Chapter 2 No Identity

In her rush to leave, Owen wasn't worried that Yunice wouldn't follow. She had been desperate enough to grab burning coal, so there was no way she would be petty enough to stay behind. Sure enough, Yunice walked out of the psychiatric hospital. The way she walked was a little strange. She held her stomach with one arm, her shoulders hunched, and her legs seemed too heavy to lift. The driver, Bobby, sensed something was off. "Mr. Owen, Ms. Saunders doesn't look well." Owen lifted his gaze and let out a cold scoff. "She's just putting on an act, trying to make me fuss over her. I've spoiled her too much, and now she thinks acting weak makes her justified in everything." Even as he spoke dismissively, he couldn't help but notice how much thinner she looked, how pale her complexion was, and the injuries on her hands… Fine. Once she got in the car, he'd take her to a hospital for a checkup, just so she wouldn't use illness as an excuse to manipulate him again. But before he could follow through with that thought, Yunice, despite seeing his car, suddenly turned and bolted in the opposite direction. She was trying to escape! Yunice had no intention of returning to the Saunders family! Elsie must have set a trap, just waiting for her to walk into it. Going back now would be like throwing herself into a pit of suffering! She didn't want anything from the Saunders family anymore. Her priority was to replace her ID, and disappear just to start over on her own! But her body was too battered. The internal injuries from those crazy people back there had taken a toll. Every step she took was like reopening a wound. Yunice panted heavily, her forehead drenched in cold sweat, yet she barely made it far before Owen yanked her back. "Ah!" Yunice let out a sharp scream as she lost her balance and fell hard to the ground. The sheer agony in her cry startled Owen. He froze, staring at Yunice, who curled up on the ground, clutching her head like she was bracing for a beating… But he hadn't even done anything. Frowning, he examined her carefully but made no move to help her up. "If you think running away is going to make me worry, you're wrong." At the sound of Owen's voice, Yunice finally dared to lower her hands. Right… this isn't the psychiatric hospital. No one is going to chase me down and beat me here. Owen said with a frown, "Right now, you don't even exist in the system. Without identification, you can't even buy a ticket." No money, no phone, no ID… She had nowhere to go. Like it or not, she had to rely on the Saunders family. "I don't exist?" Yunice was confused at first, but then her eyes widened as realization struck. Elsie was the illegitimate one. When their mother brought her back from the mountains, she couldn't provide a birth certificate or any information about her father. Because of that, Elsie had been a ghost in the system ever since she joined the Saunders family. She couldn't enroll in school, couldn't buy a plane ticket, and barely dared to step outside. Her background was a stain on her existence. She was pitiful, innocent. So, the whole family bent over backward to compensate her. Even Yunice had done the same. And now… Yunice let out a bitter laugh. The very thing she once pitied in someone else had now become her own reality. Owen, seeing her reaction, figured this would be hard for her to accept. He crouched down and started explaining, "After you were admitted to the psychiatric hospital, Oscar was worried that the longer you stayed, the worse your reputation would get. So, he had Elsie take on your identity–she went to school as you, attended banquets as you. She grew up in the mountains, Yunice. When she first arrived at our house, she didn't even know what a strawberry was. She knew she was worlds apart from you and was terrified of embarrassing you in public. That's why she studied late into the night, until she collapsed from exhaustion more than once. She did it all for you. Don't be ungrateful and hurt her feelings." Owen frowned, his expression filled with disappointment, as if Yunice were the unreasonable one. Yunice let out a humorless chuckle. "So now that I'm better, can she return my identity?" She knew the answer already. Elsie had spent years establishing herself under Yunice's name. Even if she willingly handed it back, the people she had built connections with would only see Yunice as the imposter bullying her. She already knew she'd never get her identity back. Still, she couldn't help but feel bitter, resentful. She wanted to hear Owen's response. As expected, Owen snapped. "I just explained everything to you, and all you care about is yourself. Not once did you ask how Elsie was doing. Three years of treatment at the psychiatric hospital, and you're still just as selfish!" Owen lost the last of his patience. "The psychiatric hospital is right there. If you don't want to come home, go back inside!" With that, he turned and got into the car. The driver, Bobby, hesitated. "Mr. Owen, are we really leaving Ms. Saunders behind?" Owen made sure Yunice could hear him. "I was too good to her, that's why she turned into an ungrateful brat! Let her suffer a little, maybe then she'll finally understand what kindness means." With that, he rolled up the window and ordered coldly, "Drive." As the Saunders family car sped away, Yunice didn't even glance at it. She forced her battered body to move and turned to look at the psychiatric hospital one last time. She would never, ever go back in there. She knew the way home. Even without transportation, she could walk back. Yet two hours after Owen had arrived home, there was still no sign of her. … At the cemetery, Yunice knelt on the ground, pressing her face against the cold tombstone as she sobbed. "Dad, I miss you so much… If you knew your daughter had no home to go back to, you'd be heartbroken. Dad, hold me, please… Owen and Mom don't love me anymore. They only hug Elsie. They only smile at Elsie…" Clutching the tombstone, Yunice buried her forehead against the photo of her father, but the stone remained silent. Just like how she would never receive the comfort she longed for. She didn't know how long she cried. Only when her tears had completely dried did she start to calm down. Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she then used her sleeve to clean the dust off the tombstone. "Dad, I'll take care of myself. Don't worry." With that, she started digging at the ground in front of the grave. When her hands weren't enough, she used a rock to pry up one of the tiles. Beneath the stone was a hollow space containing a box. The Saunders family came from a long line of apothecaries, but when they transitioned into the hospital business, traditional medicine was gradually phased out. However, the family's medical texts were still passed down through generations. When Yunice was little, her father had noticed her fascination with ancient medicine and left all the books to her. After he passed, ten-year-old Yunice had secretly hidden them here. Back then, she had naively thought that if her father got bored underground, he could at least have something to read. She never expected that a childish decision would one day become her last remaining asset. Inside the box wasn't just an ancient medical script; there was also a Bovine Bezoar Pill, and a real one at that. A proper Bovine Bezoar Pill could save a life in a critical moment. The original formula required rhino horn, but since rhino horn was banned, later versions used buffalo horn instead, which significantly reduced its potency. But the one in Yunice's possession was a rare, original formula. Her body was a mess. She had no money, no ID, no way to get hospital treatment, and no access to medicine. So, she bit off a piece of the pill and swallowed it. The remaining chunk was carefully put away. She quickly scanned her surroundings. No one was nearby. She buried the rest of her things back in the ground. Elsie could never know about this. Otherwise, she would sweet-talk Owen into taking everything away from her. Just as she finished covering the grave, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice spoke from behind her. "I knew you'd be here."