Ji-Ah gave Seo-Yeon a small nod before watching her disappear into Min-Hyuk's room. She stood there for another moment, gathering herself.
Then she turned and entered her own room. The moment she stepped inside, she noticed something.
Her luggage was already there.
She frowned. "How did...?"
She glanced toward the neatly arranged bags. The maid must have brought them in while everyone was downstairs.
Ji-Ah slowly closed the door behind herself, wanting nothing more than to be alone. But before the door could shut completely, a hand slipped between it and the frame.
Ji-Ah froze. The door opened again. "Hello."
That sweet, soft voice.
Ji-Ah didn't even need to look.
Of course. Min-Ji.
She stood in the doorway wearing the same innocent expression she'd used downstairs. Her face was calm, her voice gentle, almost as if she had come to offer comfort instead of making Ji-Ah's night considerably worse.
"Hi..." Min-Ji said quietly. "I just came here to check on you. How are you feeling?"
Ji-Ah stared at her. "I don't wanna speak with you."
Min-Ji's smile barely moved.
"Min-Ji, leave my room."
Min-Ji glanced around. "Your room?" She tilted her head. "Are you sure?"
Ji-Ah's eyes narrowed.
Min-Ji stepped inside and let the door close behind her. "This isn't your room."
She looked around once more, almost inspecting the place. "Neither is this house."
Then she turned back toward Ji-Ah. "You'll soon get out of it."
Ji-Ah said nothing.
Min-Ji walked slowly toward her. "I'm gonna be the daughter-in-law of this house."
There was quiet excitement in her voice now.
"My marriage is gonna be grand." She smiled. "A grand one. A huge party, beautiful decorations, everyone invited..."
Her eyes glittered. "And everyone's gonna know me as Min-Ji Kim."
She paused thoughtfully. "Or Kim Min-Ji."
She gave a tiny laugh. "Whichever one sounds sweeter."
Ji-Ah folded her arms.
Min-Ji noticed the gesture. She didn't seem bothered. Instead, she continued. "You didn't know Park Ji-Hoo, did you?"
Ji-Ah's expression changed for only a fraction of a second.
Min-Ji caught it. Of course she did. She smiled. "Of course you'd know him."
Ji-Ah remained silent.
"He told me all your plans."
Min-Ji's voice became almost conversational. "You came to meet him."
She let out a small laugh.
"Oh boy..." Her smile widened. "That man is a coward. He can't do anything at all."
Ji-Ah's fingers tightened against her arms.
Min-Ji continued.
"You're wasting your time." She stepped closer. "If you know what's good for you, let this matter go."
Her voice softened again. "Just let me marry Ha-Joon..."
She paused. "And you go home."
Ji-Ah stared at her. A small smile slowly appeared on her own face.
But inside her mind, everything was moving.
So she knows.
She knows I met Ji-Hoo.
Her eyes remained fixed on Min-Ji.
But did Ji-Hoo really tell her?
No.
Something didn't add up.
Ji-Hoo had begged her not to hurt Min-Ji. He had been frightened of what would happen if the truth came out.
He wouldn't simply tell Min-Ji everything.
She's bluffing.
She's trying to make me believe that Ji-Hoo told her.
Ji-Ah's thoughts sharpened.
She wants me to think there's no point continuing.
She blinked slowly. "I don't know what you're talking about, Min-Ji."
Min-Ji's smile faltered for the tiniest moment.
Ji-Ah continued.
"But I will find out about you." Her voice was quiet. "And you're not getting away with this."
Min-Ji stared at her.
For a few seconds, neither woman moved.
Then Min-Ji smiled again.
She stepped closer until she was standing directly in front of Ji-Ah.
"Park Ji-Ah..." Her voice was almost a whisper. "You can't do anything."
Ji-Ah looked directly into her eyes.
For once, she wasn't frightened.
Because now she knew something Min-Ji didn't realize.
Min-Ji could threaten her.
She could manipulate Madam.
She could twist the video.
She could even make the entire family doubt Ji-Ah.
But she couldn't erase the truth.
And Ji-Ah had already found the first thread.
She only needed to keep pulling.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Han had barely gotten Yoo-Na through the doorway before she shut it behind them.
Yoo-Na turned around, already annoyed. "Mother, what are you—"
SMACK.
The slap landed before she could finish. Yoo-Na's head turned sharply to the side. For a moment, she simply stood there. Her cheek stung. Her eyes widened.
She slowly looked back at her mother. "Mother... what?"
Mrs. Han's expression didn't soften.
Instead, she grabbed Yoo-Na's hands, her fingers tightening around her wrists. "You little..."
Her voice trembled with anger. "You think you can do that and get away with it?"
Yoo-Na frowned. "Do what?"
"You know exactly what you did!"
Mrs. Han pulled her closer. "This was your chance!"
Yoo-Na stared at her. "My chance for what?"
"This was your chance to secure everything!"
Mrs. Han's words came faster now, each one sharper than the last. "The Kim name. The property. The money. Ha-Joon!"
