Full transcript
0:00A person should have some sense of
0:02shame . I’m Lee Sook-kyung , a woman in
0:04her 50s who gave my daughter’s
0:06shameless future mother-in-law a real
0:07piece of my mind . My daughter brought
0:09home a man she wanted to marry . The
0:11doctor’s personality was so upright
0:13that there was really nothing to
0:14complain about . But the problem was the
0:17future mother-in-law . She pulled my
0:19daughter aside to talk about family
0:21backgrounds and how her son was a
0:22doctor , and eventually demanded that if
0:24she wanted to get married , she should
0:26bring a billion won . The moment I heard
0:28that , I was absolutely dumbfounded .
0:31That’s because our families had a
0:33terrible , deep-rooted history from a
0:36very long time ago . I told my daughter
0:38not to worry and to go ahead and set a
0:40date for the meeting between the
0:41families . When I pulled out a worn-out
0:44piece of paper at the meeting , the
0:46future mother-in-law looked like she
0:47was about to faint . Please listen on
0:51with anticipation to find out what
0:53happened between our families and how
0:55the two children’s marriage turned
0:57out . I am fifty-five years old this
1:00year . I was born and raised in Busan .
1:04Back when I was young , not everyone
1:06lived as comfortably as they do now ,
1:07did they ? But among us , there was one
1:11family that was particularly struggling
1:12. I still remember that night . I was
1:16lying down to sleep when someone
1:18suddenly knocked on our door . I
1:21wondered who it could be at such a late
1:23hour , and it was a lady who lived in
1:25our neighborhood . I was lying in my
1:28room , but since the house wasn't big , I
1:30could hear everything my parents and
1:32the lady were saying in the living room
1:34. Looking at her
1:36What brings you here ? Do you have
1:38something troubling you ? The lady
1:41hesitated for a long time before she
1:43finally spoke with difficulty . I know
1:46it’s a shameless request , but could
1:49you lend me some money ? How much do you
1:54need ? Is something wrong ? I thought
1:57things had gotten a bit better lately .
2:00Then , after a moment of silence , the
2:03lady let out a deep sigh . Actually ,
2:05that family hadn't always been poor .
2:08They used to live in a three-story
2:10house and were quite well-off , even
2:12renting out the lower floors . But after
2:15her husband made the mistake of acting
2:16as a guarantor , they lost their home
2:18overnight and ended up in a single room
2:20. Even so , the husband was a very
2:23diligent man , so we thought he’d
2:25bounce back soon , but he couldn't
2:27overcome the shock and eventually took
2:30his own life . Imagine how hopeless his
2:32wife and children must have felt . Their
2:35second daughter , Yeon-seo , was the same
2:36age as me , so we had been best friends
2:38since we were little . The lady had done
2:41every job imaginable , including
2:43dishwashing at a restaurant , but one
2:45night she came to our house and asked
2:47my parents to lend her some money . I
2:51have three children , and the money I
2:53earn washing dishes just isn't enough .
2:57But I’ve always been told that I’m
2:59good at cooking . I want to rent a small
3:02stall at the market to sell side dishes
3:04, but I don’t have the deposit or the
3:06startup capital . Once I get established
3:09, I’ll definitely pay you back —
3:11could you please lend me some ? What
3:13money do we have ? If I had that kind of
3:16money , I would’ve started a business .
3:18But how much do you need ? Is about 5
3:22million won possible ? Back then , our
3:26family was just average . My dad worked
3:30at a large company , so we had enough to
3:32get by , but we weren't well-off enough
3:35to lend someone a large sum of money .
3:39However , in the past , Yeon-seo’s dad
3:42had helped my uncle a lot when he was
3:44struggling . So , I think my parents
3:47couldn't just ignore them . We don't
3:50have that much money right now . Let us
3:53think about it for a few days and get
3:54back to you . Okay . I know it's a
3:57difficult request . Please think it over
4:00just once . It turned out my parents had
4:04some savings , and a bank deposit was
4:06just reaching its maturity . Since it
4:09wasn't money we needed immediately and
4:11we had received help before , they
4:13decided to help them this time .
4:15That’s how we ended up lending them 5
4:17million won at the time . No matter how
4:20close you are , it’s still a large
4:21amount of money . So , we definitely
4:23wrote up a loan agreement . We wrote
4:26down how much was borrowed and when it
4:29would be paid back , and the lady signed
4:31it and stamped her seal . But
4:34unfortunately , a few months later , our
4:36family hit a crisis . My dad’s company
4:39suddenly faced issues , and he had to
4:41quit his job . To make matters worse ,
4:44his health deteriorated , and he ended
4:47up needing surgery . On the other hand ,
4:50Yeon-seo’s mom used the money
4:52borrowed from my parents to open a side
4:53dish shop at the market , and it did
4:55much better than expected . Is business
4:59going well ? I saw it was crowded
5:02earlier ; is it like this every day ?
5:05Yeah , these days , everything I make
5:07sells out . At first , people asked who
5:10would pay for side dishes , but once I
5:12started , everyone bought some . That’s
5:16great . In that case , could you pay us
5:20back ? Our family situation has suddenly
5:23taken a turn for the worse . My husband
5:26had to quit his job , and he’s sick
5:29and needs surgery . Oh dear , what should
5:33we do ? Is he very sick ? What part of
5:36him is sick ? But I’m so sorry , what
5:40do I do ? Business is good , but I still
5:43don’t have any profit . After paying
5:46for ingredients , rent , and other
5:47expenses , it's really tight . It’s
5:51hard to pay it all at once , so could I
5:52pay it back in small amounts instead ?
5:55For the first few months , the money
5:57came in bit by bit as promised . But
6:00that was only for a short while , and at
6:01some point , she started saying business
6:03was bad this month . She’d say she had
6:05expenses for the kids . She started
6:08making excuses one by one , like
6:09ingredient costs going up , and later ,
6:11she stopped paying altogether . Then ,
6:14one morning , Yeon-seo’s family
6:16vanished without a trace . Literally ,
6:18they ran away in the middle of the
6:19night . The whole neighborhood was
6:21turned upside down that day . But as
6:24people gathered one by one to talk , we
6:26realized she hadn't just borrowed money
6:28from us , but from all over the
6:30neighborhood before vanishing . My
6:32mother searched everywhere with the
6:34promissory note in hand , but in the end
6:35, she couldn't find the person or the
6:37money . Back then , my father even got
6:39sick , so we had to sell our house for
6:41medical bills , and my sister had to
6:43wait three years to enter college
6:45because we lacked the money . From our
6:47family's perspective , we knew we
6:49wouldn't have suffered so much if we'd
6:52had that money , so just thinking about
6:54Yeon-seon's family made us seethe .
