Chapter 10: I Can No Longer Call You Brother

Owen warned Paul, “Don’t forget, you’re the one who wanted to break off your engagement to Elsie. If you waver now, how will Elsie face others?”

Paul retorted, “Yes, I want to break it off, but that doesn’t mean Yunice and I have to sever all ties. After all, we’ll still be seeing each other often…”

Before Paul could finish, Owen coldly interrupted. “You and Yunice must sever all ties. You know better than anyone that she’s possessive and vengeful. In her mind, you belong to her. If you marry Elsie, she will only take her resentment out on her.”

Owen exhaled heavily. “I just hope you and Elsie marry as soon as possible. Once she moves in, I won’t have to worry every single day.”

But Paul barely heard the latter half. His mind was stuck on, “You belong to her.” That’s what I used to believe, too. But now Yunice wanted to break their engagement…

After speaking for a while, Owen realized Paul wasn’t responding. He raised a hand and lightly punched him. “You’re still thinking about Yunice, aren’t you!”

I had already noticed. In the living room, Paul sat next to Elsie, but his eyes were fixed on Yunice.

This bastard—does he think he’s a romantic tragic hero?

Paul, growing impatient, rubbed his shoulder. “I just think you’re all too cruel to Yunice. Don’t forget, she’s a Saunders too. Yet you won’t even give her a proper room in her own home; even a housekeeper can falsely accuse her of theft.”

The Saunders mansion had plenty of rooms. Even Oscar’s second-floor room was empty—why couldn’t they spare a decent room for Yunice?

Owen’s face flushed. “And are you any better? You rejected Yunice because you thought she was mentally ill and feared the disgrace if word got out. That’s why you chose Elsie, isn’t it?”

Paul, irritated, choked on his words and went home.

That night, Owen tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Paul’s words echoed in his mind. Staring at the ceiling, he thought of Yunice’s eighteen years in this house. Before Dad died, he’d grasped mine and Oscar’s hands, urging us to care for their little sister. But now, not only had I failed to care for her, I had treated her worse—so much so that even Paul could criticize me.

Owen calculated. Four rooms had good lighting: mine, Oscar’s, Yunice’s, and Dad’s master bedroom. After Dad died, Elsie and her mother shared the master bedroom for two years. Only when Yunice was sent to the psychiatric hospital did Elsie finally get her own room.

Who should switch with Yunice? Elsie had asthma and was the youngest—she couldn’t suffer. Mom was an elder, so it was out of the question. Oscar, as the eldest, couldn’t be expected to take a smaller room. And I had too many office supplies.

He couldn’t sleep. Finally, he turned on his computer. After searching, he found a death certificate from a year ago: Lauren Drake, female, 19. Admitted to Silverburgh Psychiatric Hospital. Died from accidental mechanical asphyxiation.

His hand trembled. Owen’s eyes flickered. Yunice hadn’t lied—the hospital was a place where people died. The thought of Yunice, frail and defenseless, her hair yanked, her spine crushed, her fingers scratching the floor in agony—it made him breathless.

Emotion surged. He reached for water, but the scalding liquid splashed onto his hand. The sharp pain made his scalp tingle, and he cried out. As he checked his reddened skin, he saw Yunice plunging her hand into burning coals.

He stared at his hand, shocked. So this is how much a burn hurts. My skin was merely reddened, yet the pain was unbearable. But Yunice’s palms had been burned raw, and though she trembled and sweated, she hadn’t made a sound.

Owen parted his lips. He finally understood what it meant to be accustomed to pain. She must have suffered so much at the hospital that she’d grown numb.

His eyes burned with heartache, but then anger surged. He furiously wiped his tears, blaming Yunice for her stubbornness! Why hadn’t she sought help? Why hadn’t she called her family? She was holding a grudge, refusing to bow to her own family. She had endured so much in silence. He couldn’t understand—what had the family done to make her resist so much? What was she holding onto?

At dawn, someone knocked on Yunice’s door. Owen stood at the entrance, listening to her slow movements. When she opened the door, he scrutinized her. She looked better. Remembering her injuries, he softened. “Get ready. We’re going to the hospital for a check-up.”

Yunice replied, “Forget it. I don’t have an ID. I can’t register.”

“It’s our own hospital; rules don’t apply.” Owen observed her, feeling her stubbornness. His gaze landed on her hands. Restraining his temper, he said, “I haven’t found your bracelet yet, but I’ll return it. Mom and Oscar’s rooms aren’t an option, but don’t worry; just wait for me. I’ll buy you your own estate once the hospital’s earnings are settled.”

Wait? He wanted me to wait again? I’d been fooled by that word too many times. When Elsie arrived, they’d coaxed me, saying, “Just wait; Elsie will stop taking Mom away. Just wait; she’ll be more considerate. Just wait, and she’ll become close to you.” I will no longer believe their empty promises. And I knew Owen wouldn’t buy me a house. By tomorrow, he’d be using the same promise to placate Elsie.

Owen waited for a reaction. In the past, mentioning gifts made her smile, no matter how angry she was. I was offering her a house—she should be happy, right?

But Yunice still didn’t look pleased. Owen was baffled. “I promised you a room and your bracelet—what more do you want?”

Yunice laughed. “Those were mine to begin with. Are they rewards now?”

Owen, embarrassed, found something else wrong. “You haven’t called me brother since you came back; are you going to break ties with your family?”

Yunice smiled. “It’s not that I want to break ties; it’s that I can no longer call you brother.”

Owen’s brows wrinkled. What does she mean? He didn’t understand. Yunice explained, “You said you’re taking me to the hospital. When the subordinates ask about me, how will you introduce me?”

Owen was about to speak; Yunice interrupted, “Elsie went to school for me, interned at our hospital, and studied for my postgraduate degree; her social circle has long been fused with Yunice’s name. Anyone who recognizes her will only recognize her and not me.”

Yunice looked at Owen. “You take me to the hospital; surely you can’t say my real identity. You can only say I’m one of your younger sisters, or else Elsie’s carefully constructed identity will be ruined. You also don’t want Elsie to be misunderstood as an impostor, right?”