Episode 8 of *Beyond the Bar* opens with Na-yeon shouldering an enormous target on her back. The damning evidence against Seok-hoon is laid bare before all the partners, painting a dire picture. Despite the gravity of the situation, Seok-hoon maintains his composure and vows to disprove the scandalous allegations leveled against him.
Seok-hoon demands stringent disciplinary action against those orchestrating the conspiracy against him. The crux of the matter lies in the advisors' belief that Seok-hoon himself had submitted a forged document to the court—except he hadn’t.
The stolen document had never been filed, and thanks to an advanced security system where every document bears a unique ID, the partners trace its origins. The trail leads directly to Kang Min-jun. Ironically, Lee Jin-Woo had set him up, using Min-jun’s computer under the guise of finishing work to plant the incriminating evidence.
Ko Tae-seop, another pivotal figure in the plot to tarnish Seok-hoon’s reputation, finds himself under relentless scrutiny. Undeterred, Tae-seop counters by exposing Hye-jin’s late-night visit to his home. It’s revealed that her appearance stemmed from severe workplace abuse. The perpetrator? Hong Do-yun.
Hye-jin had given her all for Do-yun, enduring relentless demands, late nights, and all-nighters, only to be met with shouting, humiliation, and constant belittlement. On the brink of resignation, Do-yun shifted tactics, coercing her into attending lavish partner dinners. The abuse temporarily ceased, but Do-yun soon overstepped boundaries, making inappropriate advances and eventually pressuring her into a sexual relationship.
When Hye-jin attempted to break free and return to her professional duties, Do-yun threatened to ruin her reputation, effectively blackmailing her into compliance.
All the past scenes involving Hye-jin now fall into a stark, new light. With Seok-hoon fully aware of the unfolding situation, he leaned in close to whisper to Do-yun the names of the women he had subjected to abuse, vowing to Hye-jin that he would ensure justice was served. Do-yun finds himself on the precipice, not only teetering on the edge of having his life unravel chaotically but also ensnared in the act of mingling with brokers alongside other workers. Such behavior is a blatant violation of the law for lawyers, and it paints a repugnant picture—female workers at Yullim are treated no better than hostesses, a deplorable and overt exhibition of power. This is precisely the kind of misconduct that Na-yeon is determined to eradicate from the newly revamped Yullim.
For the senior partners, who are plotting to make Do-yun the scapegoat and pin all the blame on him, the sole avenue for escape hinges on Seok-hoon having his demands met. He insists that Choi Hui-cheol be elevated to the position at DA Solutions—a role that Tae-seop had cunningly maneuvered Na-yeon into through his scheming. Moreover, Seok-hoon demands that Tae-seop maintain absolute silence, regardless of the actions Seok-hoon chooses to take. Should Tae-seop fail to comply? Well, then he, too, will find himself at the mercy of the law's unforgiving wrath.
Meanwhile, a separate drama unfolds involving news anchor Han Seol-yeon. As the lead anchor for JTBS, she finds herself entangled in a scandal after being taken to the police station for assaulting her husband. Her statement is shrouded in ambiguity, claiming that she had taken her prescribed medication from her psychiatrist and subsequently blacked out, leaving the truth shrouded in mystery.
When she regained consciousness, she found herself standing at the station, disoriented yet acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. Apparently, the officers had gathered incriminating evidence at the crime scene, and to add to the chaos, her husband was at the hospital receiving medical treatment. This ordeal was deeply personal for Hyo-min, who was determined to defend her client with every ounce of her being. The odds were stacked against them; it was a formidable case to win an acquittal. Seok-hoon, ever the pragmatist, believed that the best they could realistically hope for was a verdict of diminished capacity, but even that seemed like a distant dream.
Amidst this turmoil, Min-jeong stumbled upon a camcorder that held immense sentimental value for her. Jin-woo, leveraging his extensive network of family connections, assisted in recovering the footage it contained. This camcorder was a treasure trove of memories from Min-jeong's first and only trip with her mother to Jeju Island. Regrettably, she had lost her camera almost immediately upon arrival, but a kind couple had captured some moments on it.
As Min-jeong watched the footage, a wave of emotions washed over her. It was a beautiful yet poignant experience; while she relished the opportunity to see her mother again through those videos, it also intensified her yearning for the past. Jin-woo, ever the supportive friend, wrapped his arm around her, providing a shoulder to cry on as Min-jeong let out her pent-up emotions.
Meanwhile, the main case involving Han Seol-yeon took an unexpected twist. A doctor revealed that she suffered from Battered Woman Syndrome, a trauma induced by years of domestic abuse. Her husband had subjected her to a decade of mistreatment, leaving her with anxiety and sleep disorders. The medication she was currently on was also known to cause blackouts.
Upon learning of Seol-yeon's harrowing past, Seol-a was filled with fury and made a beeline for the husband in the hospital. Hyo-min, quick on her feet, managed to intervene and prevent her from doing anything reckless. The crux of the matter, however, lay in the medication and its potential side effects. They needed to ascertain whether it was the root cause of her psychosis or if there were other contributing factors.
During a controlled experiment at the hospital, it became evident that the medication did indeed trigger aggressive behavior in Seol-yeon. Despite this, Seol-yeon refused to abandon her medication, believing that her newfound rage made her invincible, likening herself to Wonder Woman.
Interestingly, Seol-yeon had installed security cameras at home, hoping to piece together what happened during her blackouts. The footage, however, did not paint her in a favorable light; it showed her abusing her husband that fateful night. Seol-yeon found herself constantly replaying the footage, a bittersweet reminder that she had finally broken free from her husband's tyranny, albeit in a most tragic manner.
When he lunged at her again, ready to strike, she deliberately swallowed her medication, hoping to channel her inner Wonder Woman and muster the courage to defend herself. This twist created a significant complication for their legal case because, as Hyo-min pointed out, it bordered on voluntary intoxication. If the prosecution uncovered this detail, Seol-yeon couldn't claim mental incapacity as a defense to secure an acquittal.
That very night, after piecing together the full narrative, Hyo-min found herself in a candid conversation with Seok-hoon over steaming cups of their favorite beverage. Ethically, she felt torn and trapped. To Seok-hoon, he articulated that true justice meant safeguarding those whom you were duty-bound to protect. He urged Hyo-min to follow suit, exploiting a legal loophole cloaked in the guise of legitimacy.
Inside the courtroom, Seok-hoon presented his case, asserting that Seol-yeon was not in her right mind when she took her medication and, therefore, should be acquitted on the grounds of mental incapacity. The doctor's testimony, coupled with footage capturing Seol-yeon's violent outbursts in the hospital room—throwing objects wildly—was displayed as corroborating evidence. They even produced brain scans to bolster their argument.
When the verdict was finally announced, Seol-yeon was declared not guilty. Hyo-min emerged from the ordeal victorious. In gratitude for Seok-hoon's guidance, she paid him a visit after office hours. She had brought along some beer for them to share, so they ascended to the rooftop, where they sat and conversed as the city lights twinkled below.
