Hours earlier – Mr. Lee's Laundry Shop (Mina's Father)
Minjae had stopped by his laundry shop before heading to Mina's school.
"Good day, what can I…" Mr. Lee began automatically, but his voice trailed off the moment he turned and saw her standing at the doorway.
"Miss Choi," he stammered, clearly surprised.
Minjae stepped in slowly, her sharp eyes scanning the environment. The shop was small, dim, and run-down. Most of the washing machines were broken, leaving him to scrub clothes by hand. Without a word, he moved to the door she had just entered, flipped the sign from Open to Closed, and turned back toward her.
"What a twist of fate," Minjae began casually, her eyes still roaming the shabby shop. "From the infamous Choi in-law… to this."
"…To what do I owe this visit?" he asked carefully.
But Minjae cut him off, her gaze still wandering. "Now I understand why Mina is so quick to drop you like a hot potato."
The moment he heard Mina's name, his eyes widened.
"M–Mina? What about her?" he asked anxiously.
"Nothing much," Minjae said coolly. "Just that she's embarrassed of you… and wants nothing to do with you."
"…Ah…" He lowered his head, nodding slowly as though already accepting it.
"I mean, who would want a father drowning in this mess?" Minjae continued, tilting her head at him. "A father whose name or presence moves no one. A father who can't even stand up for his daughter."
His head snapped up at her words.
"What's with the look? Don't tell me you had no idea what Mina was going through at school?" she asked, her tone sharp.
He looked down again, defeated.
"Of course," she went on, "the explanation isn't far-fetched. You probably turned a blind eye, knowing you had no power at all—"
"Stop making it look like I just let it happen!" he burst out angrily. "I tried my best—"
"And by 'best' you mean kneeling and begging the school to go easy on her?" Minjae cut him off again, her voice calm but rising slightly. "That's your idea of best? Or is there another miracle effort I missed, i would love to hear it?"
"What could I have done? I had no power!" he shouted.
"I don't know… maybe turn to the powerful side of the family?" she snapped. "Oh right—pride. Pride wouldn't let that happen. Poor, powerless, and prideful—do you know how pathetic that combination sounds? And the fact that all three P's live inside one man? Even more pathetic." Her eyes narrowed.
"You knew you couldn't handle the responsibility of raising her, yet you still dragged her to your side. What's next? Forcing her to live in this junk heap with you?"
---
[Flashback – 16 years ago]
In the grand Choi mansion, Minjae—still a child—watched quietly from the staircase as her elder sister, Choi Minsol, argued heatedly with their parents. Behind her stood her fiancé at the time, Lee Tae-goon, his hand in hers. Minsol's other hand rested protectively over her small but visible baby bump.
"Minsol!" Mr. Choi thundered. "Are you even listening to yourself? You want to live with him?"
"What's wrong with that, Dad? Isn't that what normal couples do after marriage?" Minsol yelled back, clutching Tae-goon's hand tightly.
Her mother stepped forward gently.
"Minsol-ah… you know this isn't how our family works. Even if he's your husband, you both must live here in the Choi mansion—"
"No, Mum," Minsol interrupted, tears filling her eyes. "It only works that way for the next CHN heir. And we all know Grandpa is giving that to Minjae…"
"Minsol!" Mr. Choi roared at her words.
"Dad, please just stop it already and let us go!" she cried, her voice breaking. "We'll never show our faces here again, I promise."
Mrs. Choi's voice trembled as she asked, "And what about the child in your womb? My grandchild?"
Her voice dropped, heavy with pain. "Will that child… also carry his name?"
Minsol sobbed silently. She could only nod.
---
[Back to Reality]
"…Thinking about it now, I realize that was the first time I ever saw my sister argue with our parents. Quite a sight," Minjae said with a smirk.
"Who would have guessed? After all that drama, you two would divorced a few years later. And then you went on to fight for custody, just to drag the innocent chils into your mess of a life."
Her words left Tae-goon speechless, unable to defend himself.
At that moment, Minjae glanced at Jungshin, who had followed her into the shop. Just one look, and he understood. He opened the door, letting in a male lawyer who handed Minjae a document. She passed it to Tae-goon.
"Sign it," she said flatly. "If you truly care about your daughter, save her from this."
His trembling hands brought the paper closer. His eyes scanned the words: Guardian Right Transfer—a document that would change Mina's surname to Choi and officially make Minjae her temporary guardian.
---
[Present – In the Car]
Minjae drove the car with Mina giggling at the front seat.
"Are you that happy?" Minjae asked with a faint smile.
Mina nodded.
"Thank you." she suddenly said
Silence filled the car for a moment before Mina spoke again, her gaze fixed on the road.
"I'm glad you didn't… do much damage to them."
"Why?" Minjae asked softly, genuinely curious.
"Because then… people would say the rumors about you are true—that you're cruel, even to children."
Minjae tilted her head. "I didn't hold back because of what people think of me."
"I know," Mina smiled faintly. "You did it because you're a good person. Beneath that stone-cold wall in your chest… there's a soft heart beating. That's what I was glad to see."
Minjae chuckled. "What? Spending too much time with Madam Kim lately?"
Mina just grinned.
For a moment, silence returned. Then Mina spoke again, serious this time.
"I was scared for a second… when you watched that edited CCTV footage. I thought… I thought—"
"That I'd turn my back on you?" Minjae finished for her. Mina nodded slowly.
"What would you have done if it turned out the fake footage was real? That I really was the bully?" Mina asked softly.
Minjae smirked. "Simple. I'd find a way to turn things around and make it their fault somehow. Maybe keep pressing on their actions right in front of the principal's office. Or better yet, say something like—'you were only touching the chair to feel if the material was original, but the unlucky guy's head just happened to slam into it while it was in your hand.'"
Mina chuckled at her sarcasm, and Minjae went on.
"Or easier still—I'd just suppress them with the Choi upper hand."
"That sounds like a better idea," Mina giggled.
Minjae gave a mock gasp. "Ah, I shouldn't be teaching that to a kid. Your mum would throw a fit if she heard me. Hey kiddo" she soften her tones "Be a good girl and don't oppress the poor and weak, alright?"
Mina burst out laughing, and Minjae couldn't help but smile. It was nice hearing Mina laugh freely again—just like before... Before the accident.
For a moment, Mina's laughter filled the air as though everything was finally okay, as though life had returned to normal. Minjae's heart warmed at the sound, but then a memory tugged at her—those days when she too had sat with her family around the dining table, laughing until their sides ached. Slowly, her smile faded at the thought.
She turned her eyes back to the road, her silence contrasting Mina's cheerful chatter. Mina went on, carefree and bright, and Minjae simply listened, smiling faintly.