is queen's gambit based on true story

In a devastating fire, a stepmother and her stepdaughter become trapped in an elevator, and Evelyn sacrifices her life in a desperate attempt to save Heidi. Unbeknownst to her husband, Vincent Clarke, Evelyn's tragic death occurs while he stands by the side of Heidi's biological mother, Fiona Lawson. Grief-stricken, Heidi cries out, "I only have one mother, her name is Evelyn Glover!"

Ellie Devin, once the cherished eldest daughter of the wealthy Wilcox family, discovers she’s actually the fourth daughter of the Devin family. Driven by blood ties, she seeks out her real brothers, only to face cold rejection. They despise her, and the adopted daughter, Fiona Devin, frames her at every turn. Instead of defending Ellie, her brothers force her to kneel in the rain, refusing to listen. Sick and drenched, she begs to be let inside, but only Fiona emerges, mocking her cruelly before pushing her down the stairs. Left abandoned overnight, Ellie wakes with a new resolve. She fights back when falsely accused again, declaring she will no longer bow to the Devin family. Stunned, they watch as she walks away. This time, Ellie is determined to reclaim her place in the Wilcox family, where she truly belongs.

After losing her father, Nora Smith moves with her mother into the Lowe family, where she suffers constant bullying from her stepbrothers and relentless humiliation. Her mother urges her to remain silent, but everything changes when she discovers her stepfather's plan to marry her off to her lazy stepbrother, Xavier Lowe. Refusing to accept this fate, Nora hides her acceptance to a top university and escapes, taking on odd jobs to support herself while secretly pursuing her studies. Years later, her exceptional talent catches the attention of Rivelle's leading company, Grant Corp, which funds her studies abroad. Now, at 27, Nora returns as a powerful and influential figure, determined to reclaim her life.

Eight years ago, Lily Moore thought she had lost her boyfriend forever. Heartbroken and pregnant, she entrusted her newborn daughter, Luna Moore, to her mother, Jean Lake, and disappeared from their lives. For eight long years, Lily never returned home, never once seeing the child she left behind. Now gravely ill, Jean seeks out her daughter in the city, desperate to secure a future for Luna. But Lily, now married and determined to protect her new life, refuses to acknowledge the little girl she once abandoned…

Minnie Lane and her siblings had always relied on each other since they were kids. But an accident tore them apart, separating them for years. Fifteen years later, her younger siblings have each achieved success in their respective careers, while Minnie, tragically, was sold by human traffickers to Victor Zane in a remote village. Now, her younger siblings are determined to set out on a journey to find their eldest sister and bring her home.

Karina's stepson's birth mother returns, threatening to take the boy Karina raised and helped heal from a congenital leg disability. After a heated argument, Karina realizes her husband and stepson saw her only as a free nanny. Desperate, she then discovers John, her silent protector, ready to help her restart her career and shine again as a cybersecurity queen. When her ex-husband and stepson regret it, it's too late.

Paisley Jenkins, a war correspondent, gave up her career to become a housewife after getting married and having a child. Ten years later, her husband, Lucas, gifts Paisley’s late mother’s camera to his "little sister," Sophia. Paisley discovers Lucas and Sophia’s ambiguous relationship, and their daughter, Anna, idolizes Sophia. Heartbroken, Paisley applies to return to the warzone. Her news director warns her, "War correspondents must stay until the conflict ends"—implying she might not come back alive. Paisley files for divorce, but Lucas dismisses it.

Twenty-three years ago, Jane Potter swapped her newborn daughter for a baby boy to secure her place in the wealthy Stark family. She branded a family emblem on her daughter's shoulder, hoping they would reunite one day. Now, that boy—Matt Stark—has inherited the Stark empire, while the rightful heiress, Willow Kent, has struggled to survive. Desperate to save her ailing adoptive mother, she works at a nightclub, where fate takes an unexpected turn. She mistakes Matt for a criminal and unintentionally leaves him injured. From that moment, their lives become intertwined in ways neither could have imagined.

