“Daddy?” Shawn’s grip loosened suddenly, and his face turned deathly pale. “Tiana, how dare you marry other guy with my child!”

He stared at me, his gaze dark and menacing, as if trying to pin me in place.

I rubbed my reddened wrist and looked at him calmly. “That’s right, I’m married. Tessa is his child. Shawn, you really think too highly of yourself.”

“You think I’d believe you’re married just because you just found some random man to pretend to be your husband?” As if trying to convince himself, Shawn’s expression grew more certain.

“Tiana, you hate me for choosing Jessica back then, so now you’ve brought our child to take revenge on me.”

His absurd logic almost made me laugh. “Are you delusional?”

He ignored me and stepped closer, lowering his voice as he threatened. “I’m telling you. Don’t think you can fool me by marrying just any man? I’m taking this child. If you know what’s good for you, come with me obediently with the child.”

I looked at his crazed expression and scoffed. The cold, selfish man from five years ago had only become more unreasonable. He did not care about the truth. All he cared about was his pride.

I took a deep breath and spoke slowly. “Shawn, do you really think I couldn’t live without you after leaving?”

He sneered, “Isn’t that the case?”

“Do you think I showed up here with a child just to get your attention?”

“What else could it be?” He curled his lips mockingly. “Tiana, what else can a woman like you rely on besides men?”

I looked at him silently, then laughed. “Shawn, you’re pitiful.”

That word completely enraged him. His fingers dug into my shoulder. “Tiana, who do you think you are? If I hadn’t taken pity on you back then and saved you from those thugs, would you even be alive today?”

“You took pity on me?” I shook off his hand as my eyes reddened.

It was true that Shawn had once saved my life. On my way home from school, I was dragged into an alley by a group of thugs. He was the one who saved me. To protect me, he fought them like a madman and was stabbed several times in the abdomen.

That was when I first began to fall in love with him. Even knowing I was just a substitute for Jessica, I endured it.

Tessa tugged at my sleeve, pulling me back to reality. “Mommy, can we go find Daddy?”

I touched her cheek gently. “Okay, I'll take you to Daddy right now.”

I looked up at Shawn, all my patience gone. “Shawn, I’ll say this one last time. Tessa is not your child. She’s only three years old this year. Stop deceiving yourself.”

However, Shawn did not believe a word of it. He looked at Tessa.

“Tessa, call me 'Daddy.' I can give you a good life. You won’t have to pick through trash with your mom anymore.”

Tessa bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears as she shook her head desperately.

When Tessa still refused to call him 'Daddy', Shawn reached out to snatch her. I held my daughter tightly, protecting her.

However, the difference in strength between us was too great, and I was thrown aside. My back slammed into a donation box, and I went into a momentary blackout due to the sharp pain.

My phone slipped out of my pocket, and the screen lit up. It was a photo of my family of three.

As Shawn picked up my phone, his expression changed.

I let out a breath of relief, thinking he would finally believe me. However, the next second, the corner of his lips lifted in a mocking sneer. “Tiana, don’t tell me this is your husband. So what if he is?”

Jessica took the phone, glanced at it, and burst out laughing. “Ms. Larrinson, if you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. This is Zack Lynch—the famous Mr. Lynch. A man like him would never fall for someone like you, a trash picker.”

The next second, Shawn hurled the phone to the ground. The screen shattered instantly. His expression darkened as he looked at me on the floor, then he picked up Tessa and strode out.

At last, Tessa broke down, crying uncontrollably.

“Tessa!” I staggered after them. The pain in my back was blurring my vision.

Guests in the banquet hall began to gossip.

“What’s going on?”

“Looks like that woman snuck in and got caught.”

“I heard she used to be Mr. Chandler’s ex-girlfriend. Now, she’s picking trash…”

I had no time to explain. All I wanted was my daughter back.

In Shawn’s arms, Tessa struggled desperately, her little face flushed red from crying.

“Bad guy! Let me go! I want Mommy!”

“Shut up!” Shawn snapped, startling her so badly that her whole body trembled, her face turning pale. “I’m your father. You’re coming home with me!”

“Shawn!” I rushed forward and grabbed his arm. “You’re scaring her! Give her back to me—”

“That’s enough!” he cut me off. His voice was filled with disgust.

“Tiana, five years ago, you abandoned me over a wedding dress, and now, you’re bringing a child here to ruin my life again?”

A wave of murmurs rose around us. “Oh my God, this woman has no shame…”

"She brought a kid to pester her ex-boyfriend?”

“Look at what she’s wearing. How did she even get in…”

Every word stabbed into my heart like a knife.

“That’s nonsense!” I pointed at Shawn, trembling with anger. “You were the one who let Jessica wear the wedding dress and made me wear a bridesmaid’s dress!”

A gasp rippled through the crowd.

Jessica’s expression changed instantly, and then she put on a pitiful expression. “Ms. Larrinson, how can you twist the truth like that? You were the one who thought the wedding gifts Shawn gave you weren't enough…”

“Yeah, getting married in a bridesmaid’s dress? That’s impossible!”

“Is she mentally unstable…”

“Record this and post it online. Let everyone see…”

Phone cameras turned toward my face. I raised my hand to block them, but accidentally knocked over the champagne tower beside me.

The crash of shattering glass drew even more attention. A waiter glared at me with disgust.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” I quickly crouched down to pick up the broken glass, cutting my finger in the process.

“Still playing the victim,” Shawn sneered. “Everyone here should know how hard it is to get an invitation to this charity gala. How did someone who rumbles through the trash like her get in?”

Security guards rushed over. “Ma’am, please show your invitation.”

My invitation was in my bag. However, I had no idea where it had gone during the struggle just now. I looked around frantically, searching.

“See? She doesn’t have one.” Jessica lifted her chin smugly. “Security, throw her out!”

“Wait!” I tried to explain. “I was invited by the organizers. These donated clothes are mine.”

Shawn looked at me with disdain. A mocking smile appeared on his face. “Tiana, how long are you going to keep lying? These clothes clearly belong to Mr. Lynch’s wife. Everyone knows Mr. Lynch dotes on his wife. How could he possibly be interested in a secondhand woman like you?”

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

My face burned, and I was traumatized by the laughter.

Tessa was still crying hoarsely in Shawn’s arms, “Mommy! I want Mommy!”

My heart felt like it was shattering.

Just as despair set in, I suddenly spotted my bag under a nearby table. I rushed over, grabbed it, and shakily pulled out the invitation.

“Look! This is my invitation!”

A guard reached out to check it, but Jessica snatched it away, glanced at it, and tore it in half. “It’s fake! Security, throw her out!”

“You!” I watched the pieces fall to the ground as despair struck me.

The guards grabbed my arms. “Ma’am, please come with us.”

“No! My daughter!” I struggled desperately, tears streaming down my face. “Shawn! Give Tessa back to me!”

Just then, the lights in the banquet hall suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight fell on the central stage.

The host’s clear voice rang out. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to tonight’s charity gala! First, let us welcome the hosts of this evening, the president of Lynch Group, Mr. Zack Lynch, and his wife, Mrs. Tiana Lynch!”

The next second, a family photo appeared on the big screen. It was the same photo as the one on my phone. Shawn’s expression froze instantly.