Choyee

Imo, that feeling of being "small" - in comparison to MJ - is a huge part of GR's core conflict. The weight of a dysfunctional family, the stigma of being a single mom etc. Next to MJ (& his family) who is confident & composed - she probably feels even more diminished. MJ gives her the assurance, but she still looks through the lens of her struggles. It makes her character frustrating to watch at times bc she doesn't know her worth and that she has the leverage to stand her ground.
Agree with @Aera8 - there gonna be a lot of push & pull before this couple finds happiness.

Just watched ep 18 - GR calling & wailing for her mother - I got no words. Don't think she's going to send Yun Hui packing. I m so disappointed.

Ep 18 was good - Hun Tae chided her. Her face was full of spite.

The lunchbox scene was painful to watch. Yes, her mother still prioritizes her step sister - is just heart breaking. I wanted a moment of pure rage where she actually threw the lunch box at her mom. That wld hve been a lot more satisfying than see her retreat dumbly in silence.

My first comment on this drama was about Yun Hui. I was having a problem with how her character was written. She was savage. We hve a total of 50 eps and I m not hoping for any redeemable arc. I think she should just go and live in a monastery. Hun Tae should marry MJ's mother and SH, she can join Yun Hui or be institutionalized. Her pick - cuz MJ will never be hers.

Yup. Agree. All the while she was convincing herself she was doing the right thing. Now she has to face the woman in the mirror.

When Yun Hui sank into the bed, weeping, I think it dawned on her for the very 1st time that she had truly neglected & sacrificed her bio children. Both Yun Hui & GR are in a psychological trap. They block the truth as a coping/defense mechanism. Hun Tae told her that her only guilt was how she raised SH. That girl became her project. I don't think at that time SH was intentionally mean when she revealed her phobia of stepmoms. Yun Hui mistook SH's clinging for genuine acceptance. She coddled SH into an entitled monster. Hun Tae knew everything but remained passive - which makes him as complicit? Yes, sometimes we blame the new family but it was Yun Hui who gave them the rights to write her life

Yup. SJ & ES hve lost 10 yrs. During that time, HR has been his lifeboat. I can't see him turning away frm her unless he finds out what she has done to ES & his mother.

So now it's clear why he feels he must marry HR - She's his lifeboat. Without her, he would still be struggling today.

I hope she's smarter than to look for romance with SJ this early.

Bc of his poor background, his wealthy peers looked down on him. I don't know when or why Jeong Seon stepped in to assist him & his mother. Even with the position he has in Cheongma now, his friends still see him as a "lackey." The CEO wants to work him to the bone. He does not see SJ as the potential son in law. Working hard for the company should be enough to show debt gratitude but I still don't understand WHY he wants to marry HR?

But did you see the smile she had on her face after she told him?
I think she's up to something .

SJ is conflicted. We must remember he really liked ES. But they have lost 10 yrs. It's easier for ES to hold the candle for him bc she was isolated & confined. As you say, she's still that 17 yr old girl. SJ had other things going on such as his studies, his career, & HR's hot pursuit of him. I agree he shouldn't encourage or give ES hope if he has chosen HR's path. ES has got a much bigger agenda than to be derailed emotionally.

Yup. It's the smell of money that "moves" her.

Most probable route for MR bc she's cornered - by her hubby & greedy gran. 😂

@TooEmotional SJ's overall motivation is to secure a stable future for his mother. I think they were having a difficult time after his dad passed & Jeong Seon provided crucial assistance. He is indebted to HR's family & is heavily obligated to prove himself in Cheongma. This much we can assume.
Yes, greedy gran is a super lucky sleuth!
As for ES, she will just hve to watch as he walks on by....with HR.

Now can we tell if Mi Ran is playing the CEO or if the CEO is actually playing her?😅
He does give her a very strange, calculated look all the time.

Like everyone else, I m waiting to see the reunion-confrontation btwn GR & Yun Hui. That's the biggest emotional peak of the drama for me! I hope GR will not disappoint. Call a spade a spade. The dam must break.
Yun Hui’s priority has always been to protect her new family. It's easy to play a wife/mother to a new family than to do the heavy, uncomfortable duty of maintaining a bond with her kids. She thinks she has chosen the perfect life, but in reality, she has turned her back on her children for a "sanitized family". Now, that family unit is going to crush her.
Perhaps one day she'll come to realize that her choice has effectively isolated her & left no capacity for her to be a mother to her biological children.

Lawyer boy lies too easily. This makes me question his ethics. Getting ES into the archive room under false pretenses etc. A lot of viewers fall for the "Daddy Long Legs" trope. But he cld be more dangerous if he gets angry - due to jealousy. There's a subtle, calculative edge about him. SJ isn't wrong when he told him that the "debt" cld be a burden for ES.

He's a bit laid- back about probing deeper into the killer's MO. Most clues came frm ES's own investigative work. He's just good at looking up info to help ES. So yes, you're right - he's more invested in capturing ES's affection.

I think there's definitely gonna be at least an engagement fanfare btwn SJ & HR. Yeah, jazz up the drama.

Btw, how did lawyer boy come to represent ES 10 yrs ago? Random?
And how did he end up working as the head of legal department in Cheongma?
Wldn't MR recognize/remember him?

Watch " Love Twist" - if you hve the time. Lawyer boy & sister were in the cast.

Edited

😂