Madam turned away from the staircase and faced the entire living room again. For a few seconds, nobody moved.
The silence was heavy enough that Ji-Ah could hear her own breathing.
Then Min-Hyuk stepped forward. "Ji-Ah."
She looked at him.
His expression had lost all its usual teasing. "What happened?"
Ji-Ah swallowed. Her fingers trembled slightly as she wiped beneath her eyes. "Do you remember that day?"
Min-Hyuk frowned. "Which day?"
"The day I came to you and told you that Min-Ji drugged Ha-Joon."
The room became quieter.
Ji-Ah looked toward Yoo-Na. "And Yoo-Na even threatened to deal with her."
Yoo-Na nodded immediately. "I remember."
She folded her arms. "You came to us that day. We told you to stay with us, but you said you were going to stay with Ha-Joon."
Ji-Ah nodded rapidly. "Yes. That's it."
Her voice cracked with relief. "At least someone remembers."
Nisa slowly raised her hand. "I remember too."
Ji-Ah turned toward her.
Nisa nodded. "You told us something had happened to Ha-Joon."
Ha-Joon's expression changed. "I remember drinking something Min-Ji gave me."
He paused, rubbing his temple as he tried to piece the memory together.
"Juice, I think."
He looked at Min-Ji. "Then I remember nothing."
His gaze moved to Ji-Ah. "And waking up with you there."
Ji-Ah's heart tightened.
"But you never told me what happened."
She lowered her gaze. "I thought you wouldn't believe me."
Ha-Joon's eyebrows pulled together. "Why?"
"Because..."
She hesitated.
Then she looked directly at him. "But I have something to tell you now."
The entire room seemed to hold its breath. "Ha-Joon, Min-Ji is betraying you."
Min-Ji's expression immediately changed. "Ji-Ah..."
"She's a fraud."
Mr. Kang scoffed. "Of course she'd say that."
Ji-Ah turned toward him. "Of course?"
"You desperately want to ruin this family's reputation."
Mrs. Han nodded. "Girls like her have no shame."
Ji-Ah's eyes filled again. "I wasn't talking to either of you."
She looked back at Ha-Joon. "I'm talking to him."
Her voice trembled. "Ha-Joon, please listen to me."
Before he could answer, a quiet sound came from behind them.
A sniff.
Everyone turned.
Min-Ji stood there with tears gathering in her eyes.
She looked fragile.
Hurt.
Almost frightened. "I don't know what I did to you, Ji-Ah."
Her voice shook. "But you don't have to do this."
Ji-Ah stared at her. "Min-Ji..."
"I haven't betrayed you." Min-Ji turned toward Ha-Joon. "I would never do that to you."
She wiped her cheek. "I told you Ji-Ah would eventually try to ruin me."
She moved closer to him. "Please believe me. I'm not lying."
Ji-Ah's breathing became faster. "You're lying."
Min-Ji shook her head. "She's trying to frame me."
She looked toward Madam. "She wants to get me out of this house."
Then she looked back at Ha-Joon. "She wants to marry you."
Ji-Ah froze.
Min-Ji continued, her voice becoming softer. "She wants your property. Your family's name. Everything."
Yoo-Na groaned dramatically. "Oh, the drama."
Everyone looked at her.
She spread her hands. "Seriously, Min-Ji. Do you hear yourself?"
Min-Ji looked wounded.
Yoo-Na pointed at her. "You're describing yourself."
"Yoo-Na," Mrs. Han warned.
"What?" Yoo-Na shook her head. "This is ridiculous."
Madam suddenly raised her voice. "Enough!"
The single word silenced everyone.
Nobody spoke.
Madam looked around the room. "What if this had reached the media?"
She shook her head. "No."
Her voice became colder. "This isn't even about the media anymore."
She slowly walked toward them. "This is about the Kim family."
She stopped near Ji-Ah. "Since this girl entered this house, there has been one problem after another."
Ji-Ah's eyes widened. "Madam..."
"She's trouble." Madam's voice hardened. "She's a curse on this family."
"Mother!"
Ha-Joon's voice cut through the room.
Everyone looked at him.
He stepped forward. "This house was doing perfectly fine when it was just me and Ji-Ah."
Madam's expression darkened. "You are forgetting yourself."
"No."
His voice remained controlled. "You came here after she was already living here."
He glanced around the room. "You all came after her."
His eyes returned to his mother. "So don't make it sound as though she brought everyone into this mess."
Madam stared at her son.
"If you continue talking like this, Ha-Joon..." She paused. "I'll start questioning whether you are truly my son."
Nisa's eyes widened. "What's happening to this family?"
Madam pointed toward Ha-Joon. "You're going to marry Min-Ji."
Ha-Joon's jaw tightened. "Mother."
"No."
She didn't let him continue. "You're marrying her. She will become my daughter-in-law."
Seo-Yeon stepped forward. "You don't care about Min-Ji."
Madam turned toward her.
