EPISODE 10 THE REAL MOTHER
You must be Ha-joon.
How precious.
Nothing…
can take you away from me.
Are you in there?
Ji-yong. Ji-yong!
Ji-yong. Stop it right now!
Stop!
Goodness.
What? What happened?
What do you think you're doing?
You think life is that easy?
If you toss people away as you please,
do you think you won't face any consequences?
You have no right to punish that woman.
Both she and I are your victims here.
I'm the only one who can punish her.
So don't you lay a finger on her.
Yes.
I went to the hospital as you ordered, and he's not dead.
Okay.
How dare he?
How did you find out who I am?
I should know who killed my brother.
What a good brother.
Why didn't you go easy on him then? I guess you didn't like him that much.
You killed him.
Did I beat him up?
You did.
Even if you wanted money, you should have stopped.
-So you'll do anything for money? -Damn you.
Hey.
Do you think I'm a joke?
If you know who I am, you should know what I can do.
Low-lives like you
only know half the problem.
You useless fool.
Hey, do you think I would do this
without running a background check on you?
I choose losers like you who deserve the beating
to make it more satisfying to watch!
You rotted in jail for ten years for theft and murder.
Did you miss it?
Why did you tell me that he's dead when he's alive?
He's dying. He's as good as dead!
You shouldn't say someone's dead when they're alive.
Never.
Save my brother.
It's not up to me.
It's up to God.
Yes, doctor. Hello.
Really?
Who are these bastards?
Mr. Han! Come out!
Code red. It's code red!
What is it?
He already had his will ready.
Why wake up now?
How awkward.
But the doctor said that you were the one who saved him.
Me?
Your father is conscious now. What happens with the will?
We're back to square one, right?
You and I should go back to square one too.
Jin-hee.
There is no square one for us.
Think about the day you first met me.
You fell for me at first sight.
I did?
Don't distort the past.
You were the one who chased after me.
Anyway, if you don't file for divorce by the end of this week,
I'll do it myself.
I don't want to get a divorce.
I'd rather…
-Hello? -Ma'am.
Mr. Han has regained consciousness.
He's conscious?
Now that the chairman is conscious,
shouldn't we put everything back the way it was?
Yes, but he has to stay at the hospital. And Ms. Yang found out about this place.
He won't be able to come here.
Since it's not a secret now, it won't be fun for him anymore.
Hey.
Are you dating Kyeong-hye?
I wouldn't say that. It's just a fling.
You steal a diamond together when it's just a fling?
I only did it with her because we're not serious.
My ideal type is an honest woman…
with strong principles.
I thought you were gay.
Why would you assume that?
Well, you know, you just seemed like it to me.
Well, I'm not. But I know someone who is.
I wasn't going to say anything because I'm tight-lipped.
-Then don't. -Come on. Listen.
Mr. Han Ji-yong…
is gay.
Stop giving me that nonsense.
Why would a gay man have two women…
Gosh. Forget it. Why am I telling you this?
Two women? Who? Are you--
That's enough!
Do you want to have a drink with me?
I'll fix a nice drink for you.
Are you crazy?
Shut up. Shut your mouth.
Rock, paper, scissors!
Your toes won't spread.
-Goodness. -Gosh. This is--
-Oh, my. What's that? -What?
-Gosh. -Goodness.
Very good.
His temperature and blood pressure are normal. Sir, can you make a fist?
Yes. A strong grip.
He's conscious now,
but we must keep observing him.
His pupillary reflex is good.
And so are his temperature and blood pressure.
Ma'am, you saved his life.
Is she trying to save him
or kill him?
But why does he have bruises?
Ms. Seo, the date for pleading has been scheduled.
I'll come to you now.
Now, will you tell me why you chose me?
Her lawyer has an impressive record.
He's known as a nutjob lawyer.
Wearing a white button-down shirt with a tie in court
is an unwritten rule.
But he wore hanbok to court once and pissed off the judges.
A nutjob for another nutjob.
I know why you were fired from the legal team at Hyowon Group.
You sided with the union when there was an accident at Hyowon Chemicals.
You suggested compensating the workers.
That was only the reason on paper.
In fact, the chairman wanted to compensate them as well.
The legal team didn't fire me.
Mr. Han Ji-yong did.