6:58Still , thanks to our parents working
7:00tirelessly to support us sisters , I was
7:02able to go to college , though I had to
7:04keep working part-time jobs while
7:06attending . After graduating , I got a
7:08job doing accounting for a small
7:10business . That's when I met my current
7:12husband , got married , and moved up to
7:14Seoul . I gave birth to two daughters
7:16and raised them with all my might . My
7:18oldest daughter became an accountant ,
7:19and my younger one is a civil servant .
7:21I’d say I did a pretty good job
7:23raising my kids . Some years ago , my
7:26father passed away first from cancer ,
7:28and a few years later , my mother also
7:30left this world due to a chronic
7:32illness . After finishing my mother's
7:34funeral , I was sorting through her
7:36belongings with my sister when she
7:37found something interesting . Oh my ,
7:40this was still here ? Hey , come look at
7:43this . Take a look at this . Do you
7:45remember this ? What was inside the
7:49envelope was the very promissory note
7:51from when my mother lent money to
7:53Yeon-seon's mother . Mom had been
7:56keeping this all this time . But does
7:58this still have any legal standing ?
8:00Goodness , how reminiscent . We suffered
8:03so much because of this money . What an
8:07infuriating piece of paper . It’s been
8:09almost 40 years , what kind of power
8:11could it have ? Is 5 million won back
8:13then the same as 5 million won now ?
8:16Just throw it away . But Mom held onto
8:19it her whole life , how can I throw it
8:20away ? I’ll just hold onto it , just in
8:24case . And so , my sister took the
8:26promissory note . After that , I
8:28completely forgot about Yeon-seon's
8:29family and lived my life . Then one day ,
8:31my eldest daughter said she was going
8:33to marry a boyfriend she’d been
8:35dating for about five years . He’s a
8:36guy who graduated from medical school
8:38and is currently in his residency . Both
8:41of them are at a marriageable age now
8:42and have established themselves in
8:43society , so it makes sense for them to
8:45marry . So I told her to bring him home
8:48sometime . But seeing him in person ,
8:51kids these days are really something .
8:54He studied hard to become a doctor ,
8:56he’s tall , handsome , and he’s very
8:58polite and friendly . My husband seemed
9:01to like his first impression too , so he
9:03asked him this and that . I’ve heard a
9:06lot about you from our daughter . I hear
9:09you two have been dating for five years
9:11already . If you've dated that long , I
9:12guess you know as much as you need to
9:14about each other . Right . What do your
9:17parents do ? My father is a school
9:20principal . My mother is a housewife now
9:22. She used to teach students at a
9:24private academy in the past . Oh my , so
9:27your father is a principal and your
9:29mother taught children as well . That
9:32must be why their son became a doctor .
9:35You must have studied so hard to get
9:36into medical school and make it this
9:38far . It’s not so much that I was good
9:41, but I owe a lot to my mother . She
9:43helped me with my studies ever since I
9:45was young . Since she used to teach at
9:47an academy . She was incredibly
9:48meticulous about that sort of thing . I
9:51see . Your mother is quite meticulous
9:53then . So , where is your home ? Is it
9:56close to my house ? They live in Gangnam
9:59. Gangnam . Are they originally from
10:02Seoul ? No. Both of them are originally
10:06from Busan . I heard they moved to Seoul
10:08and settled down when they were young .
10:10I felt glad for some reason when you
10:12mentioned Busan . Oh my . I see . I lived
10:15in Busan for a long time , too .
10:17Whereabouts in Busan are they from ?
10:20I’m not sure about the exact
10:21neighborhood . My grandmother originally
10:24ran a side-dish shop in Busan , and it
10:26did well , so they moved to Seoul . I
10:29heard the business went well in Seoul
10:31too , so they later bought buildings and
10:33land . That’s when they started living
10:36in Gangnam . My heart sank the moment I
10:39heard " side-dish shop . " I thought it
10:43couldn't be , but I kept thinking of
10:45Yeon-seo , who ran a side-dish shop in
10:47Busan , and it weighed on my mind
10:49strangely . Wait a minute . What is your
10:52mother's name ? I ask because the story
10:55is similar to someone I knew when I
10:57lived in Busan . Her name is Kim
11:00Yeon-seo . What did you say ? Kim
11:03Yeon-seo ? Is your mother's name really
11:07Kim Yeon-seo ? Ah , yes . Do you happen to
11:11know my mother ? How could I ever forget
11:14that name ? She was the very Yeon-seo
11:17who was my best friend 40 years ago ,
11:19and one day , she vanished without a
11:22trace along with my mother and our
11:24family's money . I couldn't believe
11:27something like this could happen in the
11:28world . Oh , I think she’s my friend
11:31from back home . Really ? Oh my , how
11:35could we have such a connection ? It
11:37seems we were truly meant to be . It’s
11:39so amazing that our mothers were
11:42friends . Knowing that Yeon-seo and I
11:44had a meaningful connection , not just
11:46my future son-in-law , but my whole
11:48family was so amazed . Indeed , I should
11:52try to give my old friend a call for
11:54the first time in a while . Please give
11:56me your mother’s phone number . I’ll
11:58go home and tell her about me too .
12:02After my future son-in-law left , I
12:03called the number I was given the next
12:05day . Yeon-seo was surprised when she
12:09heard my voice . Yeon-seo , is your
12:12mother still alive ? My parents went
12:15through all sorts of hardships and
12:17eventually passed away . I heard you
12:20moved to Seoul , opened a big side-dish
12:22shop , bought a building , and lived in
12:25Gangnam ? Oh ? My mother is still alive .
12:29The business went well here in Seoul .
12:32You know , don't you ? With whose money
12:35you first started that side-dish shop .
12:37I know . I know it too . I feel truly
12:40sorry about what happened back then .
12:43Then you must understand why I can't
12:45allow this marriage . I cannot send my
12:47daughter to that house . Let's call off
12:50the engagement . That’s when Yeon-seo
12:52urgently grabbed me . Wait a minute . Let
12:55me ask you one favor . Please . Can you
12:58please not tell the kids about the past
13:01? My son doesn't know anything . I don't
13:05want to hurt him by letting him find
13:06out about that . I don't want to be a
13:09disgrace to my son . Yes . Do I really
13:12have to be considerate of your family
13:14situation in this mess ? You deal with
13:16your son's pain yourself . Why are you
13:18doing this to me ? I'm asking you
13:21shamelessly . I don't want to look bad
13:24in front of my son . You could just say
13:27you don't like my son personally . I'm
13:31asking you to do that . Yeah . Honestly ,
13:34I was dumbfounded , but I’m a parent
13:36raising a child , too . And I wondered
13:38what the prospective son-in-law had
13:39done wrong . So , I decided not to tell
13:42the kids about the past for now .
