In The Baxters, Ashley is a troubled character whose haunting past continues to affect her present.
After graduating from college, Ashley went to Paris, hoping to make a name for herself as a painter. Not long after that, she returned home, where she faced another tragedy.
These events changed Ashley. She now has a hard time getting along with her family because she constantly feels judged by them.
Unable to move on from her past, Ashley ends up making mistakes and pushing away those who want to help her.
Ashley’s traumatic past
When Ashley was in Paris, she sought recognition for her work, but important people did not give her the time of day.
She faced disappointment at every turn until she met Adrian, a successful man who was the star of every gallery.
Adrian valued Ashley’s work, and despite her efforts not to get attached, as she knew he was a married man, Ashley fell in love with him.
Adrian made her believe he reciprocated her feelings. However, when Ashley got pregnant with his child, he sent her to a clinic to get an abortion.
Ashley almost went through with it, but she ultimately decided to keep her baby. Even today, she regrets listening to Adrian and going to the clinic.
Ashley returned home, thanks to Kari, who assured her that the family would help and support her. However, she could not shake the feeling that she had let a man destroy her.
Shortly after returning home, Ashley was in a car accident. She was driving Luke’s best friend, Colton, home at night when another car crashed into them.
Both Ashley and Colton were brought to the hospital in critical condition. Ashley’s father was the only doctor on call, and he operated on her because she was six months pregnant.
While Ashley and her baby survived, Colton lost his life. Ashley blamed herself for his death. She had to live with the guilt of driving the car that night and surviving when Colton did not.
The difficulty of leaving the past behind
Ashley lives off the settlement money she received after the accident for years. She does not get a job or make any attempt to pursue a career as a painter.
Too guilty and ashamed to confront her past, she pushes away people who care about her, which prevents her from moving on.
Additionally, Ashley struggles to be there for her son, Cole, and feels like a disappointment whenever her family tries to hold her accountable.
Eventually, Elizabeth and John convince Ashley to open up about the guilt she has been carrying and help her let it go.
Ashley then begins to turn her life around. She not only gets a job but also starts trying to get recognition for her paintings, and this time, she succeeds.
She also grows close to Landon and confides in him about her experiences in Paris. Landon helps her move past the mistakes she made in Paris.
As Ashley’s career as a painter takes off, she starts dating Landon. However, it is then that she learns that Adrian is dying from AIDS.
It comes as a shock to Ashley that she contracted the disease from him years ago. When Ashley tests positive, she ends her relationship with Landon.
Despite all the progress she has made, Ashley struggles to leave her past behind, and her future once again appears bleak.
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