The second episode of "As You Stood By" commences with Hui-su's internal turmoil. The day she stood Eun-su up was a calculated decision, fueled by a desire to catch a glimpse of her friend's face. In reality, Hui-su was on the verge of embarking on a journey to the United States. However, her husband, Jin-pyo, thwarted her plans by inflicting pain upon their sickly mother through torture. As a cruel punishment, he brutally killed her beloved cat. Upon returning home, he drowned the silence with blaring music and inflicted physical abuse upon her. Despite this, he showered her with gifts and consumed the night with her under the guise of intimacy.
Jin-pyo's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) manifested in his demand for absolute conformity, leaving Hui-su under a rigid timeline where even the slightest self-harm was taboo. She concealed her medication and sought solace in the storage room, where her art supplies served as a respite from the oppressive household. A flashback reveals that she once illuminated children's minds as an illustrator for books.
As the narrative unfolds, Hui-su's life spirals further into chaos as Jin-pyo installs a CCTV camera in their home, while Eun-su is preoccupied with So-baek and misses Hui-su's calls. Jin-pyo also sifts through Hui-su's phone, disapproving of her friendship with Eun-su. We learn that his violent outbursts led to a miscarriage, and he blames Hui-su for the tragedy. He dresses her up and takes her to an event where his mother, Ko Jeong-suk, is giving a TED talk. We discover that Jeong-suk is also a survivor of domestic abuse, and her description of her late husband's abusive behavior mirrors Jin-pyo's actions.
A flashback depicts Hui-su's attempt to report Jin-pyo to the police, only to be caught by his sister, Jin-young, who is a cop. Jin-young warns Hui-su that domestic cases are rarely resolved and it's all too easy to frame someone's husband, hinting at her intention to protect her brother. Terrified, Hui-su flees.
During a family meal, Jeong-suk notices Hui-su's bruises but dismisses them as an accident. Jin-young, on the other hand, seems familiar with Hui-su and commends her in the washroom for dropping the domestic abuse report. However, Jin-pyo soon catches on and demands to know why Jin-young is so friendly with Hui-su. Hui-su tries to lie and escape but is met with another brutal beating from Jin-pyo.
The day Eun-su tries to check on Hui-su is filled with anxiety as she barges in unannounced. Hui-su is terrified that Jin-pyo will see her on the CCTV and inflict more harm. She pushes Eun-su away but receives a text promising support and companionship. Flashbacks reveal Eun-su comforting Hui-su when she lost her father, her only other family member who provided solace in her life.
Currently, Hui-su's eyes well up with tears as she deletes Eun-su's messages. As she throws the discarded papers into the trash, her downstairs neighbor notices her bruises and invites her over for a chat at any time. Hui-su, uninterested in her sympathy, hurries away. Frustrated and defeated, she finally picks up her paintbrush, but her strokes are violent and dark.
The following day, Jin-pyo takes Hui-su to an art gallery to secure Ms. Kim, a crucial client. Left alone, Hui-su starts drinking. Jin-pyo warns her not to mess up his deal, amused by her behavior. A flashback reveals their early days of marriage: Hui-su has a successful book launch and is invited to a book fair in Italy. Jin-pyo beats her up for accepting the invitation, and she cancels it.
Currently, a drunk Hui-su laughs at Kim's paintings and feels sorry for herself. Jin-pyo tries to stop her and apologize, but Hui-su keeps making fun of Kim. Kim slaps her, and Jin-pyo drags her away. Hui-su realizes the trouble she is in and begs for forgiveness, accidentally running into a table of food.
Furious, Jin-pyo tortures Hui-su. Hui-su realizes that he's going to kill her one day and accepts her fate. At the end of the episode, Eun-su arrives and stops Hui-su from jumping. Hui-su claims that it won't end until someone dies. Eun-su decides that Jin-pyo is the one who is going to die. The scene cuts to a bleeding Jin-pyo, fallen from a building, with a kitchen knife in his stomach.