I'm not sure if I should tell you.
Go ahead.
Well, I was against helping him
launder money for his slush fund.
Keep going.
Yes.
Sir, I looked into the lawyer Ms. Seo contacted.
Who is it?
It's Hwang Bo-in.
He was kicked out of our legal team last year.
Who?
Han Ji-yong.
I will make you regret coming after me.
Seol-hwa.
Yes. It's me, Seol-hwa.
No-deok.
Oh, my goodness.
Is it the homing instinct?
There must be some genes in its brain that enable neocortex expansion.
We should report it to Science.
How can a peacock leave and come back on its own?
On the day Father woke up.
Wait.
Hold on.
Look at it closely. This…
This isn't No-deok.
This peacock's beak looks different from No-deok's.
I can tell.
Right here. Its beak and eyes.
They look different.
This isn't No-deok. I'm sure of it.
Then what?
This bird came here, pretending to be No-deok?
Hiding its true identity?
What?
Are you happy?
ALARM WAKE UP
Where's my wife?
She went out with Ha-joon.
I don't know where they went.
Ms. Kim.
Aren't you Ha-joon's temporary tutor now?
I am.
From now on, you must report to me whenever someone takes Ha-joon.
Even if that person is his mom.
Yes, sir.
A cow eats a lemon and it's really sour.
So the cow is frowning.
Do an impression.
That's so ugly. Gosh.
Stop.
Sir.
If you're drunk, just go to bed.
This is inappropriate.
Goodness.
What do you think you're doing?
Gosh. Look who's here.
The epitome of class, elegance, and dignity.
My goddess.
Hello, Ms. Jung Seo-hyun.
Remember what I said?
I said if you drank again,
I wouldn't let it slide. Didn't I?
So what? What will you do?
Tell me!
Do you know who I am?
I'm Han Jin-ho, the most powerful man in Hyowon Group.
How dare you?
You're nothing more than a drunk.
I'm sorry, Ms. Joo.
You can't slap him, so I did it for you.
Though it won't ease your anger.
Seong-tae.
Get this man away from here.
To where?
He got drunk in the bunker, so put him there.
-Hey. -Everyone, help Seong-tae.
Drunk people become a lot stronger than usual.
-Let go. -All right.
You assholes. Put me down.
Hey.
Hey, that hurts.
I'm truly sorry.
No, ma'am.
It's not like you slapped me.
Well, you know gratitude and apologies
aren't always expressed by the right people.
I'm sure someone else has apologized for my mistakes.
How's your cheek? Are you okay?
Yes, Ms. Jung.
I'll give you a number.
Ask for Director Park Hyeon-sang.
And tell him to send some of his people to our house.
Okay.
Where exactly am I calling?
An alcohol treatment center.
Pardon?
Is it cool?
I used to be a hip and famous actress just like the rappers you love.
Ha-joon, how about we have ramyeon today?
I really wanted to try it.
Ta-da.
Ramyeon tastes best when you eat it from the lid.
But there's only one. What will we do?
Let's play rock-paper-scissors for it.
We'll only play one round. No sore losers.
Of course.
Rock, paper, scissors.
Yes!
All right.
Here.
Is it good?
How can it be this good?
When I did my first solo exhibit in Havana,
a collector bought my artwork at a very high price when I was a nobody.
That's when people started to pay attention to my art.
Did you think I wouldn't know it was you?
That was the only thing I could do for you.
And the easiest thing I could do…
with what I had.
You decided to change
this place little by little instead of running away.
That was admirable. It was so you.
I just want you to be happy.
Is that really all you want?
Let's draw each other…
like the old days.
You are…
my painting.
Longing for you has become a part of my life.
Thank you.
For the rest of my life,
I'll be longing for this moment.
Would you like some tea, ma'am?
Did Soo-hyuk…
Did he look happy with Yu-yeon?
Yes, he did.
That's a relief.
So he was happy…
That's all that matters.
You can go.
I'll go in later.
I'd like to be alone.
Yes, ma'am.
Kwak Hyeon-dong is being treated at a nursing hospital in Gayang-dong.
-How is he? -He's in a coma.
I want to save on some taxes, and give it to those in need.
Who would criticize me for it?
I feel bad for them. The brothers are both in debt.
