The third episode of "Sold Out On You" begins with a poignant flashback. Little Ye-jin watches Myung-hwa on TV, mesmerized by her every move, and begins to imitate her. She discovers a photograph of her father, Seok-gyeong, with Myung-hwa, and realizes that she is her mother. Seok-gyeong finds the little girl in tears and calls Myung-hwa, who agrees to meet her daughter. They start meeting regularly but always indoors. Soon, they start talking over the phone every Sunday at 8pm. Ye-jin grows up this way, feeling a deep connection to her mother but never fully knowing her.
When Ye-jin is grown up, Myung-hwa gets into a car accident. Ye-jin rushes to the hospital and accidentally calls Myung-hwa "mom" in front of the press. Myung-hwa pretends she doesn't know her, and Ye-jin is sent away. The actress stops picking up her calls after this.
At present, Ye-jin calls her mother's number but ends up reaching Matthew. He tells her it's the wrong number, but she keeps calling, telling her mother she misses her. In the morning, we are introduced to Jin-yi, Som-yi's older sister who runs a grocery store. Som-yi's face is now revealed to have harsh red scars (not unlike the ones caused during Ye-jin's cream scandal). Although at present, she's delighted to find a pair of new headphones left for her by Matthew.
Meanwhile, Matthew comes by Mrs. Yang's place to give her (and Ye-jin) a ride. He also returns the chicken he found in his house and apologizes to Ye-jin for the misunderstanding. On the way to the bus stop, Jin-yi sees Ye-jin and recognizes her.
Elsewhere, Kwang-no (one of the villagers and Matthew's colleagues) is shooting a video for his online channel when he sees Matthew falling asleep at the wheel of his tractor. Kwang-mo tells him to manage the farm and tells Matthew to go home and rest. However, when Matthew goes home, he finds Mu-won has started building a lab around the house without his permission. He tells Matthew to decline Eric's persistent attempts himself.
Matthew agrees and meets Eric in person, introducing himself as Lee Hae-seok. He informs Eric that they only work on projects if they have full control over the entire production process. There's a hint of something about companies reneging on promises during this conversation, but the specifics are vague. In the end, Matthew refuses to work together. Eric shares this with Ye-jin, and they decide that Ye-jin should try to persuade Lee Hae-seok. Ye-jin also admits that she recognized him when they met but felt bad about not being able to acknowledge him at that time.
Back in Deokpung, Mrs. Yang offers food to the grumpy bus driver. When he returns home, he discovers a small bundle of cash meant to support him, his wife, and their newborn. Mrs. Yang realizes he must be struggling. The next time, he apologizes to Mrs. Yang and the others for his rudeness and promises to do better.
At work, Ye-jin is tasked with handling customer complaints for a marketing segment. One of them turns out to be Matthew, who is complaining about the hot tub he received from HIT. His information appears on the screen as Lee Hae-seok, and Ye-jin finally realizes that Matthew is Lee Hae-seok.
She's concerned about the way she treated him so far but still drives out to meet him. She proves that the hot tubs are in perfect condition, even tickling Matthew to show that the tub is making him sweat. It's awkward but leads to them getting closer to each other. However, as soon as she reveals that she knows his real identity, he sends her away.
She makes her way back to Mrs. Yang's abode, preparing to spend another night under her roof. As the insomnia once again takes hold, she dials Matthew's number, only to find him fast asleep this time. In the morning light, Mrs. Yang informs her that the mushroom farm is in need of additional help, and Ye-jin eagerly joins in, despite Matthew's previous efforts to discourage her.
After a day of arduous labor, she attempts to speak with Matthew once more, but he declares that L'Etoile has shattered their trust and that he can no longer trust them. As she struggles to push through the gate of his house, she trips and breaks her arm. That night, Matthew witnesses her using her injured arm during a live broadcast with remarkable determination, which prompts him to retrieve her proposal from the trash.
At that precise moment, Jin-yi arrives at Matthew's residence and pays him the month's rent. She then inquires about Ye-jin, but he dismisses her visit as insignificant. Following his conversation with Jin-yi, Matthew contacts Mu-won and instructs him to terminate all ties with L'Etoile permanently.
Meanwhile, Yun-ji informs Ye-jin that Myung-hwa's essence is scheduled to broadcast immediately after L'Etoile's, which implies it will not sell well. Ye-jin resolutely refuses to alter her slot. Upon returning home, she finds her father cooking and storing dishes for her but takes out her frustration on him due to her bad mood.
A flashback reveals Seok-gyeong advising Ye-jin that Myung-hwa did call to apologize after the car accident. However, Seok-gyeong instructed her not to speak to Ye-jin again to prevent further hurt. Ye-jin is deeply upset that he made this decision without consulting her. That night, Ye-jin calls Matthew and "converses" with her mother, revealing her true identity this time. He assumes she's intoxicated and is about to end the call when he hears glass breaking on the other end. Unable to reach her again, he drives out to search for her.
Ye-jin, still in a sleep-deprived state, exits the house and wanders the streets. A car is about to hit her when Matthew arrives and pulls her back from the brink of danger.
