She had been blind. Yoo Myung Sung realizes too late. Blind to too many mistakes - too many betrayals. Blinded willfully by the love she had nurtured so long for her first born. She did not see him holding his own cards, until the trick was laid out on the table.

She sees it clearly during the cross examination of Woo Hee, after Hwang Shik Ryom had lead her beautifully through the direct, eliciting from her each and every gruesome detail of the attack she had faced. The atmosphere in the court room is dark, palpable with tension and repressed disgust.  

“Well, we may never know what the accused tried to obtain reducing such despicable means - but his actions speaks for themselves and his violent disposition. Your witness, counsel.”

It is then that the cross begins.

“I’m sorry about your gruesome experience Miss Kim,” says senior Hwang. “I will not bother you much, just two things I’d like you to clarify for me - with court’s permission. I’d like to know how you survived the attack.”

Shik Ryom shuffles his papers, looking for Woo Hee’s statement, frowning as Woo Hee answers, her voice slightly shaky when she recounts the intervention of the pet  dog.

“The dog bit the attacker?”

“Yes.”

The defence marks the omission before putting up another question.

“Could you describe the injury?”

And she does, to the horror of Myung Sung, for she knows exactly where she had seen a similar injury.

“Thank you Miss Kim,” Senior Hwang’s tone is warm. “Let me repeat to you one of the questions put to you by the prosecution, now that we’ve established that.Do you see the man who attacked you in court, today? I believe it is one and the same thing to ask, do you see the man who was bitten by the dog that day?”

There is a pause - and a faint murmur cross the hall.

“No.” Says Woo Hee. “He is not here.”

“Your honor please, defence would like to point out that the accused has sustained no injury as the witness has described.”

“Wook -” mutters Shik Ryom, forgetting for a moment that Yo is within earshot. “The bastard planned it!” Senior Hwang continues to address the court.

“However, if Miss Kim is certain in her identification as the prosecution had established that she is, a likely conclusion could be drawn that the attacker did have the appearance of the accused and a tendency towards violent behavior where obstructed.” He says briskly. “As the learned counsel for the prosecution had submitted - who could look like the accused but the accused himself…but in this particular instance do we not know of another person who has a similar - that is to say the exact same appearance as the accused? Could it not be that an innocent is indeed being framed for deeds not done by him as the prosecution had eloquently put - but that prosecution is wrong in choosing who is who? Miss Kim, the other thing, if you would let the court know how did the attacker enter your premises?”

Woo Hee swallows.

“He was already there - when I entered.”

“Waiting for you?”

“No - he was searching for something.”

“Did he - during the course of events, ask you about this particular thing he was searching for?”

“No.”

“Does anything occurs to you that could be of value - if you ever deliberated on it?”

“Objection on relevancy -” Yo pipes sharply. Woo Hee speaks just as Yo stands.

“No - not really, but there is a microchip in possession of my friend - the house owner, he mentioned it to the police.”

“If the court please, the defense seeks permission to mark as evidence the aforesaid microchip.”

“The prosecution objects, your honor -”

“It was raised by the prosecution on the direct your honor, and I quote ‘we may never know what the accused tried to obtain reducing to such despicable means’ - while the accused denies being the attacker, on his behalf I would like to submit what the attacker tried to obtain by his aggressive behavior.”

“This - to further elaborate is the same evidence supposedly destroyed with the alleged murder of Hae Myung Hee. The deceased had posted the material to her long time friend before her death.”

“Permission granted.”

Yoo Myung Sung stiffens, jaw clenched around a silent scream. Betrayal is sour on her mouth. Wook - it all comes back to him, she thinks as she watches the trial progress on to Myung Hee’s death.

The CCTV’s Yo had obtained are replayed, where So’s arrival at her office building on the date of Tae’s death is recorded. References are made to Ha Jin’s statement that the man who attacked Tae had already fled the scene by the time he arrived. On that note time stamped photographs from Myung Hee’s microchip are brought in.

The defence draws attention to the time - to the same young man in different clothes captured in both frames - to the simple fact that one person can’t be present at two places at once.

