I don’t think anyone will argue if one says Korean dramas are the undisputed champions when it comes to creating a revenge story intertwined with romance gone awry. They’ve mastered the art of turning heartbreak into a rollercoaster of emotions, and here’s why they do it like no other. Oh Sang-Won’s latest drama, Perfect Marriage Revenge, is no exception. It has something for everyone. For those who love drama, there’s a betrayed lover seeking retribution against her ex-husband. Also, the ones who crave romance more than anything will also find something to love.
Spoilers Ahead
What Does Han Yi-Joo’s Mother-in-Law Want?
Han Yi-Joo (Jung Yoo-Min) is a young woman who divides her hours between painting and tending to her house chores. From the outside, it appears that her life is perfect, but the reality is something entirely different. She’s often disrespected and shrugged off by her sister-in-law whenever she requests that she help vacuum the house. Moreover, Han Yi-Joo’s mother-in-law, Choi Jae-Sook (Kim Ye-Ryeong), takes her passive-aggressive torture one step further and often berates her efforts, completely disregarding the hours of hard work Han Yi-Joo puts in it. She often bugs Han Yi-Joo by demanding she get Yoo Se-Hyeok (Han Yi-Joo’s husband) a job in her father’s company. Choi Jae-Sook justifies her demand by claiming that Han Yi-Joo’s sister, Han Yoo-Ra (Jin Ji-Hee), is set to marry Seo Do-Kook, the CEO of the firm where Yoo Se-Hyeok works, and it wouldn’t be good for their family if his younger brother-in-law were his boss. Han Yi-Joo tries convincing her mother-in-law that Yoo Se-Hyeok is happy in his current job but is instead blamed for making Yoo Se-Hyeok (Oh Seung-Yun) feel small.
Why Does Han Yi-Joo’s Mother Dislike Her?
Han Yi-Joo drives to her parents’ house, only to find that they’ve already left for a big office event. Han Yi-Joo’s family owns one of the biggest companies in the country. They’re also organizing an auction, with Han Yoo-Raa as the one pulling all the strings. However, what Han Yi-Joo doesn’t know is that her husband, Yoo Se-Hyeok, is head over heels for her younger sister. He even quit his job, hoping to land a position in Han Yoo-Ra’s company so he could be closer to her. Han Yi-Joo is under the impression that Yoo Se-Hyeok must have had a concrete reason for quitting his job and thus decides to support him. It’s obvious that Han Yi-Joo’s life is far from perfect. She’s neither respected by her in-laws nor her own family. Han Yi-Joo’s mother, Lee Jung-Hye (Lee Min-Young), is holding a grudge against her for marrying Yoo Se-Hyeok. The reason is that Yoo Se-Hyeok comes from a middle-class family that isn’t that rich compared to Han Yi-Joo’s. She sees this as an insult to her family and even refuses to acknowledge her daughter’s talents. Lee Jung-Hye outright makes it clear that Han Yi-Joo’s paintings are mediocre, just like herself. However, Han Yi-Joo has somehow managed to pull through it all.
What Happens At The Auction?
Han Yi-Joo meets Seo Do-Kook (Sung Hoon), CEO of her husband’s company, and the duo shares some heartfelt conversation while looking at the painting. Seo Do-Kook is soon to exchange vows with Han Yoo-Ra, but he doesn’t seem to be interested in her. Instead, he tries to help Han Yi-Joo see the obvious truth: her husband has completely abandoned his feelings for her and is now eying for her sister. At first, Han Yi-Joo ignores it, but soon, she begins to have serious reservations. Things take a serious turn when one of the clients attending the auction slaps Lee Jung-Hye right in front of everyone, blaming her for swindling her. She then breaks one of the paintings, explaining that the painting Lee Jung-Hye is passing off as a 40-year-old is nothing but a fake. She reveals that it is painted over with coffee-colored paint to make it look older and more original. The woman then points fingers at Han Yi-Joo, claiming she’s in cahoots with her mother and the duo has been swindling people for years. The cops barge onto the scene, asking for Lee Jung Hye’s art sales transactions along with the list of her gallery’s collection to see how many fakes they have sold so far.
