Chapter 480 The Buried Truth Comes to Light
In the surveillance footage, Yunice climbed back up from the floor, her voice firm. “I don’t need your help, and I won’t bring shame to the Saunders family. I’ll apply for legal aid as a minor.”
“No, you can’t go!” said Owen.
She stood tall and headed for the door.
Owen, completely enraged, lunged forward and tore up her documents, stomping on them like a madman. “How dare you make such a huge scene! Go ahead and report then! Why are you being so disobedient now! Can’t you just give me a break!”
Watching the younger version of Yunice be shoved again in the video made Wyatt clench his fists.
Yunice reached out and gently placed her palm on the back of his hand.
Wyatt turned to look at her, and seeing the soft expression on her face, the fire in his eyes slowly faded.
During the whole video playback, Yunice hadn’t paid attention to anyone else. She had been watching Wyatt the entire time. She noticed the change in his expression and couldn’t help but think–he really seemed to care about her.
If he didn’t, he wouldn’t be this angry over something that happened so many years ago.
It had been seven years. Even Yunice herself barely felt anything anymore when she replayed those memories.
But the Saunders family didn’t even make it through the entire video. Their faces had already changed. Lily and Elsie stood pale and speechless. Owen stammered, “How did you…”
Yunice held Wyatt’s hand, turned her head toward Owen, and said, “How did I get this video, right?”
The Saunders family had never installed security cameras. When Elsie was first brought to live with them, she had said she was terrified of surveillance–it felt like someone was always watching her. She’d claimed she couldn’t sleep if cameras were in the house, so the Saunders family removed them all.
That’s why they were so shocked Yunice had any footage at all.
Yunice explained, “I installed a pinhole camera myself. I told you over and over that Paul was harassing me, but you brushed it off every time. ‘Men are like that,’ you’d say. ‘Don’t overthink it. Stop being difficult. He’s your fiancé, what harm could he mean?’ That’s how you dismissed me. I realized I couldn’t count on any of you. That’s why I set up the camera. It was meant to protect me from Paul. I never expected it to become evidence one day.”
Owen muttered, “You were only sixteen or seventeen back then… I underestimated you.”
Yunice responded, “If you think that was calculating, maybe ask yourself why fourteen- or fifteen–year–old Elsie insisted we remove every camera in the house. A girl from a remote village who had probably never even seen a security system–how could she be so afraid of being watched? It was because with cameras around, she couldn’t frame me anymore. She couldn’t pull anything behind the scenes."
Elsie’s eyes filled with tears. “I didn’t…”
Yunice cut her off. “The first couple of years after you came to live with us, your things kept mysteriously showing up in my room. Everyone assumed I stole from you. When you got diagnosed with a gynecological infection, you claimed it was because I secretly wore your clothes. What, are your things so precious I’d actually want them? You’ve been framing me for years with the most pathetic and low–grade tricks. And yes, they were easy to see through–but it’s hard to wake someone who pretends to sleep. Lily and Owen always favored you. Even when I brought them proof to defend myself, they turned it against me and chose to believe you instead.”
Owen snapped, “Why would we favor her over you? Don’t you think maybe the problem is you?”
Smack!
Carl hurled his teacup straight at Owen’s head.
Owen froze, leaves from the tea clinging to his hair, a thin stream of blood trailing from his forehead down his handsome face.
Carl marched forward and grabbed Owen by the collar. “Why do you think I hit you and not her? Ever thought about that?”
Owen had never been treated like this. Furious and humiliated, he forgot all about Carl’s identity and yelled, “Because you’re biased!”
“Yes!” Carl barked back. “You are biased. You have double standards. And that is the problem!”
Owen argued, “That video doesn’t prove everything!”
Carl shot back, “But it proves your failure. You were her older brother, the one in charge of the Saunders household. When your sister came to you for help, instead of seeking the truth, you let your pride get in the way and ignored her cries. You can twist it however you want, but you were in the wrong!”
Finally, Oscar spoke.
“Owen, even now, you still won’t admit it? Didn’t we already go see Paul together? Didn’t Paul tell us to our faces that he made it all up? That he never laid a hand on Yunice? For seven years, because of your carelessness and neglect, Yunice was mocked and slandered nonstop. She’s been carrying that weight for seven years. And now you want her to keep carrying it?”