She released one of Yoo-Na's hands and began gesturing furiously. "And you ruined it!"
Yoo-Na's expression slowly fell. "You lost your chance because of your stupidity."
"Mother..."
"You're worthless!"
Yoo-Na flinched.
"Useless!" Mrs. Han pointed toward her. "I give you one opportunity to become part of the Kim family, and what do you do? You defend that girl!"
Yoo-Na looked down.
Her mother's words hurt more than the slap.
Mrs. Han continued. "Do you have any idea what you could have had? Do you know what that family has?"
Yoo-Na swallowed. "Yes."
"Their wealth could change your entire life!"
"I'm not interested."
Mrs. Han stared at her as though she'd just spoken another language. "What?"
"I said I'm not interested."
Her voice shook, but she didn't take it back.
Mrs. Han scoffed. "Of course. Because you're too foolish to understand what matters."
Yoo-Na's eyes filled with tears.
She looked down at the floor. "Am I really your daughter?"
Mrs. Han went quiet.
Yoo-Na slowly raised her eyes. "Because if I was your daughter... you wouldn't speak to me like this."
Her voice cracked. "You wouldn't treat me like some investment you made that isn't giving you enough profit."
"Yoo-Na—"
"You don't love me."
Mrs. Han's expression tightened.
"You love money." A tear slipped down Yoo-Na's cheek. "You're just like Aunt."
Mrs. Han's eyes widened. "Watch your mouth."
"No."
Yoo-Na shook her head. "I'm tired of watching my mouth."
She wiped her cheek angrily. "You leave me alone. I don't want to speak with you."
She turned away. "I don't want to hear another word about Ha-Joon, the Kim family, their property, their money... none of it."
Mrs. Han stared at her daughter.
Yoo-Na's shoulders trembled.
"You don't care about me." Her voice became quieter. "You care about yourself."
She sniffed. "Your wealth. Your reputation. Your connections."
Another tear rolled down. "But never me."
She pressed her lips together, trying to steady herself.
"Not once."
Then she looked back at her mother.
"At least Ji-Ah cares."
Mrs. Han's expression changed slightly.
"Even after everything between us... she forgot about all those grudges."
Yoo-Na's voice softened.
"She cares about me like a sister." She swallowed. "Sometimes... she cares about me like a mother."
That sentence seemed to hit Mrs. Han harder than the others.
Yoo-Na shook her head. "She cares about me in a way you never did."
She stared at her mother. "Are you really my mother?"
Mrs. Han opened her mouth. "Yoo-Na—"
"I might not be the best daughter."
Yoo-Na looked down.
"Maybe I'm not." She gave a small, broken laugh. "But maybe that's because you're not the best mother either."
Mrs. Han went completely still.
Yoo-Na continued before she could interrupt.
"If you could just forget about wealth for five minutes..." She gestured helplessly. "We're not poor, Mother. We're rich."
Her voice grew more frustrated. "They're just richer than us."
She shook her head.
"And Hye-Rin's family? We're richer than them too, okay?" She wiped her eyes. "I don't understand you."
Her voice became almost pleading. "Please."
Mrs. Han inhaled. "Listen, Yoo-Na—"
"No."
Yoo-Na raised a hand. "You listen."
Her mother fell silent.
"No child is better than their parents at making decisions." Yoo-Na's eyes were red now. "But you're not making the right decision."
She took a shaky breath. "You're forcing me into a life I don't want."
Mrs. Han stared at her.
"If I marry Ha-Joon, there's no love." Yoo-Na shook her head. "There's no trust."
Her voice lowered. "There's only money."
She looked away.
"I don't want that kind of life."
For a moment, the room was completely silent.
Then Yoo-Na continued. "I had a boyfriend."
Mrs. Han's face remained hard.
"You threw water at him." Yoo-Na's voice cracked with disbelief. "You humiliated him. You threw him out of the house."
She shook her head. "And after that, you kept pushing me toward Ha-Joon."
Her eyes filled again. "He doesn't even want me."
Mrs. Han looked away.
Yoo-Na stepped closer.
"He only likes Ji-Ah." She spoke the words with complete certainty. "Don't you understand?"
She shook her head.
"They love each other."
Her voice softened.
"They care about each other so much."
She clasped her hands together. "Just let them be."
Mrs. Han stared at her daughter.
"Please, Mom."
Yoo-Na's voice was barely above a whisper. "For once..."
She swallowed. "Do something for me."
Her eyes met her mother's.
"For once, forget about the money."
A long silence followed. "Just... let this go."
Yoo-Na looked at her mother one last time.
There was hurt in her eyes, but also something new.
She was done begging.
Without waiting for an answer, she turned around and walked toward the door.
Mrs. Han didn't stop her.
The door opened.
Yoo-Na stepped into the hallway, quietly closed it behind herself, and stood there for a moment with her back against the wood.
She wiped the remaining tears from her face.
Then she whispered to herself, "I just wanted you to choose me."