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?"