Since they were convicted of theft, they won't be able to get a job.
So I'm helping them.
But how do you know them? Why are you going this far to help them?
Are you interrogating me?
I'm sorry. It won't happen again.
You can go.
-Hello? -It's me.
I have a hearing tomorrow.
Yes.
I thought you'd be curious.
You know that I hired Mr. Hwang Bo-in to represent me.
How come you don't ask me why?
I was waiting for you to tell me.
Because whistleblowers are the scariest.
This is one of the best ways to catch thieves.
Hire a man who used to be a robber as a guard.
The lawyer who is well aware of Hyowon's weaknesses
should represent us.
That way, we can stop scandals from leaking from unexpected sources.
We don't know where they might come from.
Leave it to me.
Okay.
I will.
Is it good?
Hello.
-How have you been? -Good.
Ha-joon, say hello.
He's a journalist who writes all those stories in newspapers.
Hello. I'm Han Ha-joon.
No wonder why you were trying so hard to protect and cherish him.
What a handsome boy.
Of course. He's my son.
This fight is between his birth mom and the mom who raised him.
I'll handle this. You stay out of it.
She's the one fighting a losing fight.
She wants to take back Ha-joon now?
The fact that I am Ha-joon's father,
and that she left Ha-joon with me is true.
And what else is true?
I can just say whatever she says is not true.
Like you said, she has no evidence.
I can just deny everything.
If she tells them that our family hired her as a tutor,
what will you say?
I'll deny it.
The court won't leave him with such an immoral dad.
On top of that, I'm a stepmom.
As a daughter-in-law of your family,
I should be able to turn the truth into lies and the lies into truth.
I will not let that woman take my son.
I'm appearing in court soon.
Please emphasize that I've been doing my best as his mother,
and don't write about any scandalous gossip.
You must protect Ha-joon.
I give you my word.
And…
I'm coming back with a movie.
And I'll be in a drama series soon, too.
Really?
I want you to run it with that story.
But the lawsuit is huge, so it might not get traction.
The two articles will create synergy.
The world will be busy…
talking about Hyowon Group and my comeback.
Yes. Definitely.
Oh, my goodness.
I gave you a hard task, didn't I?
Who are you?
I called you three times.
I'm Han Jin-hee.
I told you I have no time to counsel you.
No. I must get counseling here.
My dad's conscious now.
He's going to check up on me.
If you're that busy,
just give me some document that says I got counseling here with your signature.
Why did you come to me,
and not to a psychiatrist?
Because it'll be a problem later.
I must prove to the board that I am management material.
And I have a lot to do.
People like you should not hold important positions at a company.
Gosh.
You're quite sharp-tongued.
You know nothing about me.
This says everything about you. You're rude, arrogant, and lack empathy.
And you have a big head! You also look down on people.
How can a company succeed when someone like you is in charge?
Even if the company succeeds,
the employees will be miserable to death!
You should try examining yourself from an objective viewpoint.
My job…
is to comfort powerless people
who are treated unfairly and can't get anything
despite their arduous efforts.
Arrogant and rude people like you who got all their wealth
without making the tiniest effort
can just keep going on the path they've been on.
I don't care if they go to hell!
Everyone in this world
was created equal.
People like you must hit rock bottom
and learn humility first!
Think about how many people you have hurt
and how you've broken their hearts with your actions.
You ought to
seriously think about how you are going to pay for your sins.
Open up!
I can't breathe in here.
Let me out!
Please.
You can sit.
Okay.
Actually, I'm supposed to be praying now.
Take your time and gather yourself here.
Then, you should go home.
Okay. Thank you.
I can't determine its age since it's a full-grown bird.
I'm a vet, not an ornithologist, you know.
-You specialize in dogs and cats, right? -I told you to call a bird expert.
I specialize in dogs.
I thought you specialized in birds. How could you get that wrong?
Birds. Dogs.
Can't you distinguish the two? Are you deaf?
Mother. You said, "dogs."
Gosh. You're dumb as a bird.
I don't even have dogs.
Why would I ask for a vet who specializes in dogs?
I thought you needed a vet for another purpose.
Goodness.
Thank you. I'll call you later.
Goodness.
Besides, Mother.
There are no vets who specialize in birds!
I get why Jin-hee and you are always fighting.
