Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Wyatt glanced at Yunice. “That confident, huh?”
Jordan added awkwardly, “But I didn’t catch everything she said.”
Even someone like Jordan wasn’t fluent in all seven languages. He caught bits and pieces, but a few lines were totally lost on him.
Yunice idly played with her utensils and said calmly, “The rest of what I said was, even though I never formally studied foreign languages, I grew up reading original medical texts from all over the world. I used dictionaries and looked up every word one by one. By the time I was a teenager, I could hold full conversations without a problem.” She looked straight at Wyatt, full of confidence. “Which language are you struggling with?”
Jordan jumped in before Wyatt could answer. “Mrs. Cooper, you probably don’t know this, but Wyatt’s never spent a single day in school. Honestly, it’s a miracle he can even read. Aside from his native language? He’s hopeless.”
Wyatt frowned but didn’t argue.
Yunice paused for a second, then said, “Let me handle it.”
Wyatt gave Yunice a look. “When will you have time?”
They were both always busy-sometimes they went days without even seeing each other. They were always on different time clocks.
And she meant what she said. Whenever they were together, she kept him close, pointing out things around them and naming them as they came up. She kept it simple-just starting with whatever was right in front of them. After all, vocabulary was the first step to learning any language.
Yunice had a feeling Wyatt wasn’t going to be great at this-but she hadn’t realized just how rough it would be. He gave it his best shot, mimicking her pronunciation with full commitment, even if the results were…questionable.
She rubbed her temple, starting to feel like she was tutoring a kindergartener.
Wyatt let out a slow breath and glanced at her. “Ms. Saunders, are you starting to question if you’re even qualified to teach me?”
Yunice blinked, surprised by how bold he was. Wow. He’s not even embarrassed about how bad he is-and he’s questioning me?
Yunice kept her cool. “Everyone starts out rough. Trust me-you’ve got plenty of room to improve.”
Wyatt raised an eyebrow. “Is that just a nice way of saying I can’t possibly get any worse?” He smirked. “You’ve got a real talent for encouragement, Ms. Saunders.”
Yunice sighed, rubbing her forehead again before heading to the study to find a language book. If she was going to teach him, she might as well start with bedtime reading.
By the time she returned to the bedroom, Wyatt had already showered. She handed him the book, then grabbed her towel and pajamas. “Flip through it for a bit. I’ll read it to you when I’m done.”
Wyatt was just about to complain that he wouldn’t understand a word-but when he opened the book and spotted a few of her handwritten notes, his eyes lit up.
She climbed onto the bed, turned to Wyatt, and asked, “So…did any of it make sense?”
Wyatt nodded seriously. “Pickle-tastes good.”
“Bug-squash it.”
“Lobster-crazy expensive.”
“Squid-my favorite:”
Yunice stared at him, completely speechless. He was reading word for word, totally straight-faced, quoting the ridiculous notes she’d scribbled in the margins to help him remember things. She didn’t say a thing.
Wyatt glanced sideways. Yunice had her head down, and her shoulders were shaking slightly under her silk pajama top.
“You’re laughing at me.”
“I’m not,” Yunice said, trying to lift her head-but she couldn’t hold it in. Her face dropped again as she burst into laughter, shoulders shaking even harder.
Wyatt watched her for a moment, then, seeing she had no intention of stopping, leaned over and poked her in the side. “Still laughing, huh?”
Yunice practically jumped. She was insanely ticklish-especially around the waist. One poke was all it took to make her jolt.
Even so, Yunice couldn’t stop laughing, swatting at Wyatt’s hand as he kept messing with her. “Okay, okay-I’m not laughing! I swear!”
Her words and actions didn’t match at all.
Elsie’s heart skipped-something felt off. Before she could react, Yunice grabbed her wrist, yanked her into the room, and knocked her out cold. Yunice walked out calmly, shutting the door behind her. For a split second, she caught a final glimpse of Elsie, unconscious on the floor. She locked the door from the outside. No one was getting out. Then she headed to the ballroom, like nothing had happened.
Lily was the first to spot her. Her eyes scanned Yunice from head to toe, then flicked behind her, clearly expecting someone to follow. When no one did, her expression shifted.
“Wyatt didn’t come with you? You didn’t tell him today’s your birthday?”