13:45Instead , I told my husband everything
13:47and asked him to oppose this marriage
13:50at all costs . And although I felt sorry
13:54for my daughter , I made excuses that I
13:56didn't want to be in-laws with a friend
13:58and that I didn't like her fiancé . Mom
14:02, why are you acting like this all of a
14:04sudden ? You said he seemed like a nice
14:06person before . Does it make sense for
14:08you to dislike him now ? How can you
14:11know someone after seeing them just
14:13once ? No matter how I think about it ,
14:15he just doesn't suit you . And I don't
14:18want to be in-laws with a friend . I
14:21especially don't like him ; my daughter
14:24tried to persuade me , but because of my
14:26promise to Yeon-seo , I didn't mention
14:28the past and just insisted I didn't
14:31like him . How frustrated must my
14:34daughter have been ? She cried and threw
14:37a fit because I told her to break up
14:39with a boyfriend she’d been dating
14:40for five years for no reason . Still , I
14:43didn't bend my will . Since they've been
14:46together so long , it must be hard to
14:48break up right away . I thought she'd
14:51come to terms with it after some time ,
14:52so I stuck to my stance that the
14:54marriage couldn't happen . But then . My
14:57daughter would say this every single
14:59day . You've only seen him once , Mom .
15:03How can you judge him without knowing
15:06his true worth ? Were you always this
15:09kind of person ? I'm doing this because
15:12I have my reasons . Have I ever said no
15:14to you without a reason ? Do you think
15:17I'm doing this for no reason ? Then give
15:19me a proper reason . It’s frustrating
15:22because you tell me to break up
15:24unconditionally without telling me what
15:26you don't like about him . I wanted to
15:28tell her , too . But since I had promised
15:31Yeon-seo , I just couldn't bring myself
15:33to say it . So my daughter thought I
15:36only judged people by their appearance
15:38and was deeply disappointed . In the end
15:41, we had huge fights every single day .
15:44It was really , truly exhausting for me ,
15:45too . Still , I can't become in-laws with
15:48that family . I can't even say
15:50everything . I watched with my own eyes
15:54how much my parents suffered because of
15:56that house , so how could I let the kids
15:58get married ? So I didn't back down
16:02until the end , but my daughter started
16:04to crumble . She wouldn't eat properly
16:08and cried every night , and once she
16:10even passed out from exhaustion , so I
16:12had to take her to the hospital . Even
16:15then , I said no to the marriage , but
16:17she insisted she couldn't break up , and
16:19eventually , she caused a scene . She
16:22just ran away from home entirely . She
16:25wouldn't pick up the phone or go to
16:27work . I heard she even took time off .
16:29From that moment on , I was really
16:31scared . In the end , I had no choice but
16:34to call Yeon-seo . Yeon-seo , do you
16:37happen to know where your son is , or
16:39where my daughter is ? She ran away from
16:42home and I can't reach her . Oh my , your
16:45daughter ran away ? Hold on , let me ask
16:48my son right away . But it turned out
16:51the future son-in-law had no idea where
16:54she was either . He was shocked too , so
16:56as soon as his shift ended , he kept
16:58calling her and looking everywhere she
17:01might have gone . Then he finally found
17:04her . She wanted to be alone , so she was
17:06staying at a friend's empty studio
17:08apartment . As soon as he found her , he
17:11brought her straight to our house . My
17:14daughter's eyes were all swollen from
17:17crying , and the future son-in-law
17:20looked gaunt from worrying about her .
17:24My daughter cried and pleaded with me .
17:27Mom , it's really too hard for me . I
17:31don't think I can live without him .
17:33Please stop making things so hard for
17:34me . Okay ? Then the future son-in-law
17:38also begged me earnestly . Mother-in-law
17:41, please tell me what it is you don't
17:43like about me . If there's anything I
17:46can fix , I will . Mom , please , I'm
17:49begging you like this . I don't want to
17:53break up with him . I would like to ask
17:56you as well . If I am lacking in any way
17:58, I will try harder . So please don't
18:01just say no unconditionally .
18:04Seeing the two of them like that , my
18:06heart started to waver . Above all ,
18:08seeing how desperately he looked for my
18:11daughter when she disappeared and
18:13brought her back , I wondered if it was
18:15right to hate her son just because I
18:17hate her . When I think about it , the
18:20one who did wrong wasn't Yeon-seo , but
18:22her mother . Yeon-seo was just a child
18:25back then , too . So , should I stop
18:28hating someone who did no wrong and
18:30only hate her mother ? That kind of
18:34thought crossed my mind . I calmed the
18:37kids down first and sent the boyfriend
18:40home . Then my husband pulled me aside
18:44to talk quietly . I know why you hate
18:48that family . I know how much your
18:52parents suffered , but just think about
18:54whether it's right to make our daughter
18:56suffer like that because of it . And
19:00it's not like my future son-in-law did
19:02anything wrong . I don't dislike him
19:04either , so let's just let the kids live
19:06how they want . Seeing them like that
19:10today made me feel a bit conflicted .
19:15The boy isn't bad and my daughter likes
19:17him so much , so I wondered if it was
19:19right to force them apart , and in the
19:22end , I took a step back . I didn't give
19:25my consent for marriage right away , but
19:27I decided not to force them to break up
19:29either . So I told my daughter . Let’s
19:34put off talk of marriage for now . Mom
19:36needs some time to think , too . But I
19:39won't stop you from seeing each other .
19:42Go ahead and keep dating . Mom , are you
19:45serious ? Really ? Don't take it back
19:48later . I said that , but ... My heart was
19:52still wavering . Thinking about my
19:55parents , I felt I should make them
19:57break up , but when I looked at my
19:58daughter , I couldn't bring myself to do
20:00it . I really didn't know what to do . So
20:04I called my sister to ask for some
20:07advice . My sister actually harbors much
20:09more resentment toward that family than
20:11I do . Because she couldn't go to
20:13college even after being accepted , all
20:15because we didn't have the tuition . So
20:18I told her everything that happened and
20:20said I was feeling conflicted , and my
20:22sister just flew into a rage . Are you
20:26out of your mind ? You should be trying
20:28to stop them no matter what . What ?
20:29You're wavering ? Yes . Put an end to it ,
20:32no matter what . You absolutely cannot
20:33marry into that family . I was the same
20:36way at first . But the kids like each
20:39other so much . He's their son , but he's
20:42a good kid , and come to think of it , he
20:45hasn't done anything wrong . If you look
20:48at it that way , Yeon-seo was just a kid
20:50back then , too . But have you forgotten
20:52how we lived because of that family ?
20:54Dad was sick and we even had to sell
20:56our house because we didn't have money .
20:58Mom died with the regret of never
21:00getting that money back . And I had to
21:02start college three years late because
21:04we didn't have the tuition . As my
21:07sister brought up those old memories ,
21:09my thinking started to change . How do
21:12you think Yeon-seo's family was doing
21:15while we were suffering ? They took our
21:17family's money , started a business , and
21:19used it to feed their kids and send
21:21them to school . I heard Yeon-seo
21:23graduated from a good college and
21:24became a private tutor . And she met a
21:26teacher and is living well now as a
21:28principal's wife . Yes . If that money
21:32had stayed with us , our fate might have
21:35been her fate . So don't go getting
21:38soft-hearted just because you feel
21:40sorry for the kids . I get it , sister . I
21:43don't know why I was like that , either .
