Highlights: "Birth of a Beauty" Episode 18

The backstabbing continues in episode 18 of “Birth of a Beauty,” and though some alliances have since fallen, a new and ironic one seems to be bubbling up. While Gyo Chae Yun continues her anti-Sa Ra preaching to Madam Park, Sa Ra has dug her own hole in trying to side with Han Min Hyuk to protect Han Tae Hee. Though she tried to pretend she wanted nothing to do with Han Tae Hee, it’s clear that the two are too weak for each other to stay apart for long.

1. Sa Ra tries to secretly help Han Tae Hee.

Han Tae Hee decides to continue with Sa Ra’s rice balls as Winner Food’s new product, but with a different chef. However, Sa Ra is quick to ask the chef if she can make them herself in secret, wanting to help Han Tae Hee. Getting the okay, she sets to work. But of course, Han Tae Hee wants to go see how his new chef is doing and make sure everything is okay. Sa Ra is discovered, and she pretends that she was asked by Han Min Hyuk to help.

2. Lee Kang Joon’s father discovers the black box evidence.

While his wife and daughters are discussing Gyo Chae Yun and the black box, Lee Jung Shik comes home and overhears the truth. Needless to say, he’s furious. Lee Kang Joon is quickly and harshly reprimanded when he returns. He is told to get out and never return. Later, Lee Jung Shik meets with Sa Ra’s mother, ashamed, and tells her about what he’s learned, including Gyo Chae Yun blackmailing Lee Kang Joon to get the building.

3. Even in the middle their own battle, Lee Kang Joon and Sa Ra seem to form a small alliance.

Sa Ra calls and meets with Lee Kang Joon after she discovers that her building is now in Gyo Chae Yun’s hands. She says she’ll have Gyo Chae Yun caught as the murder accomplice and will make sure that he, Lee Kang Joon, will also pay for what was done to Han Tae Hee. However, Lee Kang Joon fervently denies that he did anything. He tells Sa Ra that if she can catch Gyo Chae Yun, then do it. But he warns Sa Ra that Gyo Chae Yun knows her real identity.

4. Han Min Hyuk takes all the credit for Han Tae Hee’s success with Winner Food.

Though Sa Ra thought she had gotten away with helping Han Tae Hee with the rice balls, Han Min Hyuk had seen them. After the rice balls were given away as samples, they became an instant hit and brought in a lot money in pre-sale orders. While this was at first in Han Tae Hee’s favor towards becoming CEO of Winner Group, Han Min Hyuk decides to show Sa Ra and Han Tae Hee what he is really capable of doing. In his nomination speech at the final meeting, he reveals that Sa Ra was the one who made the rice balls and that he was the one who was actually behind Winner Food’s success. He had stopped the bankruptcy and gained the union worker’s trust. He had allowed his model to use her recipe to save Winner Food.

Han Min Hyuk win a unanimous “yes” vote.

5. Sa Ra realizes what Han Min Hyuk has really done to defeat Han Tae Hee.

After confronting Han Min Hyuk about the speech, Sa Ra learns the harsh reality about him: he will do anything to get ahead in business and nothing else matters. As she thinks about this, it begins to dawn upon her that Lee Kang Joon really isn’t behind Han Tae Hee’s attack. Calling Lee Kang Joon, he doesn’t give her a straight answer, but leads her to it. He admits that he told Han Min Hyuk that she was Han Tae Hee’s weakness.

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