I can see Jin-hee takes after you.
Arrogant and lacking empathy.
What? How dare you say such things to your mother-in-law?
And you can say I'm dumb as a bird?
You're frustrating. That's why I said it.
I don't just say things!
Let's have a look at its tail.
No-deok, spread your feathers.
Spread them. No-deok.
That won't work.
No-deok! Spread your feathers!
Do it!
Spread them!
Why did you want to see me?
I heard that your birth mother loved this garden.
I don't know…
how to be a mother and I will never know.
But…
I don't think I've ever asked you what makes you truly happy
and what you want to do with your life.
I know it's late, but let me ask.
What makes you happy?
Why do you care?
Tell me.
It took a lot of courage to ask you.
Give me…
a chance to be your real mother at least once.
Do you really not want to inherit Hyowon Group?
No.
I'd like to know why.
When I was young,
I went on a trip with my mom to the Aegean Sea.
And when we got back, she left.
That's when I realized…
that when I gain something, I must lose something in return.
And…
that I have to pay a bigger price than others do.
I'll end up hurting some people and paying a big price for it.
I don't want that.
Inheriting the company…
means I have to pay an even bigger price for it.
I'll have to hurt the person I love and never see her again.
What's the point of that?
Are you sure you won't regret it?
Yes.
Okay.
I bought this place with the money I made from my first lead role.
This is Querencia.
Whenever I had a tough time, I found comfort here.
I came here to cry whenever I wanted.
Mom, when do you want to cry?
When something breaks my heart…
in an unexpected way.
Right. That's when I want to cry, too.
Have you ever cried alone?
-I don't want to tell you. -Why not?
If I do,
you'll come here and cry again.
Are you thinking about something that might break my heart?
Yes.
Ha-joon.
You can tell me anything.
It's okay if I cry a bit.
I'm an adult,
so even if I cry, I can smile again.
I don't want there to be any secrets between us.
Okay. No secrets.
Pinky promise.
But I won't tell you now.
Okay, but you have to tell me some other time.
In return for your pinky promise,
I'll tell you about my plan that I told no one else about.
I'll start acting again.
Do I have your blessing?
Of course!
That's so cool.
-Will you be on TV? -Yes.
I think you're the prettiest in the world.
Ha-joon.
I want to be a mother you are proud of.
And…
whatever happens, we have to get through it.
I'm going to protect you.
But even if someone takes me away from you…
and we can't be together, don't be scared. Okay?
You're the coolest and bravest son in the whole world.
Okay. I won't be scared.
Come here.
-There he is. -He's out.
Mr. Kim, tell us what happened in court.
-Mr. Kim. -A comment, please.
It's confirmed the plaintiff is the birth mother.
We submitted the DNA test result today.
Did Ms. Seo know about the result?
-No comment. -Will that be a problem?
-What do you think? -Do you think you can win?
I'm sorry, Father.
Don't read the newspapers or watch the news for now.
You need to recover.
And…
about Soo-hyuk…
He doesn't want to comply with your wishes.
His engagement to Yeongwon's daughter has been broken off, too.
He likes someone else.
Father.
I…
respect Soo-hyuk's wishes.
Ji-yong…
Bring him here.
No, Father.
It's not because he's not your son.
That man should never take your place.
Bring him here.
He's the only one.
You should give Jin-ho a chance instead.
Please.
Call Ji-yong here.
HOPE SMOOTH LIFE WITHOUT ALCOHOL
-You should color that purple. -Okay.
-Go ahead. -Okay.
All right.
-I'm so cold. -Hey.
I can't be here right now.
I'm Han Jin-ho of Hyowon Group.
My company is in a crisis. My brother created a huge mess.
You know who I am, right?
Don't you keep up with the news?
Do you know who I am?
Scofield.
I know a way out of here.
Hey.
They're all alcoholics who drank their lives away.
They don't care about the news.
Keep it down.
I might die if I stay here.
I've seen people who died from alcohol poisoning,
but no one has died while being treated here for the past ten years.
And I'm telling you that I might be the first one.
“Those who seek death shall live. Those who seek life shall die.”
You won't die. You won't.
What?
Damn it. This is driving me crazy.
