Madison Lando, a single mother, had been raising her daughter Trudy on her own after her husband, Joe, died in a mysterious mining accident. They had been high school sweethearts, eventually marrying after Trudy was born to avoid any conflicts with their conservative families. Joe had switched from being an archaeologist to working as a miner, despite Madison’s protests about the job’s dangers. The pay was better, Joe insisted, but tragedy struck when he and several colleagues were killed in an accident two years earlier.

After Joe’s death, Madison struggled to make ends meet, raising Trudy with little more than determination and resourcefulness. Life was hard, but she did everything she could to provide for her daughter.

One day, Trudy excitedly told her mother about a birthday party hosted by a wealthy classmate, Bella La Fontaine. Invitations were extended to the entire class, but with a catch: all attendees had to wear dresses purchased from the Fontaine clothing store. Knowing she couldn’t afford the pricey dresses, Madison tried to stay positive. She used the little money she had to buy fabric and spent the night sewing Trudy a dress by hand.

Trudy was thrilled with her mother’s effort, and the pair arrived at the party full of hope. However, they quickly became the target of cruel laughter from the other guests, who mocked Trudy’s handmade dress. Heartbroken, Trudy ran out of the building, her eyes blurred with tears, and collided with a limousine that had just pulled up.