Tessa was abandoned from birth after her adoptive mother died, leaving her under the care of her father Brice. He took a new wife Justine who along with their grandmother Leyla subjected Tessa to constant abuse and severity. An accidental discovery by Tessa of Justine's affair led to threats of silence from her stepmother which left Tessa fearing violence from Brice and Leyla. Tessa caused Justine to fall resulting in a miscarriage as she was scared and exhausted, eventually collapsing at the doorstep of the Ding household. Paulina and her husband saw Tessa's desperate state and chose to offer her shelter.