is instant family based on a true story

Sharon, chairwoman of the Zeller Group, and her husband lost their child Hector when he was a child. They poured all their love into the adopted boy, Howard. Even after Hector was returned to them, Sharon continued to favor Howard, granting him the right to inherit the family business. However, she never expected that Howard would attempt to kill her. On the brink of death, she finally saw through his wicked nature and swore that if given another chance, she would make amends to her true child. Miraculously, her wish is granted—when she opens her eyes again, she finds herself back three years in the past.

In his last life, Yael Summers wrote several songs for his eldest sister, making her a famous singer, but his brother Zayne took the credit. After being misunderstood by everyone, Yael died on a winter night. Unexpectedly, Yael was reborn and went back to five years ago. This time, he had already known the true colors of his family. So he decided to leave the family, sing those songs himself, and try to become a top singer.

Twelve years ago, for an important task, the leader of the Ford Army, Chereen Ford, had to leave her daughter and son, and asked Sherry Jerome to take care of them. After completing her mission, Chereen came back and found her daughter, Paula. But Paula was already married, and her husband always beat her up. Chereen wanted to take Paula away, but Paula refused because she thought Chereen killed her dad. On the other hand, Chereen heard that her son, Wayne, had gone missing. Could Chereen find Wayne and clear the misunderstanding between her and Paula?

In the previous life, Jonathan Shane gave his all for his family. However, he was framed by his adopted brother Jacob, put in jail, abandoned by his family, and died with regrets in the end. This time, he refused to take the blame for Jacob and revealed the truth of the hit-and-run, but his mom and sisters still took Jacob's side. So, Jonathan chose to cut ties with his family and decided to take back what had been stolen from him.

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.

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.

Frank had been adopted by his foster parents who doted on him dearly. But everything changed the day his foster parents officially recognized Timothy, their biological son. No matter how earnestly Frank explained, his adoptive father chose to believe the newly acknowledged heir over the son he'd raised for over twenty years. Frank had overlooked the bond of blood. On Timothy's birthday celebration, Frank died in a car crash. In his final moments, Frank realized the entire tragedy had been orchestrated by Timothy. Consumed by regret and rage, his world plunged into darkness. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself back to the fateful day, his wife’s leap from the building.

Joliet and her husband, Marvin, returned from abroad with their son, excited to reunite with their family. However, a sudden car accident shattered their happiness. Shockingly, the fatal crash was caused by Marvin's own siblings, Helena and Jerome. Unaware that the victim was their younger brother, they not only failed to offer help but also fled the scene. Joliet found no assistance and was coerced into signing a settlement. Helena even refused to pay for the medical expenses and verbally abused Joliet, ultimately causing Marvin to miss his chance for rescue and die in despair. Joliet intended to return home with her husband's ashes but was mistaken for a scammer by the oblivious Helena. In the end, the truth was revealed, and Helena realized that she had inadvertently killed her beloved brother. Overcome with guilt, Jerome chose to turn himself in. Joliet took her son back abroad, leaving the unstable Helena to face a lonely life alone in her remaining years.

After a tragic attack left his family dead, Frank became separated from his two younger sisters. Now a cripple, he married the gold-digger Jane. However, Jane abandoned both her husband and son. Years later, their son, Yannick chose to side with his mother's new partner, causing humiliation for Frank. Fortunately, his sister recognized him and stepped in to help him reclaim his dignity.

Lydia Judd watched helplessly as her mother died at the hands of her abusive father. If given a choice, she would rather have never been born than let her mother marry him. Then, fate grants her a second chance—she wakes up in the past, when her mother is still young. Determined to change her fate, Lydia helps her escape her toxic family and keeps her away from the man who would ruin her life. Instead, she entrusts her to Shawn Lane, a man who had secretly loved her mother in their past life. As her mother's future shifts, Lydia begins to fade. On the day her mother gets married, Lydia quietly disappears, her mission fulfilled.

Karissa was the true heiress of the Beltran family, who had been lost and later found. However, she was then kidnapped by Ivy, the family's adopted daughter. In a bid to prove who their family truly cared about, Ivy set fire to the warehouse they were in. In her moment of peril, Karissa found that her parents and brothers chose to save Ivy, abandoning her to her fate. Just when her life hung in the balance, she saw Luis, someone she had once lived with, come to her rescue. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself reborn three years earlier. This time, Karissa was determined to change the course of her life.

As a child loved by no one, Ava suffered unfathomable abuse from her father and grandmother. On the eve of being forced to marry a scoundrel, Ava managed to flee from home with her mother's help. Years later, Ava is now a powerful CEO and returns to rescue her mother, only to walk into her family's trap. But she's a victim no longer - this time, she's back to destroy them all and seize her long-awaited vengeance.

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.

Dustin Jason used to give his all to his adopted family, but what he got in return was his wife and daughter suffering and himself being abandoned when he was seriously sick. After being reborn, he stopped being blindly filial and strived to change his fate. He protected his wife and daughter during repeated conflicts with the rest of the family, and eventually, he completely broke with the Jason family. In the end, Dustin achieved great success in his career, while the Jason family were deceived due to greed and got their retribution.

Isabelle, the CEO of New York City’s Weston Group, wants to bring her elderly father, Jerry, from her hometown to the city so she can take care of him. Jerry hence sets out for the Big Apple, but neither father nor daughter expected that this journey would become a nightmare. No one knows that Jerry is Isabelle's father, and instead assume from his plain clothes that he’s a beggar or a pervert. Jerry suffers bullying and abuse by Weston Group’s employees and partners, until Isabelle finally arrives......

Janet Driscoll, once the cherished darling of the family, was devastated to discover that she was not her parents' biological daughter. After their real daughter, Jaime, was welcomed home, her once-loving parents and brother began to trust Jaime blindly, hanging on her every word.When Janet was falsely accused of pushing her grandma down the stairs, the Driscoll family, without hesitation, sent her to a harsh reform school. There, she endured three years of inhumane torment that left her with permanent, life-altering disabilities.Three years later, when the family finally brought her home, they were shocked to find that the bright, cheerful Janet they once knew had vanished. In her place stood a cold, distant young woman who had shut them all out.

Six years ago, due to the manipulations of Yvan Leonard's mother, Sheila Solley was forced to break up with him—only to later discover she was pregnant. She secretly gave birth to their child, naming him Lennox Solley, but passed away when Lennox turned five.Left without his mother, Lennox took a photo of Yvan and a love token, and with his loyal dog by his side, wandered hundreds of miles alone to find his father. Yet Yvan,unaware of the truth behind their past, refuses to believe Lennox is his son.

Jack Schulz was the biological son of Jennifer Lynn, a respected surgeon. Due to a misunderstanding with his father, Jennifer resented Jack but favored her adopted son, Matthew Zane—the child of her former lover. After Matthew hit Jack with a car, Jack suffered internal bleeding and was rushed to the hospital. Doctors repeatedly called Jennifer for consent to operate, but she refused to believe the situation.Losing hope, Jack gave up on survival. Matthew found Jack's kidney donation form and secretly changed it to authorize full organ donation. Meanwhile, Jennifer was desperately seeking a heart for Matthew. Unaware of the truth, she ended up dissecting her own son and transplanting his organs into Matthew. Though the body looked familiar, she believed Matthew—until a DNA report confirmed the donor was her real son. Only then did she realize the devastating truth.