Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Oscar pulled out his phone, ready to let Yunice pick something out.
That’s when Yunice finally looked up. “Oscar, the dress doesn’t fit. The zipper popped-I can’t wear it.”
Lily blinked, clearly not expecting Yunice to speak up.
“It doesn’t fit?” Oscar turned to Lily, confused. “Didn’t you have it tailored to Yunny’s measurements? How does that even happen?”
Oscar wasn’t oblivious. It was becoming clear-Lily had agreed with him at the time, but behind his back, she’d gone and done the complete opposite.
Trying to defend herself, Lily said, “I used standard sizing for girls their age. Elsie and Yunny are about the same size, and it fit Elsie just fine.”
Oscar’s expression darkened. “You gave Yunny a dress Elsie wore?”
Oscar was fuming. He’d reminded them again and again-put in the effort, take it seriously. And yet, here they were, cutting corners like it didn’t matter.
Lily jumped in, trying to justify herself. “Yes, the dress is Elsie’s, but she never wore it in public. And it’s her nicest, most expensive gown-she never even had the heart to wear it herself. Giving it to Yunny shows we were being thoughtful, doesn’t it?”
“How many times do I have to tell you? Yunny isn’t Elsie. Stop treating them like they’re interchangeable-she deserves to be seen for who she is.”
His voice rose. Lily shrank back, her confidence fading. “I didn’t know,” she mumbled. “I just thought it’d save some money…and the dress really is beautiful.”
Oscar was so frustrated he didn’t know where to put it. Without another word, he snatched the dress from her hands and threw it hard onto the floor.
That was the moment Owen walked in, catching the scene as the dress hit the ground. He hurried over. “What the hell’s going on?” he asked. “We’ve been waiting forever.” He glanced down and spotted the dress. “Isn’t that Yunny’s? Why’s it on the floor?”
Oscar turned to him, angry. “Take a closer look. You think this was made for Yunny? Were you in on this too?”
Owen looked confused. He clearly hadn’t known. But after a second, the dress did look kind of…new?
Lily hesitated, caught between the two of them. “The house expenses have been really high lately…And didn’t you two break a few of those expensive vases last month? I had to replace them, and by the time I did, there wasn’t enough left for a new dress.”
Now even Owen was frowning.
But there wasn’t much time left-arguing wouldn’t solve anything. And buying a new gown this late? Nearly impossible.
Owen held up the dress again and looked at Yunice. “Look, it’s not ideal-but it’s better than what you’ve got on now, right?”
Oscar wasn’t having it. They had gone out of their way to make this banquet grand-for Yunice’s sake. She was the guest of honor-and they expected her to walk into the spotlight wearing a dress that didn’t even fit?
Not happening. Oscar said, “I’ll call the mall and have a backup dress ready.”
He stormed out.
Owen sighed, then turned to Yunice. “This whole thing got messed up, I’ll admit that. But come on, part of this is on you too. You knew what kind of night this was. You should’ve picked out a dress ahead of time. Don’t tell me you show up looking like this when you go out with Wyatt too.”
Whenever it came to Elsie, the family always went all out-sometimes even more invested than she was.
Yunice still remembered how seriously Lily had taken it when people thought Elsie might marry into the Powell family. She had helped pick out wedding dresses like it was already happening-every detail, every fitting, all done with care.
And yet, even on her own birthday, she wasn’t worth a simple dress that actually fit.
She wasn’t surprised. She was used to this kind of treatment-and she had no interest in making a scene.
The only reason she’d shown up tonight was to let Oscar see the truth for himself-to understand. It wasn’t that she was cold or heartless.
The truth was, there had never been a place for her in this family-and there never would be.
Lily stood in the corner, arms crossed, looking completely unbothered. She couldn’t have cared less what Yunice wore.
Things were already beyond fixing, and Lily didn’t even bother to fake it anymore.
But after a few minutes, Lily glanced around and frowned. Something felt off. She frowned.
Owen paused. Now that she mentioned it, it had been a while since he’d last seen her.
Lily tried calling. No answer.
Owen tried too. Still nothing.
“You don’t think something happened, do you?” Lily muttered.
That was all it took for Owen’s expression to shift. He frowned. “Mom, stay here with Yunny. I’ll go look for her.”
There was no way Lily was going to stay with Yunice. The second Owen stepped out, she followed right behind him, leaving Yunice alone in the dressing room.
