Episode 03.
Shin Gyo-bin.
Once infamous as the illegitimate youngest son of Shin Hyung-gil, chairman of Shinil Groupâ
born from an affair.
âThey say an abandoned baby was found in front of the chairmanâs mansion on his 15th wedding anniversary. Turns out it was the child of an affairâŚâ
From birth, he was a walking scandal straight out of a melodrama.
The chairman never wanted to present him publicly,
treating him like a hidden shame rather than a son of a conglomerate family.
Instead, there was Shin Se-heonâhis legitimate heir born of his lawful wife, Ahn Sun-hye.
âSe-heon inherits the chairmanâs brilliant genesâquick to learn, wise in solving even the toughest problems.â
âOf course. Heâs destined to take over Shinil one day. Excellence is the least he can manage.â
Se-heon followed the elite track of a future successorâ
a life Gyo-bin never even dared to envy.
Though scorned at home, Gyo-bin lived as he pleasedâcarefree, indulgent, reckless.
When he caused trouble, Chairman Shin cleaned it up for the sake of the companyâs image.
A modern-day wastrel.
The prodigal son of the chaebol world.
And into his line of sightâunlucky and unpreparedâ
fell Choi Hee-jae.
âYou broke Madamâs teacup on purpose, didnât you?â
She was the daughter of a housemaidâ
the only person who had ever shown sympathy to the familyâs discarded child.
âWhy? My stepmother made me this way, so why canât I be like this?â
ââŚIf anyone asks, donât say it was you. Say it was me.â
Out of pity, Hee-jae shielded himâ
believing him to be just a lonely boy seeking warmth.
But her kindness sparked something darker in him.
Twisted possessiveness.
A fire that only grew.
From then on, Gyo-bin became excessively attentive.
âDid you have a nightmare? Should I stay until you fall asleep?â
âFather brought these back from a trip. Theyâre good⌠share them with your mom.â
Despite being barely recognized as family himself,
he always brought her little gifts,
offered help with chores,
and looked at her with the warmth she craved.
She thoughtânaivelyâthat his nature was good.
That he was different from the arrogant chaebol heirs sheâd imagined.
She was wrong.
To Gyo-bin, Hee-jae wasnât a friend.
She was property.
Something to be possessed,
used when needed,
but never discarded.
âCanât you say you did it?â
âWhat? Why would I?â
âIf I confess, theyâll beat me half to death. But if they think itâs your mistake, theyâll call it a cute accident and forgive you.â
Over time, she bore the blame for his reckless misdeeds,
bowed her head in his place,
all while the household looked the other way.
And heâ
he smiled wickedly at the sight of her cleaning up his messes.
âThis doesnât suit you. Just do what I do instead.â
He sabotaged her dreams.
Exposed her private life.
Made her the target of othersâ scorn.
âHey, how do you know Choi Hee-jae? You werenât even in the same middle school.â
âOh, Hee-jae? Our maidâs daughter.â
He even interfered in her relationshipsâ
ensuring she remained isolated.
When she cried from the loneliness,
he offered sweet words and gentle hands.
âWhy cry so sadly when you have me?â
But they were never lovers.
His affection was a game.
His attentionâa trap.
When she finally saw through his double-faced nature,
Hee-jae swore to cut ties with Shinil Group and Gyo-bin for good.
She betrayed Chairman Shinâs trust, abandoned the sponsorship,
and chose a different pathâbecoming a prosecutor.
But Gyo-bin still wouldnât let her go.
Even the highest legal authority crumbled before his wealth and power.
That day, she lost again.
Dragged back into his orbit.
Later, Hee-jae stirred awake, eyelids heavy.
âAh⌠a dreamâŚâ
Perhaps because she had stepped back into his trap with her own feet,
her exhaustion felt like it would crush her.
She changed clothes, collapsed onto the sofa, and slept.
When she woke, the clock read 9 p.m.
The day wasnât over yet.
As she navigated through unpacked boxes toward the kitchen,
she grabbed bottled water and looked around her new homeâ
a company apartment arranged by Shinil Group.
But something felt off.
âWhy is this apartment⌠so nice?â
It wasnât the standard employee housing.
It was a premium complex known for housing celebrities and tycoons.
âOur Hee-jae isnât like the others. She deserves better benefits.â
Yet his âspecial treatmentâ didnât sit well.
Ding-dong.
The sudden chime made her flinch.
No one should be visiting this late.
âYes, who is it?â
No answer.
She frowned, approached the door, and pressed the lockâ
only for a hand to slip inside and fling it open.
âYou moved in?â
Hee-jae staggered back, startled.
The intruder stepped in, closing the door behind him.
âThey say no one brings rice cakes to neighbors anymore when they move in.â
The lights revealed his face.
Shin Gyo-bin.
Realization hit her like a blow.
The lavish apartment, the too-perfect arrangementâ
it was his.
âI came to get some. Do you have any rice cakes?â
âYou⌠unbelievableâŚâ
So sly.
So very Gyo-bin.
