Oh, are we in the delightful makjang thick of it after Halmeoni dropped the bomb that the cousins are actually brothers. Hearing the full story, it turns out Halmeoni was quite the villain herself back in the day. Halmeoni snatched baby Tae-min from his biological mother (i.e., Tae-ho’s mom) because her eldest son couldn’t have kids, and rich businessmen must continue their bloodlines to rule the world. Or something. You’d think they were a royal family in Joseon rather than just some modern rich people the way this played out. It’s utterly ridiculous and, if you enjoy mess, amazing.
On the upside, after Tae-ho overhears the secret, he and Tae-min start reconciling their differences – they’ve always felt lonely, so they’re both tentatively happy to have gained a brother. The boys aren’t about to continue their family’s feuding brothers tradition and decide to work together to save the company when Sook-hyang readies to throw it under the bus to protect herself. Looks like the chaebol tide has turned.
Hopping over to our other makjang family, Hyo-sung is having a rough go of it since being fired, so much so that he decides to take out a loan with the family loan shark. Still, he’s helping Tae-ho behind the scenes and manages to locate the long-sought, missing director who has evidence that could put Sook-hyang behind bars. In a (failed) bid to get Hyo-sung to spill the intel, Mr. Yeom orders his muscle to beat both Hyo-sung and Hyo-do. Hyo-do can’t take seeing his older brother like this and uses Tae-hee’s restaurant’s money to pay off Hyo-sung’s loan. Then, he asks Tae-hee for a divorce. (Tae-hee seriously deserves better than Hyo-do who has done nothing but take advantage of her until it no longer suits him.)
Meanwhile, Mi-rim continues her quest to find her new family’s missing father, whether they want her to or not. (They’re all very much on the side of not.) But Mom eventually caves and grants her permission, although no one really thinks Mi-rim will succeed. Against all odds, her efforts pay off – her police friend locates their father’s most recent address, so Mi-rim and Hyo-shim take a trip to visit his supposed house. After 25 years of searching, this seems a bit too easy. We’ll have to wait and see if they’ve truly found him this time.