She sat quietly, idly spinning a makeup brush between her fingers. She didn’t feel hurt or ignored anymore; that kind of disappointment had worn itself out long ago. Then, behind her, something crashed to the floor.
Yunice turned and saw a little boy with a blunt bob haircut. He was dressed in a suit and stood stiffly, one hand hidden behind his back as if clutching something. She recognized him instantly-he was the boy from the construction site, the one who’d been crying on his knees while his mother begged for help. His dad was now behind bars, facing heavy fines. The man who used to hold the family together was gone. For a family like theirs, it was a breaking point-and life ahead would only get harder. But did that mean they deserved her sympathy?
Yunice stayed seated. She calmly asked, “Hey, kid. How old are you?”
The boy answered softly, “Three.” He stopped a couple of feet away, too nervous to come closer. Seeing Yunice wasn’t paying him much attention, he tried again, more desperate this time. “Miss, I got separated from my mommy. Can you help me find her?”
Yunice kept her eyes on the mirror, still spinning the brush. She didn’t respond. The boy’s voice trembled, his eyes starting to well up. “Please, miss… If my mom can’t find me, she’s going to be really worried…”
Yunice finally turned to him, her voice steady, almost gentle. “Sorry, but if I left with you and my family couldn’t find me, they’d be worried too. How about this-I’ll call the front desk, and they can help you find your mom.”
“Miss…” The boy’s expression shifted-his eyes flashed with something sharp, almost guarded. “Don’t call the front desk. I don’t need to look for her anymore…”
His tone turned panicked. He took a step toward her, still hiding one hand behind his back.
Meanwhile, Lily and Owen had searched the entire ballroom, and there was still no sign of Elsie. Calls went straight to voicemail. No one could reach her.
Frustrated and panicking, they suddenly got a call from hotel management. One of the guests had reported a missing child, and since the Saunders family was hosting the event, the hotel asked for help. With no time to waste, Owen followed the hotel manager to his office to figure out what was going on.
Apparently, the woman had been walking past the ballroom with her son when he slipped away and ran inside. Within moments, he was gone. The hotel manager reviewed the security footage and quickly found the boy on camera. “He went into the backstage dressing room,” he said, pointing to the screen. “He hasn’t come out since. That’s the room Ms. Saunders is using, isn’t it?”
Owen’s stomach dropped. Yunice had a history of psychiatric issues-and had once been classified as potentially dangerous. The kid went in. Never came out. Owen didn’t want to imagine what might have happened. Without another word, he took off with the others, rushing toward the dressing room.
Oscar showed up just then, carrying a dress. Spotting everyone gathered outside the dressing room, he asked, “What’s going on out here? Where’s Yunice?”
Owen pointed inside. “She’s in there.” Everyone followed him inside. The hotel staff and the boy’s mother spread out, calling his name as they searched the room in a panic.
Yunice, seated calmly at the vanity, glanced up. “No kid’s been in here.”
The boy’s mother turned to her, surprised. “You’ve been in this room the whole time?”
Yunice nodded. “Yeah.” The woman gave her a strange look, then went back to searching with the others.
Meanwhile, the Saunders family had gathered around Yunice. Lily’s eyes landed on the dress she was wearing, and her expression twisted. The material was clearly high-end. “I thought Oscar said he was going to buy you a new dress,” she said sharply. “So why’d you steal someone else’s?”
Hotel Marcellus hosted a lot of private events, so it wasn’t uncommon for high-end dresses to be stored backstage. So, of course, Lily’s first thought was that Yunice had gotten vain and grabbed someone else’s gown to wear.
Yunice turned and shot her a glare. “Wyatt sent it. He had it delivered specifically for me.”
Owen frowned. “You could’ve mentioned that earlier. We’ve all been running around trying to fix this, and you just sat here.”
Yunice replied coolly. “The only person who’s been running around for me is Oscar. Weren’t you and Lily off looking for Elsie?”
Owen stiffened. “Every time someone says something, you act like we’re attacking you. If this is the attitude you’re bringing, maybe you shouldn’t have come at all.”
Oscar immediately stepped in, his voice sharp. “That’s enough. Mom, you’re the one who should be more careful with your words. Since when did this family start jumping straight to blame instead of asking questions? When did scolding replace support? Being the elder doesn’t give you the right to tear someone down.”