Episode 1 of "Bitch X Rich" commences with Kim Hye-in's haunting narration, painting a vivid contrast between her life and those of the privileged souls who were "born with a golden spoon." Her envy stems not from their wealth but from the fortunate circumstances of being born to affluent parents. A montage unfolds, depicting Cheongdam International High School as a bastion of South Korean elite offspring, where money flows freely and is disposable as tissue paper.
Baek Je-na, the heiress to Chairman Baek Ju-won's fortune, stands out as one such chaebol. The school's violence committee representative grills Je-na regarding a deal brokered by her father, requesting the charges against her be dropped. Just as justice seems poised to prevail, with the representative poised to mete out punishment using his gathered evidence, a surge of students floods the interrogation room.
They leap to Je-na's defense, claiming responsibility for the bullying in a show of solidarity. Je-na attempts to sway the representative with a bribe—a new laptop from her father's company—boasting of her royal status within the prestigious school's halls. As Hye-in walks into Cheongdam International High School, her narration drips with contempt for such upper-class excess, yet she harbors aspirations to emulate Je-na's world.
The episode then rewinds three months, finding Hye-in as an unassuming student at Sunwoo Girl's High School. She ventures into the opulent home of a wealthy high school student for a tutoring gig. Upon entering, the grandeur of the interior takes her breath away. Kang Na-yeon's mother interviews Hye-in for the position, unaware that Hye-in is presenting her friend Sun-joo's identity card, pretending to be a college student instead of a high school student. Na-yeon's mother reveals that her daughter must excel in the entrance exam to secure a spot at Cheongdam, implying that grades are a mere formality for aspirants from affluent backgrounds.
After wrapping up the interview, Hye-in dashes back to her part-time job at a convenience store, where Sun-joo awaits. The two friends share a heart-to-heart, with Sun-joo relying heavily on Hye-in's academic prowess despite being older. Back at school, Hye-in's relentless study sessions lead to nosebleeds, symbolizing her relentless pursuit of a dream that seems just out of reach.
The teacher summoned Hye-in and imparted the news that her scholarship had been reallocated to a student facing far greater financial hardships. With hope, the teacher encouraged Hye-in to find a way to finance the 3.5 million won expenses for the exchange program to New Zealand herself. Devastated, Hye-in felt judged by her teacher’s assumption that she was more fortunate than others. Outside, she confided in her classmates that she had opted not to attend New Zealand but omitted her financial struggles.
That evening, Hye-in retreated to the sanctuary of her home, her thoughts swirling around the insurmountable family circumstances that precluded her New Zealand journey. The following day, she found herself at Na-yeon’s residence, ready to tutor. Na-yeon, indifferent to her studies, chose instead to snap photos with her luxurious designer bags. When Hye-in discovered that one bag cost 3 million won and the other an astonishing 5 million, her eyes widened in disbelief, while Na-yeon remained nonchalant. Hye-in couldn't help but ponder how easily she could have covered her scholarship with just one of those purses. She sternly reminded Na-yeon of the frivolousness of spending on such items.
Na-yeon, amusement twinkling in her eyes, offered Hye-in one of the bags as a joke. Startled, Hye-in, desperate to resell it and fund her scholarship, eagerly agreed. Just as she reached out to accept the gift, Na-yeon cruelly yanked it away, ridiculing Hye-in for her apparent loss of principles and desire to leech off expensive accessories. She mocked Hye-in’s modest background before leaving in a huff.
Later that night, Hye-in’s path crossed again with Sun-joo at the convenience store. They bonded over the inequities of life, with Sun-joo sharing a poignant tale about a classmate. The next day, during another tutoring session at Na-yeon’s, Hye-in was informed by the housekeeper that Na-yeon would be tardy. She was asked to wait in Na-yeon’s bedroom. While waiting, boredom set in, and curiosity got the better of Hye-in. She wandered around the room until her gaze fell upon the alluring designer bag. Temptation won; she modeled the bag and snapped selfies, momentarily lost in a world far removed from her reality.
Hye-in eagerly uploads a snapshot of an exquisite bag onto Instagram, only to hastily delete it upon Na-yeon's unexpected arrival. Rumors begin to swirl amongst her classmates that she has submitted an application for a scholarship, aiming to secure a spot in the esteemed New Zealand exchange program. When confronted by a skeptical peer who accuses her of feigning poverty despite her obvious affluence, Hye-in firmly denies the allegations.
Embarrassed and anxious, Hye-in dashes to the girls' restroom, where she discovers that her hastily deleted Instagram post has garnered an astonishing number of likes and comments. To her horror, netizens have labeled her as wealthy, pointing out the designer bag worth an impressive 5 million won that she posed with.
Her classmates soon confront Hye-in, demanding clarification regarding the luxurious accessory. In a panic, Hye-in concocts an elaborate lie, desperate to salvage her reputation. To substantiate her falsehood, she begins arriving early at Na-yeon's house, stealthily snapping photos of herself adorned in Na-yeon's high-fashion accessories and designer clothing.
With growing confidence, Hye-in regales her school friends with tales of her supposed affluent background, painting a picture of opulence that starkly contrasts with her earlier denials. As the episode draws to a close, Hye-in finds herself entangled in a web of her own making, her newfound persona as a wealthy heiress standing in stark contrast to the truth she so fervently sought to conceal.