Seo-Yeon continued. "You care about her family's status."
The room went silent again. "Just because Ji-Ah comes from a poorer family doesn't mean she's indecent."
Seo-Yeon's voice shook with anger. "We respect this family. We've never tried to disrespect anyone here."
Ji-Ah reached for her sister's hand. "Seo-Yeon."
Her sister looked at her.
"Don't." Ji-Ah shook her head. "Please don't say anything else."
Seo-Yeon frowned. "But—"
"You're my Older sister." Ji-Ah squeezed her hand. "But I still have the right to correct you when you're angry."
Seo-Yeon stared at her.
Ji-Ah's voice softened. "Please."
Mrs. Han stepped forward. "Madam, look at them."
She gestured toward the sisters. "They're already whispering together and trying to gain sympathy."
Yoo-Na stared at her mother. "You just walked into this house and you're already trying to throw Ji-Ah out."
Mrs. Han's expression hardened. "Let me remind you of something."
Yoo-Na frowned.
"You used to dislike Ji-Ah too."
She paused. "You even killed her cat."
The room went dead silent.
Yoo-Na slowly closed her eyes. "That was before."
She opened them again. "She's my friend now."
Her voice was firm. "People can change, Mother."
She pointed toward the room. "You need to stop."
"Stop!"
Min-Hyuk's voice suddenly rang through the room.
Everyone turned.
He looked completely overwhelmed. "I don't even understand what's happening anymore."
He looked from Madam to Min-Ji, then to Ji-Ah. "Can someone please explain this properly?"
Min-Ji immediately stepped forward. "I will."
Min-Hyuk looked at her.
"Your fiancée's sister..." Min-Ji pointed toward Ji-Ah. "...is trying to throw me out of this house."
Ji-Ah's eyes widened. "What?"
"She wants to marry Ha-Joon."
Min-Ji's voice trembled. "She wants his money."
Min-Hyuk turned slowly toward Ji-Ah. "You said all of that?"
Ji-Ah shook her head immediately.
"No!"
His expression became even more confused. "Then why is she saying you did?"
"I don't know!"
Ji-Ah's voice cracked. "Min-Hyuk, please believe me. She's trying to—"
Hea-In suddenly stepped forward. "What?"
Everyone looked at her. "What have you been doing to my sister?"
Ji-Ah stared at her. "Hea-In..."
"You wouldn't let her live peacefully."
Hea-In's voice became emotional. "She was always afraid of you."
She turned toward Madam. "I've seen it myself."
She placed a hand against her chest. "I swear, Ji-Ah is lying."
Ji-Ah looked around the room.
One accusation after another.
One voice after another.
It felt like the walls were slowly closing in.
Ha-Joon remained silent.
He looked down for a moment.
His mind raced.
Should I believe them?
He remembered what he'd seen.
He remembered what his mother had said. But then he remembered Ji-Ah.
Her expression when she was frightened.
The way she had looked at him earlier.
The way she had trusted him enough to tell him about the strange things she'd discovered.
And most importantly... She had already told him she trusted him.
He lifted his eyes. "No."
Madam looked at him. "What?"
Ha-Joon's voice was quiet. "I don't believe this."
Madam's expression changed. "You believe your secretary over your mother?"
"I believe Ji-Ah."
Ji-Ah looked at him.
For a moment, she couldn't speak.
Madam gave a small, disbelieving laugh. "Really?"
She shook her head. "What kind of son are you?"
Min-Hyuk immediately spoke. "I don't believe anyone right now."
He rubbed his forehead. "I don't even know what they're talking about."
Seo-Yeon turned toward him. "Then don't believe Mother."
She pointed toward Min-Ji and Hea-In. "They're trying to destroy Ji-Ah's reputation."
Across the room, Mrs. Han quietly caught Yoo-Na's wrist. "Come here."
Yoo-Na frowned. "What?"
Mrs. Han pulled her a few steps away. "Look around."
Yoo-Na reluctantly followed.
"The family is already turning against each other." Her mother lowered her voice. "This is your opportunity."
Yoo-Na stared at her. "My opportunity for what?"
"Accuse Min-Ji. Accuse Ji-Ah. Make everyone believe you. Then you can marry Ha-Joon."
Yoo-Na stared at her mother as if she'd suddenly started speaking another language.
Then she pulled her hand away. "No."
Mrs. Han blinked. "What?"
"I'm not cruel like you."
Yoo-Na's voice was low but firm. "I won't accuse Ji-Ah of something she didn't do."
She looked toward Min-Ji. "And I know Min-Ji is hiding something."
Mrs. Han frowned. "You'll regret this."
Yoo-Na shook her head.
"Maybe." She turned away. "But at least I won't become someone I hate just to get what I want."
Across the room, Ji-Ah stood frozen.
Ha-Joon looked at her.
Their eyes met.
Neither said anything.
But for the first time since the video had appeared, Ji-Ah didn't feel completely alone.