Mr. chae family

{Three hours earlier}

The chief judge had carried out the verdict.

"Ms. Lily Cho, we acknowledge your pain and courage. The verdict offers a pardon to the accused while recognizing the complexity of the situation as it is based on miscommunication and misunderstanding."

"What! Pardon?!" Alyson yells.

"Prosecutor, if you want to press on, provide substantial evidence and request a retrial."

The judge knocks the gavel.

"All rise!"

{Present}.

{Mr. Chae's house}.

"I am sorry, Father. I am stupid for that," Lee says, still on his knees as he crawls forward to him.

Mr. Chae kicks him back.

"I know you intentionally did that. You think you won the case? No! Even if it's the dumbest attorney, the case is already sealed with the chief judge, yet you caused that drama. That is the reason you will become a lowlife forever."

"I am sorry, Father... please forgive me."

"Dad, must you do this? He's just trying to protect your reputation," Sydney intervenes, yelling at her father.

Mr. Chae scoffs, "Shut the hell up, Sydney. Who the hell wants his protection from this rags?"

"Truly, I don't think it was necessary bowing down... you just dramatize it. You were doing well until then," Dylan says.

"You don't even have the right to talk, since you're the one that caused all this. How could you rape someone?" Sydney hurls at her brother.

Without hesitating, Mr. Chae slaps her. "You don't talk like that to your brother, and what if someone heard you?" Sydney holds her cheeks, gazing at her father in disbelief.

This time, Mrs. Chae intervenes. "You don't have to create more drama than it is. Let's just punish him for that."

Eden, the youngest of the family, also states, "That would do. Enough of this drama."

"You punish him by yourself," Mr. Chae says and heads upstairs.

"Go do the dishes, then go buy the foodstuff, and no food for you today," Mrs. Chae states.

"Yeah, Mom... that's great," Eden says, smirking at Sydney. Lee immediately stands up and rushes to the kitchen to do the dishes.

Sydney looks at her family, exhausted by their predatory act. She storms to the kitchen to meet her husband.

"I'm sorry... you did your best to get them out of their cheat, and this is what they paid you," she says, hugging him from behind while he focuses on the washing.

"You don't have to be... I'm the one to blame. I shouldn't have done that; it was unnecessary," he says.

"I know you're trying hard to get acknowledgment, and you will eventually get it. I know my father is still angry that I married you."

Even after five years of marrying without Mr. Chae's consent, he still hasn't acknowledged him, despite all his participation. He turns to her and gives her a deep kiss.

"Thanks, but you better go now and let me concentrate. You know I still have to go to work."

"Is that necessary? We're already in the middle of the day, and you still have a ton of work to do," Sydney says with concern.

"You know I can't escape it. You better go."

Sydney leaves him, and he hurriedly washes the dishes, then runs to the market to buy the foodstuffs.

He hides some fruit in his small nylon. It's already late in the afternoon, and Mrs. Chae has already left for work, which he knows he will be scorned and yelled at for.

He prepares for work and rushes on his way, not even having cab fare. He arrives at Cheabok Firm Group, owned by Mr. Chae, his father-in-law, with Mrs. Chae as the president.

As he enters and rushes to his department, his team leader, Rex, is furiously waiting for him and attacks him, saying, "Why are you just coming?"

"I... I'm sorry," he says, trying to catch his breath.

Rex pinches his ear, saying, "I'm tired of hearing that. Aren't you tired of saying it, dumbass?" He adds, "Anyway, input all this into the system and send it to the president."

He hands over a mountain of files that will take four hours to finish.

"Okay, I will," he says, collects the files and goes straight to his desk. He's about to start work when another colleague calls out, "Mr. Lee, come dispose of this for me."

He rushes up to take the coffee cup on the table and tosses it into the trash. He sits back down, attempting to focus on his work when Rex drops another stack of files in front of him, saying, "Deliver this to the president."

"Okay, I will after I finish this," he replies.

"She wants it now," Rex prompts. Lee gets up, carrying the file, and at the same time, he discreetly carries the small nylon with him.

On his way to the president's office, he spots the cleaner by the exit door, ensuring no one is looking, and hands her the nylon.

"I know you haven't eaten. Give some to my mother," he says. Sharon, his sister, looks at him with empathy.

"It's okay, I am fine," he assures her, and she accepts the food.

Just then, they hear a cough beside them. It's Mrs. Chae, the president, along with her secretary and personal assistant.

"What are you doing here when you're supposed to deliver that to me? Meet me in my office," she says and takes the elevator.

"Brother, you better take this back," Sharon stretches the fruits back to him. He ignores her and also takes the elevator.

The sound of a slap resonates in the office.