In her mid-thirties, one layman, a benefactor of the institution of which she was the superior became very friendly with Elsy. Initially she was very unassuming and related to him in a manner befitting her status as a religious and superior. But this man became infatuated with her and was determined to marry her. Elsy was unprepared to handle such an attraction from the man while she herself had no such romantic feelings towards him. The man became hostile towards her as she rebuffed his allurements and pressures to marry him. In revenge he spoiled her reputation by spreading the rumor that he was going to marry her and that she was pregnant with his child.
That was the first thunderbolt in Elsy's life. She was not able to face this character assassination, even though none of her sisters believed the story. Soon after, Elsy decided to quit religious life because she was not able to live with the embarrassment and shame. Her sisters warned her of making such a hasty, and in their opinion, unwise decision. But she did not heed them and chose to leave. That decision was a way of running away from the problem rather than facing it openly, a decision she regrets to date.