This is a story of second chances. Ji Soo fell madly in love with her college senior Jae Hyun, attracted by his idealism and activism as a protest leader even at the cost of his future. Their first love was the best time of their lives but ultimately they broke up for reasons we only find out much later.
Some 20 years later, we find Ji Soo as a financially struggling single mom who divorced her lawyer husband and gave up alimony and child support in exchange for sole custody of her son. The first few episodes were a difficult watch, as we see our heroine very different from the cheerful and carefree college girl she once was, now into her forties with no college diploma, no professional full-time job and practically no family to support her. While her friendship with ex-blue collar collegues who lost their job reveals her integrity and sense of social justice, alas it also underscores her vulnerable position in society.
What happened to her first love, her well-off family, her college education? What of her first marriage and why she sent her son to a faraway private school she can ill afford and expose both of them to abuse from classmates and snobbish school moms who look down on them because of their social status?
Then we meet Jae Hyun, now VP of a powerful chaebol who just finished his prison sentence for financial fraud. As viewers we can only wonder how the former idealistic student activist turned into the heartless capitalist he is today, with a reputation as a ruthless executive who unfairly fired many employees and contract workers. Then we learn his marriage is failing and his relationship with his chairman father-in-law is about to turn into a full-blown corporate war. Is there more to him than his appearance? Can he ever redeem himself for betraying his own ideals so blatantly?
Then our two former lovers unexpectedly meet. Not too surprisingly they both have lingering feeling for each other though he is way more upfront and warm towards her than she is to him. While he is rich and (in)famous and very caring for her after all these years, we aren't quite convinced he is the right Prince Charming who would rescue his first love from her misery, since he is a married man with a terrible reputation. Will her heart overlook the sins of this idealist-turned-corporate-shark simply because of her nostalgia for her lost first love?
Could this be her last chance to happiness and if so at what price? Or would this lead her down a path she is not prepared to take, till she realizes he is no longer the person she fell in love with almost a lifetime ago?
As usual, Lee Bo Young excels in her portrayal of an intelligent, stoic, upright but financially poor woman who can withstand any abuse to protect the ones she loves. What a beautiful and wonderful actress. The other leads also perform well, especially Jeon So Nee who gives the young Ji Soo an impressive sense of strong will and toughness under the facet of her fragile appearance, girlish innocence and teenage cheerfulness. The supporting actors are good too though they have much less of an impact, as Ji Soo and Jae Hyun only have eyes for each other.
While this show doesn't break any new ground, the story is well told with good pace and without too much dramatic incoherence. Personally, I wish the script writer would have made Jae Hyun's CEO wife a more balanced character with at least some redeeming qualities. It would have made Jae Hyun's decision just a tad more difficult and interesting. As it is, I have enjoyed this show, despite the angsts one usually has to go through with these kinds of melodrama.
