city of dreams true story

Esther Yale grew up relying solely on her father, Edmund Yale, after her mother, May Dayne, left the family. Years of overwork took a toll on her health, and Esther developed cancer. Struggling to afford her father's medical expenses, she reluctantly sought help from her estranged mother, who had built a new life for herself. However, her attempt to reconnect was met with staunch opposition from her grandfather. After Edmund's tragic passing, Esther, burdened by grief and resentment, accepted a job as a caregiver in the Dayne Residence. Immersed in her mother's world, she began to uncover the depths of May's hidden love and sacrifices. Slowly, Esther's hatred gave way to understanding and forgiveness. When faced with a terminal diagnosis, Esther made the ultimate sacrifice to save her younger brother, leaving behind a legacy of love and reconciliation.

Priscilla Lewis grows up in a family that favors sons over daughters. To evade family planning laws, her parents falsely claim that she and her younger brother, Quincy Lewis, are twins. From childhood, she and her older sister, Paige Lewis, endure unfair treatment while their brother receives the best of everything. When Priscilla excels in the college entrance exam and earns a spot at a top university, her parents refuse to let her attend, insisting that the opportunity belongs to her underperforming brother. They try to force her into marriage, but Paige helps her escape. In her place, Paige endures humiliation in an unwanted marriage. Years later, Priscilla returns, reclaiming the dignity and justice owed to both her and her sister.

After Mia’s only son, Noah, was rescued and adopted by the CEO of the Brown Group following a car accident, Mia and her husband, Adam, never stopped searching for him. They spent every last penny on posters and search efforts, even to the point of starving themselves. After twenty long years of desperate attempts to reunite with Noah, he finally returns… But now, he’s the new billionaire CEO of the Brown Group. Back in his hometown, he has arrived to visit the only family refusing to sell their land to the Brown Group — while secretly hoping for a chance to find his biological parents.

Clara is the biological daughter of her family, but her parents and brothers always blindly favored her adoptive sister, Emily. After years of torment, Emily finally murdered Clara at the age of 24… but now, Clara has the chance to be 19 again. In this life, Clara vows to never again be victimized by bullies. Though her brothers find out the truth from Clara’s diary, which plunges them into regret, it’s too late - Clara’s long past forgiveness.

To pay for her mom’s treatment, Ashley is assaulted by her uncle and betrayed by her boyfriend, cousin, and family—until a mysterious CEO, Orion, saves her. Ten years later, she returns as a billionaire to take revenge.

Molly was caught between three powerful suitors—the world's richest man, a genius doctor, and a mafia godfather—but her heart belonged to her rescuer, Dante. She planned to propose to him after her grandmother's birthday party, only to discover Dante had married her sister. As her family's abuse began, her three formidable admirers arrived just in time.

On the day of Valeria Castle's engagement, her mother, Marilyn Castle, arrives at the banquet disguised as a cleaner, only to face humiliation from the Hardy family. A wealthy woman fights her over a parking spot, her future mother-in-law enforces strict household rules, and her fiancé demands an outrageous betrothal gift. But Marilyn soon reveals her true identity. Wayne Cuddy, Aaron Shaw, and Basil Brady step in with a billion-dollar dowry, instantly turning the tide. From that moment on, she proves her strength time and again, expertly resolving the crisis at Price Corp. In the end, as foreign capital threatens their empire, she takes Valeria abroad—ready for the next battle.

On the day of Valeria Castle's engagement, her mother, Marilyn Castle, arrives at the banquet disguised as a cleaner, only to face humiliation from the Hardy family. A wealthy woman fights her over a parking spot, her future mother-in-law enforces strict household rules, and her fiancé demands an outrageous betrothal gift. But Marilyn soon reveals her true identity. Wayne Cuddy, Aaron Shaw, and Basil Brady step in with a billion-dollar dowry, instantly turning the tide. From that moment on, she proves her strength time and again, expertly resolving the crisis at Price Corp. In the end, as foreign capital threatens their empire, she takes Valeria abroad—ready for the next battle.

Emma is a single mother who's relied on her wits and guts to raise three wonderful sons. On her father's 70th birthday, Emma's mother invites her home... but Emma is greeted with nothing but harassment and bullying from her two jealous sisters and money-grubbing father. Even her eldest son's fiancee humiliates her at a party, and her long-divorced ex-husband and best friend treat her like trash! But Emma ultimately overcomes all the prejudice, finding true love and happiness anew.