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.

Evelyn Willow, a strong female general, is honored by the emperor with the title of "Wise General" for her victories. Returning to the capital for her sister Vera Willow's wedding, she's mistaken for a beggar due to her worn clothes. Despite this, Vera fiercely defends her. But on the day of the wedding, Vera is betrayed by her entire in-law family. Evelyn uses her power to strike back, defending her sister's honor. After helping Vera annul the marriage, she arranges a new match with Caius Nelson. On the day the duke sends his betrothal gifts, both sisters unexpectedly encounter the parents who abandoned them. Evelyn decides to make them regret their actions for the rest of their lives.

The Smith family welcomed a pair of twins, and an expert claimed one a lucky star and the other a curse. He predicted that the lucky twin would become the top scholar in eighteen years. Their grandmother, valuing boys over girls, was certain that the elder brother, Joel Smith, was the fortunate one and tried to kill his sister. A kind maid, Ivy Lake, saved Zoe Smith, who was then raised as a servant in her own home. Years later, both siblings make three wishes, and soon, the Smith family becomes the richest in Halton. Their faith in Joel deepens, and Zoe suffers even harsher treatment—until the scholar's plaque arrives. To everyone's shock, the so-called cursed girl, Zoe Smith, is actually the real top scholar!

Joni Holloway is a well-known philanthropist and female entrepreneur in Hastax. When she was on the brink of death, her daughter-in-law, Miranda Murray, appeared. It was then that Joni realized she had been cheated by Miranda. Her son, Karl, was put in prison, and the Holloway family was in ruins. All of this was schemed by Miranda, who wanted to take over the Holloway family. Realizing all of this, Joni felt deeply regretful. Joni swore that if there were a next life, she would protect her good daughter-in-law, Janette. When Joni woke up again, she found herself back three years ago.

Lynn, a girl born in a remote mountainous region, worked diligently to gain admission to a prestigious university. However, her father, who favored sons over daughters, refused to support her aspirations and even went so far as to tear up her acceptance letter. In contrast, her mother sold her blood to help fund Lynn's education. Five years later, Lynn achieved remarkable success and envisioned building factories in her hometown to uplift all the villagers. However, the villagers mistakenly perceived her as a foot massage worker. In reality, she was the CEO of Honor Group.

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.

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.

Hugh sacrificed his chance at the National Medical Research Council to save his wife Quinn, who had late-stage liver cancer. He sold family heirlooms to fund her treatment, but Quinn used the money to buy a car for her first love, James. She became obsessed with their past together, ignoring her son Luke's feelings. Hugh and Luke gave her three chances to change, but she refused. Finally, Hugh joined the National Physician Program and left with Luke. After he departed, Quinn regretted her actions, but it was too late to make amends.

Allie Mullen single-handedly raises Kellan Conley and Lyla Conley. Sacrificing everything, she works tirelessly to save money for Kellan's education, hoping he will return to help his hometown after completing his studies. However, Kellan disappears for ten years without a trace. The villagers believe he has abandoned his family and forgotten his roots. When the Conley village faces a major relocation project, Cedric Conley and the other villagers attempt to forcibly evict Allie, who refuses to leave, still holding onto hope for her son's return. Meanwhile, Kellan has finally completed a task for the wealthy Cecelia Johnston and is returning home. In an ironic twist of fate, Allie and Kellan narrowly miss each other during his return. It is Lyla who eventually finds her brother by chance, spotting him in a television interview. Finally, after years of separation, mother and son are set to reunite.

Nadia Hart was born into a poor family in the countryside, yet she managed to earn a spot at a prestigious university after her parents humbled themselves to secure her tuition. Determined to make a name for herself, Nadia swore she'd bring honor to her family. Years later, as a successful professional, she returns to develop her village—only to face accusations of disgrace. Little do they know, she is the very person they now hope to befriend: the director of Smith Corp.