Episode 4 of "Karma," titled "The Woman Trapped in the Past," kicks off with the inferno engulfing the desolate structure in Guhoe, with Chief Park among the responding officers. The medical personnel valiantly strive to rescue the scorched figure, and when his visage is finally revealed, it isn't the debtor, Park Jae-yeong, but rather the arsonist known as Eyewitness, adorned with his distinctive gold watch.
The following morning, Ju-yeong embarks on her mundane routine with unwavering serenity, even when confronted with the most intractable of patients, her composure unbroken despite her own injury. PI Hwang observes her with keen interest, offering his assistance should she ever find herself in need.
The moment arrives when she is summoned to visit Eyewitness. Her expression clouds when he utters the name Park Jae-yeong, a detail not lost on her boyfriend, Dr. Yoon Jeong-min. She dismisses everyone with a wave and, once in solitude, reaches for a pill and shatters a mirror in a fit of panic.
That very night, Jeong-min catches her in the act of printing Jae-yeong's file, his countenance etched with concern as he urges her to confide in him should she require any assistance. After his departure, she resolves to engage PI Hwang's services.
We delve into Hwang's past, uncovering his former life as a police officer before his retirement. Ju-yeong hands him a down payment of 5 million won with a singular mission: to locate three individuals. As she exits, the mechanic stalkers make their entrance, revealed as Hwang's own assistants in disguise.
Hwang, seeking clarity, turns to Detective Kang, the seasoned investigator spearheading the arson inquiry. As their conversation unfurls, Kang discloses a disturbing revelation: several charred, unrecognizable bodies lie within his purview, which he suspects could very well be the arson suspects. Unbeknownst to many, Hwang holds the esteemed position of Kang's mentor, a figure whose career prematurely ended due to his sacrificial taking of the blame for a nefarious circle of corrupt officers.
Kang hands over a folder detailing the dossiers of Ju-yeon's trio of assailants, his curiosity piqued by Hwang's unusual interest in an antiquated rape case. This revelation catches Hwang off guard, as he scrutinizes the files and discovers a dark truth – these three individuals, Park Jae-yeong, Yoo Tae-jun, and Yang Yong-seon, were implicated in a brutal gang rape at their high school. The victim: Lee Ju-yeon.
A vivid flashback ensues, portraying Jae-yeong's gentle invitation to Ju-yeon, facilitated through Yu-jeong. The evening blossoms into a charming date, filled with laughter and joy. However, as they make their way home, the harmony is shattered by the appearance of two masked figures, who suddenly leap at them from the shadows.
At the precinct, the trio is brought in for questioning. Ju-yeon stands perplexed amidst the chaos, only to be shattered further by the officer's revelation – Jae-yeong had orchestrated the whole charade, posing as one of her attackers in the sickening act of rape.
Currently, she finds herself seated beside Eyewitness, whose suffering is etched across his features. Hwang reaches out to her, unveiling the grim tale of the rapists: Tae-jun and Yong-seon, now deceased criminals whose ends mirrored their heinous deeds. Hwang remarks dryly that perhaps it is the hand of karma at play. As for Jae-yeong, he leads a serene existence in Paju, oblivious to the turmoil surrounding his name. Realizing that the man beside her, in agony, is not the Park Jae-yeong who once violated her, she instructs the nurse to administer morphine to Eyewitness. Kang's subsequent update to Hwang, however, shatters the illusion—Jae-yeong is the lone survivor of the devastating arson.
Over lunch, Jeong-min and Ju-yeon are interrupted by Hwang's revelation about "Jae-yeong," leaving Ju-yeon stunned and grappling with indecision. Meanwhile, Eyewitness, awake and chuckling, revels in his unscathed state. Under interrogation by the police, he recounts a tale of abduction and confinement within an abandoned structure, where two men debated his fate before dousing him in gasoline and setting him aflame. One wonders if this harrowing narrative mirrors the true Jae-yeong's ordeal.
Attempts to verify his identity through fingerprints falter as Eyewitness displays his burnt fingertips with a sheepish demeanor. The officers relay that his aunt yearns to see him, yet his reaction betrays irritation. As they depart, he summons a doctor, his amusement unwavering.
Meanwhile, Ju-yeon envisions herself committing the ultimate act of revenge against him within the confines of his room. However, in stark contrast to her fantasies, he strides out of the premises after successfully convincing her superior to discharge him from his duties. As his figure disappears, a woman's voice rises in complaint, alleging that someone has pilfered her husband's garments, adding an air of chaos to the scene.
Ju-yeon corners Eyewitness in the elevator, her accusations flowing like acid, lambasting him for failing to acknowledge her presence. He responds with a circuitous defense, suggesting that she knows not of the man she believes she does. Pressing further, she demands answers, only to hear him utter words that chill her to the bone: the Park Jae-yeong she once knew no longer exists. Stunned and feeling as if she's being toyed with, her emotions swing wildly.
Undeterred, she reappears when he hails a taxi, her voice trembling with accusation as she blames him for the nightmarish visions that haunt her sleep. He scorns her, laughing at her perceived cluelessness before the taxi speeds away, leaving her standing there, reeling. By the close of Karma Episode 4, Ju-yeon's resolve hardens into a stone-cold determination; she vows to end his life.
