Shirley crossed her arms and lifted her chin, looking down at me like she was some kind of judge. She let out an icy snort.

"Jeannie, your mom brought this on herself. Don't try that pathetic act in front of me, blaming everything on Linda." She paused impatiently, then jerked her chin forward. "Just sign it. Stop wasting time."

The two of them stood there like they were handing down a sentence, waiting for me to bow my head and obey.

I did not even bother looking up. I casually pushed the stack of papers back toward them, my tone as calm as if we were talking about the weather.

"I'm not qualified to sign that. You should keep it for yourselves."

Nash's voice shot up instantly when he saw I was not giving in. It turned dark and threatening.

"Jeannie, don't push your luck.”

"Someone like your mom, living on the edge of society, what value does she even have? She just takes up space. Linda is young, with a bright future ahead of her. Are you really going to drag her whole life into hell over a dead person?"

Shirley jumped in right away, frowning like she was disgusted.

"Exactly. Your mom being alive was already a waste of resources. What Linda did was basically a public service.”

"And instead of thanking her, you're trying to squeeze money out of this?"

I looked at them and calmly dropped the truth.

"I think you two are the ones confused. The person lying there is your actual mother. This agreement? No one else signing it will mean anything except you."

The moment Shirley heard that, she exploded. Her voice jumped an octave.

"Jeannie, are you insane? How dare you say something like that at my mom's welcome party? Are you trying to start trouble on purpose?"

Nash's expression darkened too. The veins on his forehead bulged as his anger spiked.

"Jeannie, have I spoiled you too much over the years? Is that why you've become this out of control, with zero respect left?”

"She is my emotional anchor. She's my whole world. If anyone dares touch a single hair on her head, I'll make them regret being born. Even you."

After shouting that, he spun around and barked at the security guards behind him.

"Go. Take care of that old woman's mess. Throw it straight into the septic tank."

The guard flinched, his face full of hesitation. "Mr. Smith, this… this might be a bit much. What if…"

Nash cut him off, practically hysterical. "She refuses to sign, right? Likes to run her mouth, right? Then today I'll show her exactly what happens when you mess with my mother.”

"Do it. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility."

Seeing the boss completely lose it, the guards did not dare argue anymore. Gritting their teeth, they stepped forward to carry out the order.

Around us, the well-dressed guests were giving me strange looks. Whispered conversations floated around, rising and falling like waves.

"Jeannie really picked the wrong person to mess with this time. She actually crossed Mr. Smith's line."

"Exactly. His dad died early. His mom raised him all by herself. She's the most important person in his life. And now she's making a scene like this at the welcome party. She's lost it."

"With a daughter like that, what parent wouldn't be dragged down sooner or later?"

The sharp, cutting whispers came one after another, like tiny needles pricking at the skin.

However, I did not take a single word to heart. I stared straight at Nash, my face blank, and asked slowly, "Nash, are you sure you want to tear away the last bit of dignity left?"

He looked down at me like I was nothing, his eyes harsh and sharp.

"Jeannie, you brought this on yourself.”

"What happened to your mom is her own fault. People who chase small gains always pay the price.”

"However, what you shouldn't have done is keep saying those inappropriate things here, again and again, humiliating my mom."

His voice was as icy as a blade, leaving no room for mercy.

"In the end, with a daughter like you, with no manners and no boundaries, she probably didn't have it easy all these years. Maybe for her, this is a release."

The words had barely fallen.

Then, out of nowhere, my mom, Amy casually walked into the villa garden. She looked at Nash, completely confused.

"Who passed away? Who are you all talking about?"

The moment Nash saw Amy standing right in front of him, alive and well, he froze on the spot.

His eyes went wide, round as saucers, like he had just seen the devil himself. He stared at Amy, frozen in place, his throat locked tight as if stuffed with cotton. Not a single word came out.

The crowd around us had not caught on yet. They just assumed Amy was some random outsider who had wandered in. One by one, they looked her up and down with open disgust.

"Where did this country bumpkin come from? She looks like she dressed out of a flea market."

"This is a high-end party for Mrs. Smith. Are the security guards asleep? How did they let someone like this in?"

"Look at her, she's probably here because she smelled the steak and wants a free meal."

"Seriously, what bad luck. This whole party is getting ruined by people like this."

Linda rushed forward first, pointing straight at Amy's face as she started yelling.

"Where did this filthy beggar come from?”

"Get out of here right now!”

"This isn't a charity. Take the hint and disappear!"

As she spoke, she looked at Amy like she was some kind of hazardous waste.

Amy was completely thrown off by the sudden hostility. She looked a little flustered and turned to me.

"Jeannie, did this girl take something weird? Why are they all targeting me like this?"

I was just about to speak when Linda suddenly acted like she had discovered something huge. She let out a sharp scream. "I knew it. No way someone like her would just wander in. She's another one of your poor relatives!”

"Jeannie, do you have any shame at all?”

"Letting your greedy mom come here to freeload wasn't enough. Now you're dragging your whole group of poor neighbors to crash Mrs. Smith's welcome party and eat for free?”

"Is the Shaw family running out of money or something? Why are you clinging to the Smith family like you can't survive without us?"

Her words instantly set off another wave of scorn.

"Disgusting. Like flies swarming wherever there's something to gain."

"Exactly. One falls, and another shows up right away. What is this, taking turns to leech off people?"

"Mr. Smith, today is your mother's big day. Letting people like this mix in is an insult to the Smith family's reputation. You should have them removed immediately."

Hearing all the harsh mockery, Amy frowned and spoke seriously, trying to explain.

"Everyone, I think you've got the wrong person.”

"I'm not some relative of Jeannie. I'm her mother."

The moment those words came out, the noisy crowd fell completely silent, like someone had hit a mute button.

Linda reacted like she had been electrocuted, screaming in disbelief.

"Are… are you out of your mind?”

"How could you possibly be Jeannie's mother? Then the one lying over there is…?"

Amy looked genuinely confused.

"Why can't I be her mother? Jeannie was worried my joints would act up in the winter, so she even took me to the seaside for a vacation to escape the cold."

She shrugged and went on, "I saw her take a call around noon and panic. She booked a flight right away and hurried back. I thought something serious had happened. Later, I saw Nash's post and figured out his mother was coming home. So, I tagged along to congratulate him too."

"Nash knows me. So where do you get the idea that I'm not her mom, young lady?"

Amy had always been used to a quiet, rural life. Aside from attending my wedding years ago, she almost never came into the city.

Even when she brought things for Nash, she would come and leave quickly, not even stopping for a drink of water.

So those so-called high society people had never actually seen what she looked like.

Her words hit like a bomb, leaving everyone completely stunned.

They stared at her like she was some kind of monster, fear creeping into their expressions.

At that moment, Nash finally snapped out of his daze.

He stared at Amy desperately, making sure she was real, flesh and blood. Then, his voice trembling, he asked, "Mom… you… how are you alive?"