21:46Seeing the kids crying just made me
21:47waver for a moment . But Yeon-seo's
21:50mother is still alive , too . Hearing
21:53that made me miss Mom and Dad even more
21:55. At that , my sister flared up again .
21:59What ? That woman is still alive ? Good
22:02grief . Maybe she’s lived so long
22:05because of all the curses she’s
22:06received . Wait a second . Then can we
22:08get the money back ? I still have the
22:11promissory note Mom left behind . I'll
22:14ask a lawyer about it tomorrow . Let’s
22:17at least find out if there's any way to
22:18get the money now . I was wondering
22:21about that too . Since the promissory
22:23note is still intact and the borrower
22:26is still alive , I thought there might
22:28be a way . But my sister looked into it
22:31and said it wouldn't be easy . It’s
22:35been nearly 40 years , and since there
22:38was no litigation or action taken to
22:41impact the statute of limitations ,
22:44it’s legally impossible to force
22:47payment even with the note . Honestly ,
22:52we didn't really need the money , so
22:55that part wasn't the main issue , but I
22:59was so furious that my parents '
23:02kindness was met with betrayal , and
23:05that the family lived lavishly in Seoul
23:08running a big store instead of paying
23:12us back . But then I feel so sorry when
23:16I think about my daughter . I really
23:19didn't know what to do . However , my
23:23daughter and her fiancé have been so
23:25good to us lately . They visit on their
23:29days off , bring groceries , and we eat
23:32out together , becoming like a real
23:34family . Mom , he says he knows someone
23:38in Noryangjin who gets really fresh
23:41seafood . He told us not to worry about
23:43dinner .
23:44Alright then , I’ll have to break out
23:46the 30 - year-old liquor . It's been a
23:49while , so let's enjoy some good food
23:51and drinks . Oh , I guess I don't have to
23:53make dinner tonight . Right , let’s eat
23:56our fill of sashimi today . Sitting
23:59around with the four of us chatting , I
24:01sometimes forget all about Yeon-seon's
24:03family . So I decided to just enjoy the
24:07situation for now . Most of all , my
24:10daughter looks truly happy when she’s
24:12with him . Her fiancé doesn't act
24:14arrogant at all , despite being a doctor
24:17. It actually makes me smile to see him
24:20dote on my daughter and try to please
24:23her . He also takes such good care of
24:26our health . He never ignores it if we
24:29mention feeling a bit sick . Father , you
24:32shouldn't ignore it if you feel
24:34something is different than usual . Even
24:37though you get regular checkups ,
24:39problems can arise suddenly now . It’s
24:42even worse to avoid the hospital
24:43because you’re afraid . But hospitals
24:45are just scary for no reason . I'm
24:48scared that I'll go in fine and be told
24:50I have some serious illness ; I get more
24:52fearful as I age . That's true . Illness
24:55is scary , money is scary , and sometimes
24:58I think ignorance is bliss . What are
25:01you two worried about ? I’m a doctor ,
25:03after all . If anything happens , I’ll
25:06be the first one to run over , and if
25:08it's not my specialty , I'll take you to
25:10a colleague who is . So don't be afraid ,
25:13and make sure you get your regular
25:15checkups . Understand ? Hearing him say
25:18that makes my heart feel some type of
25:20way . I was clearly against the marriage
25:23because I disliked that family , but
25:25when I looked at my future son-in-law ,
25:27I couldn't find a single thing to hate .
25:30Even when I tried to keep my distance ,
25:32seeing how flawlessly he was raised
25:34made my heart soften little by little
25:36without me realizing it . Then one day ,
25:39I was suddenly rushed to the emergency
25:41room with a stomachache . When the
25:44paramedics asked which hospital I
25:46preferred , I found myself saying the
25:48hospital where my future son-in-law
25:49works . When I arrived at the ER , he
25:53rushed over as soon as he was contacted
25:55, took care of everything from exams to
25:57treatment , and even kept checking if I
26:00was taking my medicine after I was
26:02discharged . After going through that ,
26:05my heart wavered even more . So , one day
26:08, I confessed everything to my husband .
26:11Honey , I actually really like our
26:14future son-in-law . He’s a very good
26:17man . But the fact that he's Yeon-seo's
26:20son keeps bothering me , so I don't know
26:22what to do . It’s not that I’m
26:25downplaying what your parents went
26:26through . But shouldn't we consider that
26:30matter and the kids as separate things ?
26:33We can't make our daughter cry for the
26:35rest of her life because of that . I
26:37thought he was right , too . The two of
26:40them like each other so much , and the
26:42more I see my future son-in-law , the
26:43more upright he seems ; how long could I
26:45possibly stand in their way ? So , I
26:47slowly began to open my heart . However ,
26:50one thing that bothered me was that I
26:52would have to face Yeon-seo as an
26:53in-law for the rest of my life . Still ,
26:56I thought that Yeon-seo must also be
26:59softening up , just like me , seeing how
27:01much her son loves our daughter . But
27:04then . Something unpleasant happened .
27:08One day , I got a call from Yeon-seo ,
27:09and it seemed like the fact that the
27:11kids were still seeing each other was
27:12really bothering her . " Didn't you say
27:15you'd make them break up ? " " Why does it
27:18seem like they're seeing each other
27:19even more these days ? " " You didn't
27:21change your mind , did you ? " " You're not
27:23planning on allowing this marriage , are
27:24you ? " The moment I heard that , I was
27:27brought back to my senses . " No. " "
27:30Marriage ? What are you talking about ? " "
27:32They've been dating for five years , how
27:34can they break up overnight ? " " I'm
27:36giving them time to let it end
27:37naturally . " " I haven't approved of the
27:40marriage yet . " " Right , then that's fine .
27:43" " I'll trust only you . " " If they get
27:47even closer and we try to pull them
27:48apart later , it'll only be harder on
27:50the kids . " " We both agree that this
27:53marriage shouldn't happen , right ? " But
27:55even after saying that , she must have
27:57been really anxious . One day , my
28:00daughter came home , and she looked
28:02really upset . Her face was stiff , and
28:05her eyes were even red . " What's wrong ? "
28:08" What happened ? " " Did you cry ? " " Mom , I
28:12met his mother today . " " Yeon-seo ? " " Why
28:17on earth did you meet her , and why were
28:19you crying ? " Since there was no sign of
28:22the kids breaking up at all . She ended
28:25up skipping me and called my daughter
28:27out herself to give her a hard time . At
28:30first , Yeon-seo spoke very politely too
28:32. She even ordered tea and acted like
28:35she was worried about the whole world .
