Rebecca dropped to her knees and gently lifted Ethan into her arms.
"It's okay, sweetheart," she whispered while checking his scraped hands. "Mommy's here."
But Ethan didn't stop crying.
Instead, his sobbing grew louder.
His tiny body shook with fear.
Nearby guests watched with sympathy while doctors attending the gala stepped forward, ready to help if necessary.
Before anyone could speak, another woman pushed through the crowd.
Victoria Langford.
Dressed in an elegant maroon evening gown, she pointed directly at Rebecca with pure hatred burning in her eyes.
"You'll all regret this!" she screamed.
The ballroom erupted into confusion.
Security immediately moved toward Victoria, believing she had suffered some kind of breakdown.
Rebecca looked up in complete shock.
"Victoria... what are you doing here?"
Neither woman noticed Ethan staring between them.
His breathing became faster.
His tears continued falling.
Then, with heartbreaking desperation, the little boy screamed words that echoed throughout the enormous ballroom.
"You're not my real mommy!"
Silence.
Every guest froze.
Several champagne glasses slipped from trembling hands.
The orchestra members stared in disbelief.
Rebecca's face turned completely pale.
She looked down at Ethan, unable to believe what she had just heard.
"Sweetheart..."
But the frightened child pulled away from her embrace.
His terrified eyes remained fixed on Victoria.
The entire ballroom seemed frozen in time.
Nobody knew what to believe.
Nobody understood why the child had spoken those devastating words.
Only Victoria stood perfectly still.
For the first time that evening, the anger disappeared from her face.
Instead...
She looked completely heartbroken.