Seeing there’s no way out, Lee Jung-Hye shamelessly asks her daughter, Han Yi-Joo, to shoulder all the blame. However, before she can even deny it, Manager Kim lies to everyone attending the event that Lee Jung-Hye is innocent and everything is his and Han Yi-Joo’s doing. Han Yi-Joo was making fakes of famous paintings while he was faking the sources and getting her buyers. Lee Jung-Hye also tries to coerce her into accepting the blame, assuring that she’ll be hiring the best lawyers to get her out. Han Yi-Joo denies all the charges, but Manager Kim had already placed incriminating evidence against her. This is the moment Han Yi-Joo realizes that her mother never truly loved her. She was nothing but a sacrificial lamb for her.
What Happens Between Han Yi-Joo And Yoo Se-Hyeok?
Han Yi-Joo’s sister, Han Yoo-Ra, is also convinced she’s guilty. Sadly, Yoo Se-Hyeok, instead of siding with his wife, chose to confess his feelings to Han Yoo-Ra. However, she rejects him, stating he’s forgetting his place and she would never love someone like him. Unfortunately, Han Yi-Joo overhears everything and can’t believe her ears. She thinks Yoo Se-Hyeok is joking and asks him if he is, but the latter shows her the divorce papers. This suggests that he’s a bit serious. Whatever love Yoo Se-Hyeok had for Han Yi-Joo has faded away. He pities Han Yi-Joo’s situation; she’s always trying hard to impress her parents but to no avail. Han Yi-Joo is heartbroken, and why shouldn’t she be? The man who’s supposed to love her instead feels pity for her situation. Not to mention, the only reason he had married her was to get close to her younger sister.
Heartbroken, Han Yi-Joo flees the event and gets into a severe accident after an oncoming truck rams her car off the road. Han Yi-Joo suffers fractures in her right ribs and bleeding in her lungs. She has lost a lot of blood and has even sustained some serious organ damage. Han Yi-Joo’s mother arrives at the hospital but neither has shame nor concern in her eyes. Yoo Se-Hyeok, too, instead of standing alongside his wife, is interested in comforting Han Yoo-Ra and Lee Jung-Hye, who don’t feel bothered by the fact that their own blood, Han Yi-Joo, is on the brink of death.
Is Han Yi-Joo Alive Or Dead?
Lee Jung-Hye crosses all boundaries and turns off Han Yi-Joo’s life support to kill her. In reality, Han Yi-Joo is her adopted daughter, and she does nothing but abhor her. Han Yi-Joo, on the other hand, did everything she could to win her heart. Despite being mistreated, she never complained. She never asked for anything, but all Lee Jung-Hye did was make her feel awful. Han Yi-Joo overhears everything and begs God to give her one final chance so she can have her revenge. She wants to teach Yoo Se-Hyeok, her in-laws, and her family how it feels to be on the sharp end of the blade. Han Yi-Joo starts collapsing soon, and despite the doctor’s best efforts, she dies. Surprisingly, Han Yi-Joo wakes up in the past when she and Yoo Se-Hyeok are not yet married but engaged. Han Yi-Joo decides to make the most of her second chance and breaks off her marriage with Yoo Se-Hyeok. She even goes the extra mile, and rips open the expensive wedding dress she has chosen to wear on her big day. She then smashes the bouquet on Yoo Se-Hyeok’s head, suggesting she’s not the same Han Yi-Joo who put others before her. Instead, she’s now someone who’s not afraid to wreak havoc on those who dare to cross her path.
What To Expect Next?
Han Yi-Joo just snagged that much-needed second chance, and she’s not about to waste it. She’s diving headfirst into her sweet revenge spree, starting with calling off her wedding to the guy who was only trying to cozy up to her sister. No more third-wheel drama for her; she’s taking the wheel now. Watch out because life’s about to get seriously chaotic for her mother, Yu Raa, and Yoo Se-Hyeok.
