Chapter 17: This Is My Life—Saving Medicine
Paul was momentarily stunned before immediately refuting. “You’re overthinking it. I only like Elsie!”
Yunice’s expression was unreadable, but her fingers twitched involuntarily. Even though she had long accepted that there was no future between her and Paul, every time she saw someone she once cherished choose Elsie with unwavering certainty, a sharp pain still stabbed through her heart.
Upstairs, Laly was flipping through medical books by the bookshelf. Elsie and Owen sat across from each other, both absorbed in browsing websites on their devices. Owen was distracted, his mind replaying Yunice’s scathing words. The Powell family wants an alliance that brings millions in gold, not a charity case. At the time, he had only felt humiliated and furious at Yunice, but now that he was sitting here in silence, he could not deny the truth in her words.
For the past three years, Oscar’s research had stagnated. The hospital had failed to introduce any new drugs, leading to significant patient loss. Financially, the hospital’s annual report was bleak. The Saunders family had always been at a disadvantage compared to the Powell family. If it were not for Yunice’s engagement, they would not have had any connection with them in the first place. A network is only valuable when both parties benefit. If only one side is taking advantage of the other, it’s called ‘clinging.’ In Jensen’s eyes, the Saunders family was nothing more than a poor relative trying to get a free ride. The broken engagement was not Yunice’s fault. It was merely because of the Saunders family’s lack of power.
Owen glanced at Elsie, who was earnestly browsing the web with her mother, searching for a miracle cure for her asthma. He sighed inwardly. His naive little sister still believed that if she could just cure her illness, the Powell family would accept her. Not wanting to dampen her hopes, he started typing on his keyboard, intending to help find the latest special medication. However, his fingers subconsciously typed ‘Common treatments for mental illness.’
Perhaps it was the lingering resentment from his earlier argument with Yunice, but a sense of unease pricked at him. Especially after learning that Yunice had undergone electroshock therapy, that discomfort became even harder to ignore. More than anyone, he knew Yunice was completely sane because he was the one who had forged her medical records. But he had done it for her own good. At least by being sent to a mental institution, she had avoided prison. He had only meant to give her a minor punishment, not to have her suffer abuse!
Owen clenched his fists. If he found out that the hospital had engaged in excessive or violent treatment, he would not let it go. As he sat there, tense with conflicting emotions, a pop-up appeared on his screen. It was an image of a patient strapped to a chair, writhing in pain during electroshock therapy. Instinctively, he closed it. Then he saw an article stating that electroconvulsive therapy was a standard medical procedure for treating psychiatric disorders. His furrowed brows relaxed. Feeling relieved, he reassured himself. If it’s an approved medical treatment, then it’s not abuse. Since it’s used on humans, it couldn’t possibly be harmful. With that thought, any lingering guilt he felt for Yunice vanished.
“Owen! Look what I found!” Elur suddenly stood up excitedly, turning her laptop towards Owen.
Chapter 17: This Is My Life—Saving Medicine
Lily was so overwhelmed with joy that she burst into tears, hugging Elsie tightly. “My poor Elsie is finally saved!” Downstairs, Lily’s sudden outburst of sobs was so jarring that even Paul and Yunice were startled. Paul instinctively wanted to check on the situation upstairs, but before he could move, Owen, Lily, and Elsie were already hurrying downstairs in his direction.
Just as Paul was about to speak, Owen and Lily brushed past him, heading straight for Yunice. Only Elsie lingered, her voice trembling with sorrow as she asked, “Did you come to see my sister, or did you come to see me?” A flicker of guilt crossed Paul’s face, but he quickly masked it. “Of course, I came to see you.” Elsie’s eyes reddened again, her voice laced with hurt. “You forgot there are surveillance cameras all over the house…. Every moment he spent here, every person he spoke to. It was all recorded.”
Before Paul could explain, Elsie lowered her head and walked away, her posture dejected. Paul stood there, awkward and embarrassed, feeling as if he had been caught sneaking around. He rubbed his forehead, then hurried after Elsie, just in time to hear Owen questioning Yunice. “Yunny, the Alphasirox pills can cure Elsie’s illness. Why didn’t you take them out sooner?”
Lily grasped Yunice’s hands, tears of joy streaming down her face. “Yunny, I always knew you were a good child! You’ve been thinking of Elsie all along, even getting this medicine for her. I don’t even know how to thank you…” Owen, brimming with relief, reassured her. “Mom, we’re family. There’s no need for gratitude. It’s only right for Yunice to help Elsie.” Yunice’s gaze bypassed the overly dramatic pair and landed on Elsie. Meeting her eyes, Elsie smiled gently. “Sister, thank you for preparing the Alphasirox pills for me.”
Paul, still confused, pulled Elsie aside and asked, “Alphasirox pills?” Owen answered, “It’s a newly developed special medication for asthma. With this, Elsie will finally be able to live like a normal person.” But Paul frowned. “The Alphasirox pills aren’t available for sale yet. Even my family’s hospital can’t get them. How would Yunice have them? You must be mistaken.”
Yunice remained silent, her gaze lowered. The moment Owen mentioned the pills, she knew this was Elsie’s scheme. She could not deny having them because she really did. Sure enough, Giana had already rushed to her room to search. Her room was not big. Nothing could be hidden for long. “Found it! I found the medicine?” Giana came running back, waving the pillbox triumphantly. Owen’s and Paul’s attention snapped to the box. No one seemed to notice Giana’s blatant invasion of privacy. When Giana handed the pillbox to Owen, she deliberately shot Yunice a triumphant glance, a smug satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. Yunice fixed her gaze on the pillbox as she saw them taking it away, her voice trembling as she slowly stood up. “That’s my life—saving medicine. It’s not for Elsie.”
Chapter 17: This Is My Life—Saving Medicine
Back upstairs, when Elsie mentioned that Yunice had the medicine, he had not given it much thought. But now, with Paul’s reminder, Owen suddenly found himself questioning it. As Paul had pointed out, this medication had yet to hit the market. Even the powerful Powell family could not get their hands on it. So how could Yunice, who rarely even stepped outside, possibly have it?
Paul studied the box for a while before turning to Yunice, his gaze sharp and probing. “Where did you get this medicine?” Owen caught onto something. “So, this is real?” Paul gave a slight nod. “A friend of mine asked me to source a box, but no matter how many connections I used, I couldn’t get one.” His gaze toward Yunice grew even more complex. But Owen had no interest in these details. His only concern was whether the medicine was genuine. Snatching the box from Paul’s hands, he shoved it into Elsie’s grasp. “Elsie, hurry! Take it now! Once you do, your illness will be cured!”
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