“Mom? What are you doing out here in your slippers?” Emily asked, her smile fading into confusion as she noticed my pale face and shaking hands.
“Emily, don’t go upstairs yet,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I led her toward a quiet bench near the garden area. 
“We need to talk right now.”
“What’s wrong? Is Jun okay? Did his parents arrive?” she asked, her eyes searching mine for answers.
“Jun is fine, but you are not,” I replied, taking her hands in mine. “I need you to listen to me very carefully. I overheard Jun and his father talking in the dining room. They were speaking in Korean because they didn’t think I could understand them.”
Emily blinked, startled. “Understand them? Mom, you don’t speak Korean.”
“I do, Emily. I’ve been studying it quietly for three years so I could feel closer to your life here,” I explained gently. 
“I heard every word Yong-ho said to him, and I heard Jun’s response.”
