That’s when the nightmare began Ch 9

Chapter 9 He Got Rejected by Yunice
Elsie swept a glance over the silent crowd and took the initiative to say, “That room originally belonged to Yunice. I was already planning to switch rooms with her tonight.”
Owen frowned. “You have asthma and need to stay in a room with better air quality.”
Then, he looked at Yunice, his tone softening. “You can take my room, but you have to promise not to use such methods to attract attention again.”
Owen assumed that Yunice had stolen something just to express her dissatisfaction with her room being taken over, hoping to make everyone notice her—like a neglected kitten deliberately making a mess.
Hearing that Owen was willing to take the smaller room, Elsie immediately objected, “Owen, you work late every night. The small room is too cramped and won’t help you relax. I’ll switch with my sister instead!”
Owen was touched. Elsie was the only one in this family who understood my hard work, unlike someone who just wore a long face and vented her frustrations every day.
Sensing Owen’s hostility, Yunice finally spoke. “I never intended to switch rooms. I was simply stating that I didn’t steal anything.”
Her voice was calm, each sentence a flat statement of fact, making Owen and the others seem unreasonable in comparison.
Paul stood to the side, feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration.
Yunice raised her gaze, a flicker of sharpness flashing in her eyes. “I don’t know how Giana lost her phone, but the jade bracelet is very important to me. Now that it’s gone, please call the police for me.”
Giana and Elsie exchanged glances. Was Yunice really that bold?
They knew very well that both the phone and the bracelet had indeed gone missing, and Yunice had definitely taken them.
If she dared to call the police, what was she planning?
Family matters shouldn’t be aired in public. Regardless of whether Yunice stole the items or not, Owen didn’t want to involve the authorities.
He stood up. “There’s no need for the police.”
With that, he retrieved his laptop and pulled up the house’s surveillance footage.
Yunice had only been home for two or three days. The security system automatically captured movement, and with so few people in the house, it was easy to check.
Yet, after reviewing the footage at high speed, Owen found that only Giana and Elsie had entered the second-floor rooms in that time. Yunice had mostly stayed in her small room, rarely stepping out.
Owen’s gaze darkened as he turned to Giana. “You were the only one who entered Elsie’s room in the past few days.”
Yunice couldn’t turn invisible. How could she have passed through the security system undetected?
Yunice curled her lips slightly. No one in this room would ever guess that I knew programming, would they?
In the eyes of the public, a lunatic was just someone with a mental disorder. But they forgot one thing—there’s a fine line between genius and madness.
Psychiatric hospitals housed both the insane and the misunderstood geniuses.
I had entered the institution at eighteen, right after finishing my college entrance exams, just as my life was supposed to begin.
They all saw me as a worthless failure. Who would have thought that I’d learn anything inside that place, let alone manipulate the house’s surveillance system?
Giana gaped at the footage, struggling for words before finally blurting out, “The cameras must be malfunctioning! Yes, that’s it! I didn’t steal anything! I swear!”
As soon as she finished speaking, a loud ringtone of a phone blared through the air.
Giana watched in horror as Owen bent down and pulled a phone out from between the sofa cushions.
It was mine—the very phone I claimed Yunice had stolen and thrown into the sewer.
Owen’s expression turned dark. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “Didn’t you say Yunice took your phone and tossed it into the drain?”
So why was it perfectly intact here?
Giana was too stunned to argue. Only then did she realize she had been set up.
Elsie, who had initially wanted to defend Giana, immediately fell silent when the phone was discovered.
Yunice’s voice turned cold. “Next time you lose something, try looking for it first before accusing someone.”
Then she turned to Elsie. “And please help me look for my bracelet. It’s very important to me.”
Elsie was speechless.
Without saying another word, Yunice left the living room and returned to her small room.
The others sat in awkward silence.
After a moment, Owen spoke. “Elsie, are you sure the bracelet is missing?”
“Huh?” Elsie hadn’t expected to be questioned so suddenly and failed to respond immediately.
Owen didn’t seem to care about her answer. He stood up. “Let’s search your room again. Maybe it just fell somewhere.”
Since we had wronged Yunice today, we had to find the bracelet and return it to her.
As Owen and Giana went upstairs to search, Paul turned to look at the small room.
He hesitated before finally walking over and knocking on Yunice’s door.
She had been back for so long yet hadn’t spoken a single word to me.
After a long pause, the door finally opened.
Yunice stood in the doorway. Seeing him, she asked, “Yes?”
Paul suddenly felt awkward. His eyes drifted past her to the tiny room behind her.
It was so small.
Even the maids’ quarters in my house were bigger than this.
Yunice was still the eldest daughter of the Saunders family. How could they treat her like this?
A dull ache tugged at his chest. After a long moment, he finally understood what he was feeling.
Rage.
I could bully Yunice, but I wouldn’t allow anyone else to.
We had grown up together, and she had always been my shadow. I had even once boasted that anyone who wanted to bully my “little fiancée” would have to go through me first!
How had things changed so much in just three years?
Feigning nonchalance, Paul stepped forward. “Are you really going to make me stand here? Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Yunice blocked the doorway. “It’s dirty in here. Mr. Paul, you shouldn’t sit down.”
Paul froze. Mr. Paul?
It was the first time Yunice had ever addressed me as “Mr. Paul.”
His expression stiffened, and he tried to explain, “Are you mad? I wasn’t looking down on you the other day. You misunderstood.”
I had, in fact, looked down on her. But later, I realized I had been too harsh.
Yunice is my best friend. I shouldn’t have treated her that way.
Yet, she still wouldn’t let him in. “Mr. Paul, we’re adults now. We should keep our distance. What would people think if they saw you in my room?”
Paul glanced upstairs, then scoffed, “I used to visit your room all the time. Besides, we’re engaged.”
“Childhood engagements are outdated and meaningless. Besides, I have a mental illness—it might even be hereditary. I’ll speak to your parents soon and annul our engagement.” Yunice said.
Paul was dumbfounded.
Did Yunice want to break off the engagement?
Me? Rejected?
Paul’s ego took a hit. I had wanted to end things myself, but only I could be the one to initiate it!
Just as he was about to argue, Yunice shut the door in his face.
Paul was left standing there, rejected once again.
At that moment, Owen came downstairs and saw Paul by Yunice’s door.
Paul, feeling guilty, changed the subject. “Did you find the bracelet?”
Owen wasn’t so easily fooled. He gave Paul a wary look. “What are you doing outside Yunice’s room?”