

Joanie Sadler and Laurent Goff met and grew up together as children in an orphanage. After leaving the orphanage, Laurent set out to build a career and promised to one day give Joanie a home. Joanie was later adopted by Peggy Boswell and Benjamin Francis, a couple who had lost their own daughter. Peggy sees Joanie as a replacement for her lost child, and when Joanie's birth parents later come to claim her, the Francis couple forges false paternity test results to keep Joanie. Years later, the Francises' real daughter Joanna is found, causing the couple to immediately turn against Joanie and send her back to her birth parents. Joanna also resents Joanie for living the life that should have been hers. At this time, Laurent, through a paternity test from years ago, locates Joanie and arrives at the Francis household, bringing a billion-dollar investment project. However, due to a series of misunderstandings, Laurent mistakenly believes Joanna is his childhood friend Joanie.

Layla Nott has been infatuated with Seth Upton since she was a teenager and even willingly gives him her vast inheritance to help him build Upton Group, transforming the Upton family into one of the most prominent families in Yeldon. However, ever since she married into the Upton family, her health has deteriorated. One day, after a visit for medical treatment, she returns home to find Seth fooling around with her stepsister, Sharon Black. Septh's mother, Susan Upton, is at home and clearly condones the affair. After being humiliated by Sharon and Susan, Layla is left shaken by Seth's confession—he has only ever been interested in her wealth and has never loved her. He has even purchased a massive life insurance policy on her and is now waiting for her death to cash in on the payout. Heartbroken by the revelation, Layla feels her life is pathetic. Impatient for her demise, Seth takes her to the rooftop and pushes her off. As she plunges to her death, Layla swears that if she were given another chance, she would exact her revenge and make sure they pay for their betrayal.