28:38Yes . " I heard your mother is against
28:42this marriage , I heard it all . " " But you
28:45shouldn't go through with a marriage
28:47your parents are so against . " " It'll
28:49only be hard for you two later . " " My
28:52mother is struggling with that decision
28:53right now . " " She just asked for a little
28:56more time . " That's when Yeon-seo slowly
28:58started showing her true colors . " Right
29:01. " " But let me be honest with you . " " My
29:04son didn't just grow up on his own , you
29:07know . " " Do you know how much effort we
29:10put into making him a doctor ? " " I want a
29:13daughter-in-law from a family that
29:15helps his future . " " What are you talking
29:19about ? " " Marriage isn't just about two
29:22people liking each other , is it ? " " My
29:25husband is a principal , and my son is a
29:27doctor . " " My own family moved to Seoul ,
29:30ran a big business , and bought
29:32buildings and land . " " So , I’m not just
29:36going to become in-laws with anyone . "
29:39Honestly , anyone listening would think
29:42they were some kind of prestigious
29:44noble family . As if that weren't enough
29:47, Yeon-seo even brought up my
29:49daughter’s time as an exchange
29:51student . " And you were abroad for a
29:54long time during college , right ? " " Yes . "
29:58" Well , not a long time . " " It was just a
30:00short exchange student program . " " Kids
30:04these days don't care , but I find that
30:06sort of thing concerning . " " You must
30:09have been free-spirited studying abroad
30:11. " " You must be pretty . " " Men must have
30:13bothered you . " " You probably had loose
30:16relationships , then . " " My family needs
30:20grandchildren , so I want that part of
30:22your history to be clean . " " Mother , what
30:26are you saying right now ? " " I didn't
30:28date any men while I was an exchange
30:30student . " " How would I know that ? " "
30:32We’re going to be family , so I just
30:34want to verify things . " " As my son’s
30:37mother , I think I have the right to ask
30:40that . " " Actually , I'd like to go to the
30:44OB-GYN with you to check for sure . " My
30:48daughter held it together at the time ,
30:50but she left . When she came home and
30:53told me , she finally burst into tears .
30:56" Mom , his side hates us , and his mother
31:00says we're not on their level . What did
31:04we do wrong ? " When I heard that , my
31:07blood started boiling . Who is she to
31:10judge our family's social status ? Her
31:13mother ran away with stolen money and
31:16bought that house , and now she says my
31:18daughter isn't good enough ? Do you know
31:22what else she said ? She said if she
31:24wants to marry a doctor , she needs to
31:26bring 1 billion won to open a clinic .
31:27What , 1 billion ? Is she out of her mind
31:30? You're not lacking anything , why
31:32would you marry into a family like that
31:33? Don't go . We would have no problems
31:36at all if it weren't for our mothers .
31:39So please , just leave us alone , for
31:42once . My daughter cried her eyes out ,
31:45resenting me that day . Why does only my
31:48daughter have to be hurt by this fight ?
31:51It’s just so unfair . I had still
31:53intended to keep my promise to Yeon-seo
31:56. I never told my daughter or her
31:59fiancé a word about what Yeon-seo’s
32:02mom did to my parents , or how that
32:04family got back on their feet . Seeing
32:08how well the future son-in-law treated
32:11me , I even tried to change my mind . But
32:15while Yeon-seo kept her family’s past
32:18hidden , she was secretly calling my
32:20daughter to insult her , mocking her
32:23family background and how she lived
32:25abroad , and on top of that , she
32:27demanded a billion won to open a clinic
32:30if she wanted to marry a doctor . At
32:34that moment , my mindset shifted
32:36completely . Why should I keep secrets
32:38for their family ? Don't cry . And don't
32:42say anything about calling off the
32:44wedding yet . Set up a date for the
32:45formal meeting of the parents . My
32:47daughter stopped crying and looked at
32:50me . " What ? The parents ' meeting ? " " Mom ,
32:53you were the one most against this
32:55marriage . " " That’s why I’m telling
32:57you to set it up . " Whether they marry
32:59or not , the parents need to meet
33:02face-to-face . This isn't something just
33:04the two of you should end yourselves .
33:07My daughter must have wondered why I
33:08was acting this way . But I had already
33:11made up my mind . I will explain what I
33:14meant in a moment . I told my daughter
33:18to set a date , and sure enough , she
33:20must have told her son , because
33:22Yeon-seo called me that very evening . "
33:26You suddenly want a parents ' meeting ?
33:29What is this about ? " I’ve been doing
33:31some thinking . The kids love each other
33:34so much ; will continuing to oppose them
33:36solve anything ? " What ? Are you planning
33:39to approve of this marriage ? " Approval
33:42or not , let’s just meet face-to-face
33:44and talk it out . " Are you out of your
33:47mind ? " " We agreed not to let them get
33:49married . " Yeon-seo grew anxious , but I
33:54spoke calmly . That’s exactly why we
33:58need to meet . If we keep pulling the
34:01kids apart separately , they only cling
34:02to each other more . It’s better for
34:05both sets of parents to be in one place
34:07. Let’s sit down and discuss
34:09realistically why the marriage is
34:11difficult . Once they see both sets of
34:14parents opposing it together , their
34:16perspective will change . At that ,
34:19Yeon-seo went quiet . But sensing her
34:22unease , she asked cautiously . " You’re
34:25not planning on bringing up the past
34:28that day , are you ? " Don’t worry .
34:31I’ve kept my mouth shut this long ,
34:34why would I bring it up now ? I just
34:37want the kids to have a clean break .
34:40Only then did Yeon-seo seem relieved ,
34:43and she agreed to attend the meeting .
34:45Finally , the day of the meeting arrived
34:48. We arrived at the restaurant first ,
34:51and shortly after , Yeon-seo and her
34:53husband walked in with the future
34:55son-in-law . Yeon-seo looked quite
34:58nervous meeting face-to-face after 40
35:00years , but perhaps because her husband
35:02and kids were there , she forced a smile
35:04as if nothing was wrong . I was the same
35:07way . Yeon-seo’s husband reached out
35:10to shake my hand as soon as he saw me .
35:12I’ve heard so much about you . I heard
35:15you two were friends since childhood .
35:18Knowing you're from the same hometown
35:20and have known each other for so long
35:22puts my mind at ease . It’s truly
35:25amazing that because of the kids , you
35:27two managed to reconnect like this . I
35:30smiled and greeted him back . I suppose
35:33so . Back then , we were inseparable . We
35:37were practically attached at the hip ,
35:39but then we suddenly parted ways and
35:41lived without hearing a word from each
35:42other . But who would’ve known we’d
35:45meet again after all these decades ? I
35:49was so shocked myself when it first
35:51happened . When I mentioned that we
35:54parted ways suddenly , Yeon-seo’s
35:56expression hardened for a moment . But
35:59her husband , knowing nothing , just
36:01nodded with a smile . That’s when my
36:04husband stepped in to clear the air . If
36:07we keep talking like this , we'll be
36:09here all night . Let’s have a seat
36:11first . We’re here for a happy
36:14occasion , so let’s eat and talk
36:16slowly . And so , we all took our seats .