LAW FIRM KIM & HWANG LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE HWANG BO-IN
SEOUL FAMILY COURT
PLAINTIFF: LEE HYE-JIN DEFENDANT: SEO HI-SOO
-Hello? -It's me.
Yes.
Father wants to see you.
Can you come over?
Okay.
MR. CHOI, LAWYER
It's me.
We need to meet.
-To my father's hospital. -Yes, sir.
Hello?
Soo-hyuk is going to officially
notify the board that he won't inherit the company.
And the chairman is aware of this.
Okay.
Father asked for Ji-yong.
The chairman told me he is withdrawing his will.
I think he chose Ji-yong.
I didn't see this coming.
Why did he suddenly make such a decision?
We have to proceed with plan B.
I'll get it ready.
Suk-chul, do you fancy Mi-ja?
Yes.
Seol-hwa,
can you introduce me to her?
But…
she's already betrothed to someone.
More importantly,
I heard she's carrying her betrothed's baby.
Father.
I'm so grateful that you're conscious.
Father.
There hasn't been a single moment when I didn't consider you my father.
I have no one else.
My birth mother already left me.
If you leave me too, I'll be completely alone.
Father.
Please…
live a long life.
I'm sorry for everything.
Father.
Father…
Father.
Father…
Ji-yong…
Please…
take good care of Ji-yong to the end.
He's a poor soul.
I know.
I know that you will never…
choose me under any circumstances.
That no matter how competent I am, as I'm not your biological son,
I can never inherit Hyowon Group.
I won't covet it.
Are you sure he's your son?
Yes.
So do you want to bring in only the baby?
Yes.
I…
will let your son carry my family name.
Raise him well.
Don't do what I did to you.
That will never happen…
because he's really mine.
You are my son, too.
I know…
that I'm not.
What? An alcohol treatment center?
Yes.
Did Seo-hyun send him?
He slapped me.
What? To punish him for slapping you,
she sent him to the center?
Your son has been drinking like a fish in the chairman's secret bunker.
Ms. Jung had us remove all the liquor there
and put everything back to how it was.
What?
Are you telling me you've plastered the walls
with Kim Mi-ja's photos again? Is that it?
Goodness. I can't live like this. This is driving me crazy.
What a miserable life I have!
Do you want to call Jin-hee over
-and have a cream bun fight with her? -Shut up!
Jin-ho.
There's something I haven't told you, Hi-soo.
Han Ji-yong…
is not Father's son.
His late mother who was also his nanny
started seeing Father when she was already pregnant with Ji-yong.
I'm sorry I didn't tell you.
Does Mother know?
Only Father and I know.
So that's why…
he could never inherit the company.
Ji-yong and Father…
have a complicated relationship.
Father loved her,
but he couldn't love the son that she had with another man.
He was a selective romantic.
What a miserable fate Ji-yong has.
Not that I pity him.
That's why you must…
win this lawsuit.
You can do anything.
I'll be right behind you.
Okay, Seo-hyun.
I'm not scared because I have you.
-There they come. -They're out.
-What was the focus of today's hearing? -When will Ms. Seo appear in court?
I don't think it'll damage the reputation of you or the company.
The plaintiff will appear in court at the next hearing.
Ms. Seo will attend the hearing herself.
-Any other comment? -A comment, please!
-What do you think will happen next? -Wait!
All rise.
Case number 2021-31086.
Let's begin.
Plaintiff, tell us the reason
you decided to file this lawsuit.
Actually, this isn't a complicated case.
My client gave birth to the boy and raised him for 18 months,
but Mr. Han Ji-yong took him without her consent.
So she wants to get her son back.
Ms. Lee hasn't tried to get him back for the past six years.
After all this time,
she shows up and wants him back? How can she demand that?
This is unacceptable.
The boy is doing very well now.
We must take into consideration the confusion the 8-year-old boy
will have if his surroundings change.
His birth mother, Ms. Lee, is the one who built his body,
soul, and roots for the first year and a half.
Here's the baby journal Ms. Lee wrote for the first year and a half after his birth.
She recorded everything by herself,
from his birth to the first day he crawled, rolled over, and had baby food.
FOR MY TINY BABY
AT 16 WEEKS
Ms. Lee Hye-jin.
If you have anything to say, go ahead.
After…
giving birth to him,
I raised my son by myself
for a year and a half.