Her shoulders squared just a little-clearly feeling smug. If Wyatt couldn’t even bother to show up for Yunice’s birthday, things probably weren’t going so great between them.
Figures. If Wyatt couldn’t even bother to show up and be there for her tonight, that marriage didn’t stand a chance, Lily thought to herself.
“Yunny!” Oscar rushed over. But even he hesitated for a beat when he noticed she was alone. The joy on his face dimmed for a moment-though he covered it quickly and turned to Lily. “Mom, Yunny just got off work-she didn’t have time to change. Didn’t you pick out a dress for her? Go help her get ready.”
Then he gave Yunice a warm smile. Yunice could tell-Oscar was trying hard to win her over. And he was dragging the rest of the Saunders family into the act. They were trying-yet again-to act like they cared. But Yunice knew the truth. Love doesn’t need grand gestures or fancy words. You either feel it… or you don’t. And the harder they tried to fake it, the more it pushed her away.
Still, she didn’t want to embarrass Oscar. She’d let her actions do the talking-and show him just how little his efforts really meant.
Lily led her to the dressing room backstage and pulled a luxurious gown from the closet. It was clearly expensive.
“Try it on,” Lily said, holding it up. “I picked this one just for you. Trust me-it looks better than whatever Elsie’s wearing tonight.”
To be fair, it was a beautiful dress. But when Yunice put it on, Lily struggled to zip it up from behind. Yunice stopped her. “Forget it. It doesn’t fit.”
Lily kept trying. “That can’t be right. If Elsie can wear it, so can you.”
Yunice raised an eyebrow. “You do realize my chest is bigger than hers, right?”
Lily knew. She just didn’t care.
“Could you make it look a bit less… obvious?” Lily said. “It’s better if you don’t draw too much attention-people talk.”
Yunice yanked at the neckline-pop. The back zipper burst open. She turned her head and glanced at Lily’s chest. “If you’re that worried about gossip, maybe get a reduction and live like a man.”
Lily’s face darkened. She clutched the dress, clearly not thrilled. Yunice didn’t respond. She’d heard it all before. Lily had made those comments more than once-always behind her back.
If only Elsie had gotten Yunice’s looks instead. They’re both my daughters, so why is it the one I can’t stand ended up with all the good genes?
Yunice remembered back in high school-she’d already grown into her figure, feminine and hard to miss. Elsie, meanwhile, had just moved in from the countryside. She was all skin and bones, tall and stick-thin, without a single curve. Lily used to gush over her. Called her “elegant” and “refined,” said she looked like a gentle, delicate girl from a painting. Then she’d turn around and scold Yunice. “You shouldn’t wear bras like that-it just draws attention. People will think you’re doing it for the boys.”
Back then, Yunice took her words to heart. It left her feeling insecure for a long time. Sometimes, when a guy tried to talk to her, she’d wonder, did I do something wrong? But looking back now, she realized Lily dressed femininely herself. She wore low-cut blouses and fitted dresses. Yet she shamed Yunice for the exact same thing.
There weren’t any other dresses in the fitting room. Yunice wasn’t bothered. She leaned casually against the vanity and scrolled through her phone, perfectly at ease.
Lily was silently fuming. It was her birthday-there was no way she’d walk out in street clothes.
Meanwhile, Oscar was still waiting outside, hoping Yunice would come out soon. He’d planned everything with care, wanting to walk her through all the little surprises he’d prepared. He just wanted her to feel a little warmth-something that might finally break the tension between them. But after waiting and waiting, he still hadn’t seen her. So he walked over and knocked gently. “Yunny, are you ready?”
Lily answered, still holding the dress in her arms, visibly annoyed. Oscar looked past her at Yunice, confused. Then he turned back to Lily. “Why isn’t she changed yet?”
Lily let out a dramatic sigh. “Don’t ask me. I’ve tried everything-she just won’t put it on.”
Oscar shot her a look, then turned to Yunice. “Yunny, you don’t like it? Just tell me which one you do-I’ll go get it right now.”
Lily wasn’t expecting that. Her expression soured. “These dresses aren’t cheap. And I thought we were trying to cut back on spending.”
Lily crossed her arms. “Didn’t you say you liked this dress?”
Oscar kept his cool. “Mom, what matters is that Yunny’s happy. I’ll cover it myself.”
Lily’s face darkened. She was clearly unhappy.