36:21The kids seemed to relax and looked
36:23brighter , seeing their parents getting
36:25along better than expected . My future
36:29son-in-law even glanced at my daughter
36:31and smiled . Yeon-seo was trying to
36:34smile while watching them , but I knew .
36:38I knew she kept watching me for my
36:40reaction . I acted like I knew nothing ,
36:43smiling while waiting for the food to
36:45arrive . Because the real story hadn't
36:48even begun yet . Once the meal started ,
36:50the atmosphere improved even more .
36:53There was laughter as we talked about
36:55how the kids met and where they would
36:57live after marriage . Yeon-seo’s
37:00husband seemed to be in a great mood ,
37:03unaware of anything . The future
37:05son-in-law also looked relieved to see
37:08the parents getting along , smiling as
37:10he locked eyes with my daughter . Only
37:14Yeon-seo checked my expression every so
37:16often , but as I kept smiling and eating
37:19without bringing up the past , she
37:21seemed to relax . It was just when the
37:24mood was at its peak . Suddenly , the
37:28door opened and someone walked in . It
37:31was my older sister . My husband and
37:34daughter were surprised because they
37:36didn’t know I’d invited her , and
37:37Yeon-seo’s husband and the future
37:39son-in-law looked bewildered since
37:41they’d never seen her . But the person
37:44most shocked was Yeon-seo . The moment
37:47she saw my sister , she put down the
37:49spoon she was holding . Her expression
37:52went completely stiff . Oh my , you're
37:54having a party . You're in the middle of
37:56it ; I’m terribly late . She said there
37:59was something she absolutely had to
38:01bring over . Then she pretended to
38:04notice Yeon-seo and stared at her for a
38:06long time . Oh my , you must be Yeon-seo .
38:09Goodness , you haven't changed a bit .
38:12You look just like you did when we were
38:14young . Come to think of it , your
38:15mother’s face is very familiar , too .
38:19Yeon-seo looked clearly flustered for a
38:21moment , but since her husband and son
38:23were watching , she forced a smile . You
38:26haven't changed a bit either , unnie .
38:28It’s been such a long time . Don't
38:31just stand there , please have a seat .
38:34She sat down in the empty chair next to
38:36me as if it were nothing . Then , she
38:38took an old document envelope out of
38:40her bag and handed it to me . This is
38:43what you told me to bring , right ? I
38:46opened the envelope slowly . After
38:49checking it once , I spread it out in
38:51the middle of the table . Everyone was
38:53staring , wondering what kind of
38:55document it was , but Yeon-seo couldn't
38:58say a word . Yeon-seo’s husband asked .
39:02Yeon-seo’s husband stared at the
39:03paper on the table for a while and then
39:05asked with a puzzled look . What
39:08document is this ? What is it that you
39:10had to bring so urgently ?
39:13Yes . It’s a document I really wanted
39:16to show you and our children . It’s a
39:19promissory note . A promissory note ?
39:21What kind of promissory note are you
39:23talking about ? It’s a note your
39:27mother wrote herself when she borrowed
39:29money from my mother over 40 years ago .
39:33It has her signature and her seal right
39:36here . At that moment , Yeon-seo was
39:39startled and cut me off . Hey , why are
39:43you bringing that up here ? Why
39:46shouldn't I ? I think it’s appropriate
39:50. This is supposed to be the kids '
39:52wedding meeting today . Why bring up
39:55things from the past ? I retorted as if
39:58I’d been waiting for it . That’s
40:00exactly why I have to . I heard you told
40:03my daughter that yourself . That
40:06marriage isn't just about the couple ,
40:09but about family joining family . And
40:12that’s why you had to check the
40:14family’s background , right ?
40:16Yeon-seo’s mouth dropped open in an
40:18instant . You said it’s a marriage
40:21between families . Then shouldn't both
40:26sides know what happened between our
40:29families to be fair ? At that , Yeon-seo
40:33couldn't say another word and her face
40:36turned deathly pale . The prospective
40:39groom looked back and forth between me
40:41and his mother , as if he were hearing
40:42this for the first time . Mom , what does
40:46this mean ? What is this about Grandma
40:49borrowing money ? Yeon-seo was
40:51completely panicked . It’s an old
40:54story . You don't need to know about it .
40:56And we didn't meet today to talk about
40:59this . In-law , I’m sorry , but let’s
41:03end the meeting here . The mood isn't
41:07quite right . Then she grabbed her bag
41:10and stood up abruptly . I blocked her
41:12right away . No , sit down . We need to
41:16talk about this until the end today .
41:18Why do I have to hear this kind of talk
41:21here ? Do it later on your own . You’re
41:25truly a coward . Why are you embarrassed
41:28? You shouldn't have done something
41:31shameful in the first place . You called
41:34my daughter over , picked apart our
41:36family background and status , but now
41:38that your family’s history is out ,
41:39you’re trying to run away . Only then
41:42did her husband’s expression also
41:44harden completely . At first , they
41:47thought it was just a simple old money
41:49issue , but then they realized the
41:50atmosphere was quite serious . Honey ,
41:54sit down . What on earth is going on ?
41:57Don't I deserve to know ? Yeon-seo
42:00reluctantly sat back down . Right there ,
42:04I told them everything , starting from
42:06the beginning . From how Yeon-seo’s
42:09father went guarantor for someone ,
42:11causing the family to fall into ruin
42:14overnight , to his eventual passing and
42:16her mother raising three children alone
42:18. My parents weren't rich either . But
42:23they helped out because they understood
42:24the difficult situation . As it happened
42:27, a savings account had matured , so I
42:29lent them 5 million won from it . Forty
42:32years ago , 5 million won was a truly
42:34significant sum for our family too . I
42:38explained everything : how Yeon-seo’s
42:40mother used that money to open a
42:41side-dish shop at the market , and how
42:43she never properly repaid the promised
42:44amount even after the business started
42:46doing well . And then , I brought up the
42:49decisive part of the story . Then one
42:51night , she just disappeared with the
42:54three kids . She cleared out the shop
42:57and left the house empty , too . She
42:59didn't say a single word to my parents
43:01about where she was going . Yeon-seo’s
43:04husband’s face gradually grew stiff .
43:07It wasn't just my mother who was
43:10affected , either . We only found out
43:12later after the neighbors gathered
43:14together . She had borrowed small
43:16amounts of money here and there and
43:18vanished without paying any of it back
43:20properly . Yeon-seo’s husband looked
43:23at her as if he couldn't believe it .
43:26Honey , did you know about this ?