During that time, I couldn't even reach the baby's father.
Then my son got sick,
and I was so scared.
So I hurried over barefoot
and knocked on the iron gate of Hyowon Mansion.
But the gate didn't open.
And I was sent somewhere with my son.
And in the end,
I had to leave my baby there.
Then, did something happen recently
that made you want to get your son back?
The gate opened again.
The father of my son, Han Ji-yong, brought me into his home.
So the father brought you
into his home himself. Is that correct?
Yes.
He brought me in as my son's tutor.
That's not all.
He even told people that I was dead when I was alive.
He made my son believe that I, his birth mother, was dead.
How can I possibly let such a man raise my son?
Han Ji-yong does not deserve to be his father!
Then why did he hire you as a tutor six years later,
after he told people you were dead?
You gave birth to him, and Hi-soo raised him.
I want both of you to take care of him.
That way, my son will become flawless.
He told me that my son would become flawless
if his wife and I raised him together.
Don't let that get to you.
Just do as we prepared.
Is Ms. Lee telling the truth,
Ms. Seo?
If she tells them that our family hired her as a tutor,
what will you say?
I'll deny it.
Like you said, she has no evidence.
I can just say whatever she says is not true.
I can just deny everything.
Ms. Seo?
Yes. It's true.
Ms. Seo.
Do you want to raise the child?
Yes.
Let's hear from you, Ms. Seo.
I met my son, Ha-joon,
after he already came into this world.
He was born to Mr. Han Ji-yong and Ms. Lee Hye-jin.
So everyone says he's not my son.
My blood type is O. Han Ji-yong's blood type is A.
And Ha-joon's blood type…
is B.
But the person who raised Ha-joon
for all these years isn't his father or Ms. Lee.
It's me. I am his mother.
People won't understand me.
They won't get why I am fighting for the child I didn't give birth to.
My son is eight years old now.
This critical phase will build his character, and he'll need
emotional nourishment to live his own life when he becomes an adult.
This is the time he needs my love and care the most.
For the past six years, I have devoted myself to raising Ha-joon well.
And I'll continue to do so.
I can't let someone like Han Ji-yong raise him and make him a monster!
I will not let that happen!
I will not let my child get hurt
by a woman who only gave birth to him
or by a dishonest father. I will never let that happen.
While raising Ha-joon,
I've gladly poured my blood, sweat, and tears into him.
Because I didn't give birth to him, I had to shed more tears.
I had to give myself up to prove my love for him.
Although…
the years I spent with Han Ji-yong were lies,
every single moment I spent with Ha-joon was real.
There's only one reason why I can be true to Ha-joon.
It's because…
I'm his mother.
The court will now rule regarding the custody transfer request.
It's confirmed that the plaintiff is the biological mother of Han Ha-joon,
the child the defendant is raising.
And like the plaintiff's claim, the court acknowledges
that the child cannot receive the best care from his father.
However, the plaintiff
has not made an effort to take her son back for a long time.
And considering the fact that the wife, Ms. Seo,
is fully devoted to raising the child,
we had to question if sending the child
to his birth mother now would give the child the best environment
to grow up in.
Therefore, as for the custody transfer request, the court has decided
to dismiss it.
COURT IN SESSION
Okay.
-Thank you. -Congratulations.
Hi-soo.
Han Ji-yong…
is the next chairman now.
The entire board is on Han Ji-yong's side.
It will be hard to change it overnight.
But go ahead with the plan.
I'll do my best to turn the tables.
That's actually better.
The higher he goes, the more he will lose.
Congratulations,
Chairman Han Ji-yong.
-What are you trying to do? -Han Ji-yong.
It's over.
As you can see, I will be raising Ha-joon.
Let's…
end our marriage.
I'm leaving Hyowon and taking Ha-joon with me.
I saw on the news today that the second son is chairman now.
Han Ji-yong is being too quiet.
You'll need to prepare for a difficult time.
She left this piece for you.
She's leaving the country soon.
We've been ordered by the higher-ups not to write a word about the lawsuit.
How much power and control do you really have?
We can't beat him if we don't think outside the box.
You want to break Ji-yong, don't you?
Do what I tell you, just one more time.
Subtitle translation by: Won-hyang Son