Soo-jin’s narrative moved to a specific, telling memory from the past, after the couple had returned from their honeymoon. The setting was the traditional family home in Chuncheon, the very house where Min-jun would later be murdered.

"This scene was after they returned from their honeymoon," Soo-jin told Jae-hyun, her voice tight. "Selena, wanting to play the perfect daughter-in-law, decided to cook a meal for the whole family. A grand gesture. Soo-jin, Hyun-woo, my parents—we were all invited."

The memory was vivid, etched in her mind by a growing sense of alienation. "She decided to make a Hawaiian vegan dish. Poke bowl, but with no fish, just marinated tofu and vegetables. It was... an interesting choice for a traditional Korean family." Soo-jin’s tone made it clear it was anything but.

The preparation itself had been a performance. "She didn't even do it alone. She invited another chef, a man we'd never seen before, to 'help' her. The whole kitchen was a flurry of activity, like she was shooting a cooking show in our home."

The result, when they all sat down to eat, was underwhelming. "The dish was... average," Soo-jin said diplomatically. "No one really liked it. The flavors were bland, unfamiliar. But no one said anything. We all just ate quietly, not wanting to offend her efforts. My brother, of course, praised it as if it were a meal from a Michelin-starred restaurant."

Then came the moment that truly defined the evening for Soo-jin. "I had some good news," she recalled. "I’d been offered a permanent position at the florist's. It was a small thing, but it was mine. I was happy to share it. When I announced it, the family was genuinely happy for me. My parents were smiling, Hyun-woo squeezed my hand."

She took a sharp breath, the old resentment flaring. "But Selena couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand not being the center of attention. So, in the lull after my news, she cleared her throat delicately and made her own announcement. She said she'd been selected for a movie. A real movie. Just like that, all the eyes, all the excitement, shifted to her. The conversation about my job died instantly. The dinner was no longer a family gathering; it was the Selena Bakker show."

It was a small battle in a silent war, but for Soo-jin, it was a decisive one. It confirmed that Selena saw the family not as kin, but as an audience, and she would always demand the spotlight.