43:30I was young back then . It was my
43:32mom’s doing , not mine . Honey , don't
43:35listen to her . Huh ? That's right . You
43:39were young back then . That’s why I
43:41never intended to hold you responsible
43:43for that matter until now . And what
43:46fault could a child possibly have ? That
43:50is also why I didn't tell the kids the
43:52reason when I first opposed the
43:53marriage . You begged me not to tell the
43:58kids about the past , and I kept that
44:00promise all this time . At that , the
44:04prospective son-in-law looked at his
44:06mother with a surprised expression .
44:09Only now did he finally understand the
44:11reason he had been opposed to the
44:13marriage without knowing why . The
44:17daughter looked at me with a startled
44:18face , as if all the puzzle pieces had
44:20finally fallen into place . Mom , so
44:22that's why you didn't say anything to
44:25me . Was the reason you said you didn't
44:28like him just because of this ? Yes .
44:31What fault could the prospective
44:33son-in-law have ? He wasn't even born
44:36then , and besides , Yeon-seo asked me
44:39not to tell him about the past , since
44:41he had grown up knowing nothing about
44:44it . So , I kept my promise . Hearing that
44:49, the prospective son-in-law slowly
44:51turned to his mother . You asked her
44:55yourself ? To not tell me about this ?
45:00Yeon-seon just pressed her lips
45:03together , unable to say a single word .
45:06So , all the frustration I’d been
45:07holding back just exploded at once . Why
45:10did you lay a hand on my daughter ? Is
45:12your son so precious , while my daughter
45:14is someone you can treat however you
45:16please ? I heard you called her aside to
45:20say our family is below yours , and you
45:22even brought up her study abroad
45:24program to imply things about how she
45:27spent her time there , saying
45:28unforgivable things to her . " Hey ,
45:32that’s not what I meant by that — "
45:34What do you mean , it’s not ? And if
45:39that wasn't enough , I heard you told
45:40her that if she wants to marry a doctor
45:42, she needs to bring 1 billion won to
45:43fund his clinic — what is that supposed
45:45to mean ? At that moment , Yeon-seon's
45:49husband's eyes widened . What was that ?
45:531 billion won ? Honey , did you really
45:56say something like that ? The
45:58prospective son-in-law's face went
46:00stiff as if he were hearing it for the
46:02first time , too . Mom , 1 billion won ?
46:05Did you tell her she had to bring 1
46:08billion won from her parents to marry
46:10me ? Neither Yeon-seon’s husband nor
46:14the fiancé had any idea . Yeon-seon was
46:18completely flustered as her husband and
46:19son questioned her at the same time .
46:22Her face turned bright red , and she
46:24started waving her hands , making
46:26excuses in a panic . No , that’s not it
46:28. When did I ever ask for 1 billion won
46:31? I wasn't asking for it , I was just
46:33talking about reality . Marriage costs a
46:36lot of money , and my son might open his
46:38own clinic later , so I was just
46:39mentioning things like that . I was so
46:43dumbfounded that I let out a dry laugh .
46:46Talking about reality ? What reality ? I
46:50then tapped the promissory note sitting
46:52on the table with my finger . Is it "
46:55reality " for a family that borrowed 5
46:57million won from my mother 40 years ago
46:59, never paid it back properly , and
47:02vanished , to demand 1 billion won from
47:04my daughter now ? The room went silent
47:07in an instant . Yeon-seon's husband
47:11looked down at the note , and the
47:13fiancé just stared at his mother with
47:16a rigid face . Yeon-seon couldn't even
47:19look anyone in the eye , her face
47:21turning crimson . I picked up the
47:24promissory note and continued . I didn't
47:27bring this here today to get that money
47:30back . I even checked the legal side
47:33just to see if it was still collectible
47:35. But they said it was too long ago to
47:39force them to pay it back now . Then , my
47:43older sister chimed in from the side .
47:46We aren't people who can't get by
47:48without that money anymore . And we
47:51didn't come to this meeting just to
47:53collect a few coins , either . That's
47:56right . I don't need that 5 million won
47:58anymore either . My parents have passed
48:02away , and I make enough to live on
48:03while raising my own kids . Then I
48:06looked Yeon-seon straight in the eye .
48:09But after knowing what you did to my
48:12daughter , my mind has changed . At the
48:15very least , everyone here needed to
48:17know exactly who is judging whom and
48:19who is asking for money . Yeon-seo
48:22couldn't hold back any longer and
48:24raised her voice . " So , are you saying
48:27we should just call off the wedding
48:29right here ? " " Yes , I oppose this
48:32marriage . " When I said that firmly , my
48:35daughter and future son-in-law's
48:37expressions hardened . " At first , I
48:40thought , ' What fault is it of your
48:42son's ? ' and tried to change my mind . " "
48:45But now , I don't want to send my
48:46precious daughter into a home with a
48:48mother-in-law like you . " " If they get
48:51married , she’ll be tied to you for
48:53the rest of her life . " " Someone who
48:55secretly calls my daughter in to insult
48:57her before it’s even begun will be
48:59even worse after the wedding . " Then , in
49:02a fit of rage , I found myself bringing
49:04up her son as well . " And honestly , your
49:08son grew up under you ; he seems upright
49:10on the outside , but how am I to know
49:12what he's like on the inside ? " "
49:14There’s a saying that the water
49:15upstream must be clear for the water
49:16downstream to be clear . " " Seeing the way
49:19you act , I even suspect your son might
49:21have a streak of you in him . " At those
49:25words , Yeon-seo glared at me with wide
49:27eyes . " You witch , are you trying to
49:30sway my son now ? " " Why ? Does hearing
49:33that he's like you sound like an insult
49:35? " " You understand perfectly well . " At
49:38that one remark , Yeon-seo completely
49:40exploded . She stared at me as if to eat
49:42me alive , and just as she was about to
49:45scream , her face suddenly turned pale .
49:47She was incredibly embarrassed . In the
49:50end , that day's meeting ended in a
49:52total mess , without even discussing a
49:55wedding date or getting to eat properly
49:57. We were trying to pull ourselves
49:59together in our own way . Just two days
50:02later , I received a message from
50:04Yeon-seo’s husband . He said he wanted
50:06the whole family to meet once more . So
50:09we went out , and I was shocked to see
50:12Yeon-seo . It had only been two days ,
50:15but she looked gaunt , as if she’d
50:17lost five kilograms , and her eyes were
50:20swollen . " What did you want to see us
50:23about ? " " I felt I needed to offer an
50:26apology . " " I realized this wasn't
50:28something I could just let pass . " But
50:31as soon as she heard that , Yeon-seo
50:34stood up and suddenly knelt before us .
50:38" Soo-kyung , I'm sorry . " " I'm truly sorry
50:41. " " And Se-ah , I did something truly
50:44unforgivable to you , too . " " I was wrong .
