7:00 PM, on a quiet and eerie night, Choi Yun-ji found herself reluctantly accompanying her younger sister, Choi Bora, to a lavish hotel. Bora had insisted on meeting her friends there, though Yun-ji had every reason not to go. A severe viral infection left her body aching, her legs weak with pain, but Bora's persistence had worn her down. "Sister, please! I can't go alone, not in the dead of night!" Bora had pestered, her voice full of manipulation, knowing well how to trigger Yun-ji's protective instincts.
Their mother, Gong Hae, had given Yun-ji no escape, reminding her, "An elder sister's duty is to protect the younger." Those words, cold and heavy, had left no room for argument. With a sigh of resignation, Yun-ji had agreed.
The hotel loomed ominously as they arrived, its tall silhouette cutting through the night sky like a dark tower of secrets. Yun-ji's unease only grew as she stepped out of the car. The lights of the hotel flickered in the distance, casting a strange glow that unsettled her already feverish mind. Bora, on the other hand, seemed eager, her face lit up with excitement at the thought of meeting her friends.
Yun-ji, however, couldn't care less. She never liked Bora's friends, finding them fake and shallow, especially in how they treated her. Tonight, though, wasn't about socializing. She was there because of obligation, and despite the deep whisper of dread inside her, she had no choice but to fulfill her role. Something felt off about the whole evening, but she pushed the feeling aside.
As they entered the hotel, Bora's friends welcomed her with uncharacteristic warmth. Usually, they took every opportunity to humiliate Yun-ji, to poke fun at her simplicity. Tonight, however, they poured her a drink, thanking her for bringing Bora along. Yun-ji, weakened by her illness, reluctantly accepted the wine. Her head was throbbing, and she just wanted to get through the night as quickly as possible.
A while later, she excused herself to use the restroom. But as she walked back, a wave of dizziness struck her, and her vision began to blur. Her steps faltered, and before she knew it, she lost her balance, stumbling against the wall. Panic gripped her as the world spun around her. She tried to steady herself but couldn't. Everything was slipping away, her consciousness fading.
When she awoke, Yun-ji found herself in a strange room. Her heart raced as she realized she wasn't alone. A strange man entered the room. Instinctively, she fought him, every muscle screaming in pain as she thrashed against his advances. With the last of her strength, she managed to knock him unconscious, but the effort was too much. Darkness engulfed her again as she collapsed.
The next day, Yun-ji woke to the blinding flashes of cameras and the hushed murmurs of the paparazzi. She was still in bed, and the man was beside her. Confusion and horror clawed at her as she struggled to make sense of what had happened. Her parents, Choi Hwan and Gong Hae, stood at the foot of the bed, their faces twisted in disappointment and anger.
"You've ruined our family's reputation!" her father spat. "And to think you couldn't even take care of your sister last night!"
Her mother's cold gaze cut through Yun-ji, as if she were a disgrace. No one believed her innocence. No one cared to hear her side of the story. To them, she was guilty. She had shamed them.
As her father ranted about punishment, Yun-ji's boyfriend stepped forward. "I'll take responsibility for her," he said, his voice calm and measured. He placed a hand on Yun-ji's shoulder, a gesture that should have comforted her but only made her feel trapped. "I'll be her fiancé. We can send her abroad for a few years, let the scandal die down. Then we can marry once she returns."
It sounded like a lifeline. But in reality, it was a cage.
Abroad, Yun-ji found herself abandoned by the very people she thought had cared for her. Her family sent her away with nothing but a house and a maid—who was more a spy than a servant, reporting every move back to her parents. Struggling to survive, Yun-ji worked endless hours just to make ends meet. She hadn't finished high school, had no degree, and no prospects. But she had always been interested in medicine, and her talent in the field was undeniable. She found a master who taught her, but without formal education, she couldn't legally practice.
Five grueling years passed before she returned to Iseul, her native place. With the money she had painstakingly saved, Yun-ji started her own pharmaceutical company. Her knowledge of medicine fueled the company's rise, and soon, it was one of the top in the industry. She trusted her fiancé and her sister, giving them high positions in her company, never doubting their loyalty. To Yun-ji, they had been her only supporters when the world had turned against her.
But before her tragic accident, she uncovered the truth. Her sister and her fiancé had orchestrated everything—the scandal, her exile, and now, they were planning her death to take her family's fortune. They had discovered her biological family's wealth, and Yun-ji was the only obstacle in their path.
On the night of her planned demise, Yun-ji was reborn. She opened her eyes, finding herself back in her teenage body. It was the same night that had sealed her fate in her previous life. But this time, everything would be different. This time, she would rewrite her destiny.