Wook did this - Wook made this happen. A voice screams inside her head. The defense spins slowly, and Myung Sung squeezes her eyes shut, tracing the path of that particular argument to its culmination. Tae was killed by Jun - Jun is the violent one - Jun not So. The very fact that she tried to keep under wraps - the ugly face of truth comes bolting out. All because Wook has kept his own cards in his sleeve. Jun - her poor baby, now the entire trial would turn on him for nothing but a silly mistake Wook had committed.

 It is jealousy, she sees it now. He had planned it well so that Jun would take the fall along with So - either way. Even though there is no evidence to frame him to Yeon Hwa’s murder - there is no denying of the fact that he had been involved in that attack.

A sufficient doubt might acquit So - while the same could ruin Jun. Myung Sung sees red, hands gripped until her knuckles turn white. Wook should have told her that the chip was in the hands of their enemies.

It is then that she decides, rising like a shadow to exit the court room - this time betrayal will not go unpunished, forgiveness would come at a cost. She would teach Wook what happens when he tries to play her game against her - and the lesson would be a painful one.

Her mobile flashes with a call - that she answers - it is as if the fates wants her to win again. She tells the clerk at the hospital exactly what she should do about the reports Hwangs are requiring from them. The test results of Hae Hong Ha Jin.

**

“Ha Jin - ie…!” The old man’s voice is winter sunlight, matching with the warm gray of his eyes and the wrinkles that frame them. There is a soothing familiarity in the embrace that he draws her in - something about him taps at the faint memories of her own father. It is much, much later once the man finishes giving his account that she realizes the reason.

“Had the fates not intertwined you would be my granddaughter,” he tells her finitely. “It was my own mistakes that took it all away…”

Regrets are dark in his eyes, things the man would never forget even if he tried. In the seclusion of his office, where a fire crackles low but merrily and Eun sits outside the door - he tells her of the long lost day when Hae Hong Ha Jin came to meet him.

“Hae A Ra had ceased all communications with him - soon after his marriage and her shifting abroad. She never enjoyed being a Hae - that much I gathered from our conversations. Hong Ha Jin - was unaware - I think still is unaware - that his sister was married to my son.”

He gives her a pause to soak it up, the revelation, truth and all its complications.

“But I am a Go - not a Lee,” she says dumbly and a little hesitantly.

“I owe you an explanation - ” Dr. Gyu bows in agreement. “Not right now though. If I may continue ?”

“Eun is my brother?” She murmurs in owe and swallowing nods at the old man. “Yes, please continue.”

“No. Eun is the son of my second son. He is your cousin. The boy Hong Ha Jin wanted operated already had a huge burn mark across his face - he wanted me to think I was just removing the scar. But the measurements all came wrong - if he was to have the face Hong Ha Jin claimed was his - he needed a bone structure alteration.” He takes in her confusion well. “It’s the jaw you see - you need to reset it to change the shape of the face. Yes - yes - very painful, not something you perform on a kid. I refused on the same grounds - not once but several times. You were very young then - you won’t remember much. The man returned home but it was later that I realized he has not given up on his intentions.”

His voice trails off and his gaze turns unfocused.

“Do you remember when your father passed away Jinnie?” Her eyes widen a little at the particular nickname and the old man chuckles in spite the shadows crossing his eyes. “Old habits forgive me - you are not familiar with that name anymore huh?”

“He went on a trip…” she says frowning, trying to grasp the flimsy threads of memories that kept slipping away.

“You were barely ten,” Dr. Gyu nods. “He never returned.”

“Do you think - are you saying that - that my uncle killed him?” Her voice turns softer as she reaches the hurtful truth.

“He did not kill him,” he corrects her. “He tried to use my son as a bait to get me under his thumb.” Another pause stretches. “I was foolish - I was proud. I thought I could handle it all.”

“So Omma -?”

“It was already too late by the time I worked up enough courage to tell her. She wanted to go and find him herself. She had always been adventurous - your Omma. And Hong Ha Jin was not aware of their connection - a fact that she used to her advantage. All that mattered to her brother was that she was my student - fully qualified - and some good for nothing man she had married had died leaving her with a daughter.”