Dakota is Gabriella Lowery's only daughter, cherished since childhood, who later marries Chase Boone and moves far away. After marriage, Chase neglects the family and has an affair. Although Dakota suffers, she never complains to her mother. At her child's one-month celebration, Dakota hopes for her mother to attend, only to discover that everyone believes Gabriella has passed away and has kept this from her. Dakota refuses to believe it and argues with the Boone family. Years of unhappiness make her consider divorce, but Chase is unwilling. At this point, Gabriella arrives and, seeing her daughter's thin appearance, blames Chase. Still, she is willing to give him another chance. Unfortunately, the rift in Dakota and Chase's relationship is beyond repair. Dakota decides to divorce, and Gabriella supports her. Chase recognizes his mistakes, chooses to let her go, and expresses his intention to change, waiting for Dakota to return.

Stella lost her parents when she was just a child and grew up in heartbreaking circumstances. But through it all, she stayed bright, strong, and kind-hearted. At eighteen, she happened to save Riley, the elegant matriarch of a wealthy family. Grateful, Riley took her in as her foster daughter. To Stella's amazement, her six new brothers were anything but ordinary. From a girl nobody cared about, she suddenly found herself at the center of a powerful family—as their beloved little sister.

Joseph, the heir to the Prosperous Group, was separated from his family as a child and adopted by a kind-hearted farmer. In order to protect his adoptive sister, he was beaten into a fool. Years later, Joseph and his adoptive mother attend his sister's wedding, only to be humiliated and coldly rejected by the ungrateful sister, who refuses to acknowledge them. What she doesn't know is that the fiancé she's so eager to marry is none other than Joseph's biological brother—and in the end, she gets a rude awakening.

Mia's world turned upside down when her first love, Logan Henry, re-entered her life with his young daughter, Jade Henry. As Jade became a constant presence in the family, Mia's relationship with her own daughter, Molly Justin, grew increasingly strained. Feeling overshadowed and repeatedly pushed aside, Molly slowly closed off her heart until one day, she left with her father, Mason Justin. Only after their departure did Mia awaken to the pain she'd caused. The weight of her indifference and the void left by her daughter's love began to consume her, plunging her into a spiral of irreparable remorse.

To save her father's life, Alicia Bennett is forced into a dangerous game of deception, swapping places with Sabrina Knight to "pretend" to be intimate with Sabrina's powerful husband, Ethan Clark. What begins as a desperate bargain to secure money for surgery soon spirals into a deadly web of secrets and manipulation, with Alicia trapped as a pawn in the ruthless Knight family's control. By day, she's Ethan's dutiful assistant; by night, she's a "stranger" in his bed, caught in a whirlwind of passion, power, and betrayal. As their complex, forbidden connection deepens, Alicia is drawn into a world where nothing is as it seems—until the shocking truth is finally exposed… Will Alicia escape the tangled web she's been caught in, or will the Knight family's plans destroy everything she's fought for?

On Christmas Eve, James Halper visits his wife's family, only to be treated with disdain. Little do they know, he is the new Chairman of Empyrean Group, one of the world's leading companies.

After losing her husband in a car accident, Imelda Tobin shoulders the burden of raising their two children alone. She works tirelessly to secure their future, eventually building the Frey Corp—but at the cost of her health, ultimately leading to late-stage stomach cancer. She loves both of her children deeply, but her strictness with her stubborn son, Joshua Frey, often makes it seem like she favors her daughter, Jade Frey. Under the influence of her husband, Chad Archer, Jade begins to feel excluded from the family's future and fuels tensions between her mother and Joshua, deepening their rift.

Leola Dawson returns home from abroad for her brother Tyrone's proposal to Helen Miller. At the proposal, Helen mistakes Leola for "the other woman." Helen and her family mistreat Leola based on this misunderstanding. Tyrone, influenced by Helen's family, turns against his sister. Finally, Leola and her parents clear up the situation, and she becomes the heiress to Dawson Group.

When Melody Lowe was young, she saved Michael Pond, leaving a scar on her face. Hoping he would recognize her, she was heartbroken when he mistook Sharon Bright for his savior. Despite her love for him, she was misunderstood, but they eventually married—only because she offered him financial support during his lowest point. Melody devotes herself to their marriage, but their relationship remains cold. After being diagnosed with cancer, she passes away shortly after—only to be reborn. Determined to fight back, she seeks revenge against Michael and his mistress. Just when she thinks she can find happiness with her child, she discovers that it is her daughter who saved her life. Overwhelmed by loss, she finds solace in someone who truly loves her, while a little kid begins to cultivate on a distant mountain.