50:48" We were so stunned that we could only
50:52stare with wide eyes . Only then did
50:55Yeon-seo’s husband tell us what had
50:57happened at their house after the
50:58meeting . He said that as soon as they
51:01returned home that day , a huge fight
51:02broke out between the couple . Yeon-seo
51:05had claimed she was just a young child
51:07back then and that she wasn't at fault
51:09because her mother had just packed
51:11their bags and taken her away . But what
51:15made Yeon-seo’s husband angry wasn't
51:17what her mother had done . "
51:20I’m not asking you to take
51:21responsibility for what your mother did
51:23. " " But you knew about it . " " You knew
51:28even when you married me , so why didn't
51:31you tell me the truth ? " It turns out
51:34that when Yeon-seo married , she only
51:36told her husband that her mother lost
51:39her husband early and started a side
51:41dish shop with her bare hands to raise
51:44three children . From her husband's
51:46perspective , he thought his
51:48mother-in-law was someone who had
51:49overcome hardship and become self-made .
51:52But he only learned 40 years later that
51:54at the very beginning , there was a past
51:56where she disappeared without paying
51:58back someone else's money . He lived his
52:02whole life as a teacher , teaching
52:03children to live uprightly , and even
52:05after becoming a principal , he valued
52:07his reputation , so the shock was even
52:09greater . Since he plans to work at the
52:12school foundation after retiring , he
52:14was very disappointed in his in-laws ,
52:17who committed such immoral acts , and
52:19his own spouse . Moreover , he said he
52:22was deeply disappointed by the behavior
52:24of asking our daughter to bring 1
52:26billion won . Not only that , he said he
52:28was greatly disappointed by Yeon-seo's
52:31actions of cornering our innocent
52:33daughter just to hide her past . He saw
52:36Yeon-seo's true colors . He even said
52:38that divorce was mentioned .
52:40I was so angry that I even thought
52:43about divorce myself . I wondered if she
52:46was even the person I had known my
52:48whole life . But it is also true that
52:52she has lived well as my wife and as a
52:54mother to our children all her life . So
52:58I thought it was more important to set
53:00things right rather than jumping
53:02straight to divorce . Then , Yeon-seo's
53:06husband also stood up and bowed deeply
53:08to us . It's late , but I will apologize
53:12on her behalf . I am truly sorry . The
53:16future son-in-law also bowed his head
53:18beside him . Yeon-seo was still on her
53:21knees , looking at my daughter and
53:24weeping . Unable to watch any longer , my
53:26daughter helped Yeon-seo up . Please get
53:29up . Father , and you , please stop now .
53:32Let's sit down and talk . I also thought
53:35for a long time before opening my mouth
53:37. I will accept the apology . But that
53:40doesn't mean I have forgiven everything
53:42right away , does it ? Yeon-seo's husband
53:45nodded quietly . Ah , of course . I fully
53:49understand . We are the ones who were
53:52shameless . With what nerve could we
53:54oppose the marriage ? Despite all this ,
53:58she chose our son , so we should be the
54:01ones feeling grateful . Don't you agree ?
54:05I will follow whatever you decide .
54:08Hearing that made me have many thoughts
54:11as well . For now , we accepted the
54:13apology that day and returned home . And
54:16the three of us — my husband , my
54:17daughter , and I — sat down and had a
54:19very serious conversation . I had
54:22already experienced firsthand what kind
54:24of person my future son-in-law was . No
54:27matter how I thought about it , I
54:28couldn't hold the grandson responsible
54:30for the mistakes his grandmother
54:31committed . I want to give the kids our
54:35blessing for the marriage now ; how
54:36about you ? I feel the same way . The
54:41kids like each other so much , let's let
54:43them marry . Naturally , I felt the same
54:46way . And so , our family reached a
54:48unanimous decision to allow the
54:50marriage . When I told them our decision
54:54, Yeon-seo’s husband was actually
54:56surprised and thanked me several times .
54:59Thank you so much . Actually , I didn't
55:02want to lose a daughter-in-law like
55:04your daughter either . I know it must
55:06have been a difficult decision , so
55:08thank you for opening your heart like
55:10this . Yes . Well , I suppose we'll run
55:13into each other a few more times
55:14regarding the wedding , so let's see
55:15each other then . That doesn't mean
55:18Yeon-seo and I have become friends
55:20again like in the old days . A bond once
55:23broken isn't that easily restored .
55:26Instead , we did make one promise to
55:28each other . Not to bring up the past in
55:31front of the children anymore .
55:34There’s no need to pass on an
55:36ill-fated connection that started with
55:38our parents 40 years ago to the kids .
55:41So , we decided to put an end to the bad
55:43blood between our families with our
55:45generation . The children regained their
55:47smiles and began preparing for the
55:50wedding as planned . Once both sets of
55:52parents gave their blessing , the shadow
55:55that had been hanging over the kids '
55:57faces completely vanished . My daughter
56:00became bright again , and my future
56:02son-in-law looked so relieved , his face
56:04lit up . The one who looked shadowed now
56:08was Yeon-seo . She isn't in a position
56:11to act bossy toward my daughter like
56:13before , after all . I met with Yeon-seo
56:15separately once . There was one last
56:17thing I needed to make clear . Yeon-seo ,
56:21the past is the past , and since the
56:23kids are getting married , I won't bring
56:25it up anymore either . But keep one
56:29thing in mind . If you try to give our
56:30daughter a hard time as a mother-in-law
56:32after the wedding , just you wait . I
56:33really won't stay quiet then . Yeon-seo ,
56:37now wary of me , immediately backed down
56:40. I won't say anything either . I have
56:44no intention of meddling , and I'll let
56:46them live well on their own . Just let
56:48them be . Okay . Make sure you keep that
56:52promise . I called my older sister right
56:54away , too . After I told her everything
56:57that happened , she listened for a while
56:59and then said this . You did well . It
57:02still hurts to think about Mom and Dad ,
57:05but it’s not their son’s fault . I
57:08think it was the right call not to tear
57:10the children apart . Thank you for
57:12understanding . I believe it was the
57:15right choice , too . And so , after many
57:17twists and turns , the children
57:18successfully held their wedding
57:20ceremony . They are living very happily
57:22together now . I occasionally ask my
57:25daughter how her in-laws are , and she
57:27says they are living quietly without
57:29any interference , so Yeon-seo must be
57:31keeping her promise . If anything , ever
57:34since that day when I turned things
57:35upside down , she seems very careful
57:37with every word she says to my daughter
57:39. Human relationships are truly a
57:42mystery . Who would have thought that
57:44two families whose bad blood ended with
57:47our parents ' generation 40 years ago
57:49would end up meeting again for their
57:51children's wedding ? But through this
57:54experience , I learned that we must hold
57:57the wrongdoers accountable and not pass
57:59that burden on to our children . I
58:02haven't forgotten what happened to my
58:04parents . And I never will . But I intend
58:09for that resentment to end with our
58:10generation . Because we should inherit
58:14love from our parents , not their
58:16grudges . That is all I have to say .
58:19Thank you .