“I can’t believe he bought that…”

“Your mother had been meticulous in hiding her affair and later marriage from her family - much like what I suppose your cousin had done. At least I believe she was better at it…”

“But he found out - didn’t he?” Her voice is so small, crushed beneath the weight of understanding. Dr. Gyu nods sadly.

“Yes. He did. It didn’t end well. He acted so fast and so harsh that I couldn’t reach out for you. Your mother’s story blocked my ways of reaching you. All I could have done was keep an eye without interfering.”

She doesn’t reply for a while and the man tries to decode her silence.

“Are you angry with me Jinnie?”

She shakes her head slowly, still reeling from the surge of information and speaks slowly.

“They might have kept me alive because of that…”

“Perhaps - it is one way of keeping a secret. I would not have spoken of any of it with you under their roof.”

“But now that I’m here - you will tell everything?” She tires to grasp that last straw of hope offered to her and the old man smiles.

“Of cause.” He reaches out and takes her hand in his. His hand is wrinkled yet warm and comforting. “So will come out of this unscathed.”

Tears brim her eyes, invoked by his name and she tries to blink them away.

“I ruined him -” her words tremble. “I didn’t know how - can you find it - the bug?”

“It’s planted on your knee,” Eun says, followed by a knock on the door, “I found out from the tests we did earlier. Only I couldn’t inform in time. It might have been there from the time of your accident Noona - perhaps that’s why it was never properly healed.”

“So wouldn’t have minded,” Dr. Gyu says catching on her dismal mood. “He’d rather you stayed with him Jinnie.” There is a twinkle in his eyes as he speaks of So which prompts her to ask.

“You like him?”

“He reminds me of your father.” He replies seriously. “I wouldn’t lose him twice.”

**

He should have known it was coming when Chae Ryung betrayed him on stand. Wook thinks as Hong Ha Jin - the man who was supposed to be his father topples down his well crafted defense. He should have known it when the girl looked at him with wide pleading eyes before the question was put to her.

“What did you do when Hae Soo Ssi was having one of her episodes of agitation as you described?”

She admits to medicating her. One by one - each of their secrets spill out of the girl’s mouth, until the truth comes tumbling to light. The pills were originally intended for Jun - a tranquillizer for his aggressive moods. That is how she knows it works, that it dissolves in water. It was he - Wook - who told her that Hae Soo must never know Jun lives with them. And she tells them everything that happened at that house. Of how apt Wook is at controlling Jun.

He should have known. It isn’t the skill of the defense counsel, it is a noose tightening around his neck. The girl is loyal to none but his mother.

Still like a fool he believes in her love for him until Hong Ha Jin is called to stand. Now - he has no doubts. But then it is already too late. The man makes it sound as if they were in cahoots chasing after the fortune of the Hae family. Truth wrapped in fabrication - he makes it sound as if Wook was eyeing both Hae and Hwang fortunes - trying on his way to eliminate all the other heirs to the Hwang family as well. Breath tightens in his throat.

More CCTvs are submitted, found at - they say - records of Hwang Hospitals - where he had tried to keep them under wraps. The CCTv that Yeon Hwa had staged to capture them taking So - where Jun and So both are clear on the frame and the incident speaks for itself - of which one is the violent of two, which one is being targeted and entrapped. Then there is Myung Hee’s photographs - of him trying to find and restrain Jun after Tae’s death - of him arriving with Jun before. There is more - there is always more.

The man who he had called father for so many years comes at him with spite. Registration documents of the gun marked as the murder weapon are unearthed and also - experts are called on stand to confirm that So’s grip as deduced by the finger prints on the gun had not fired the bullet. Yeon Hwa was shot at a closer range - by a shorter man - after an apparent struggle.

Finally - asks the defence - who is more evil - the man who kills a brother - or the man raises a brother as a weapon to kill a brother and finally accomplishes his motive?

“I’m sorry Wook - ah,” she mutters in his ear - or is it him imagining her voice. “But I don’t forgive the same mistake twice. You will not snatch another son from me.”