired after Yunice's psychiatric hospitalization.
Entering, Yunice saw a hidden surveillance camera. Without reaction, she asked, “Gianna, what happened to the former housekeeper?”
Gianna sneered. “Oh, she went back to her hometown three years ago. Heard her husband found a younger woman, and she wasn't happy, so she went back to stir things up. What man doesn't cheat? Making a scene only affects his ego.”
Yunice glanced at her but didn't reply. Seizing the opportunity, Yunice rummaged through the drawers. The room was hastily arranged; not a single electronic device was present. She looked at the camera again. Numerous cameras were installed throughout the house—clearly for her. They thought she was crazy, fearing she might harm Elsie. If they were so wary, why bring her back from the hospital?
Suspicious, Yunice saw Gianna exit the bathroom. She quickly locked the door.
Gianna knocked. “Hey, why did you lock the door?”
“I’m taking a shower,” Yunice replied.
“You don’t need to lock the door for that!”
Yunice countered, “Do you not lock the door when you shower?”
Gianna glanced at the bathroom, then reached for her uniform. Reaching into her pocket, she realized her phone was gone.
In the bathroom, Yunice swiftly disassembled Gianna's phone, removed the SIM card, disabled location tracking, and began typing.
Outside, Gianna pounded. “Did you take my phone?”
“I haven’t seen it,” Yunice replied, without turning.
Gianna didn't believe her. “Open the door and let me in. I’ll check.”
Yunice dismissed her. “Wait until I’m done showering.”
Unable to force the door open, Gianna fumed. “If you don’t open up, that means you definitely stole it! Just wait! I’m telling Mr. Owen!”
Yunice ignored her, focusing on the phone. The noise stopped; Gianna had likely left. Using Gianna’s phone, Yunice accessed the Saunders family's security cameras.
Lily and Owen were in the living room. Paul spoke to Elsie.
Affectionately, Paul said, “Elsie, we brought her back this time to talk about breaking off the engagement. You can’t keep hesitating.”
Elsie looked conflicted, pushing Paul away. “Your engagement is with the Saunders family. I’m an outsider. How could I steal my sister’s fiancé? I can’t betray Yunice!”
Paul circled her, squatting. “Come on, it’s the modern age. Arranged marriages are outdated. Besides, our whole family agreed to call off the engagement. If it makes things easier, I can apologize to her. If she doesn’t agree, she’ll never see me again.”
Watching, Yunice smirked coldly. So that was their plan. No wonder they were so eager to get her out of the psychiatric hospital… They wanted her to relinquish her fiancé.
She remembered Paul's breech birth. No Silverburgh hospital dared handle it. Her father's ancient remedy saved his mother's life, allowing Paul's birth. His mother's gratitude led to their engagement. Now, the Powell family wanted to transfer that gratitude to Elsie.
Gianna returned, unlocking the bathroom door and barging in. “Ms. Saunders, stealing is a bad habit. If Mr. Owen finds out, he’ll send you right back to the psychiatric hospital!”
She believed Yunice had taken her phone. Reclining, Yunice looked at her flatly. “I didn’t take it. Go ahead and report me.”
Gianna was stunned. She hadn't expected such defiance. Knowing Yunice's mental illness, she knew crazy people couldn't be trusted. Catching Yunice red-handed would earn her points with Owen. Proving Yunice a thief would allow blaming future thefts on her. But she needed solid evidence; the surveillance footage showed nothing. Yet, she was certain Yunice had stolen it. The bathroom was small; where could she have hidden it?