The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (2023) Episode 2

Episode 2 of A Story of Park’s Marriage Contract starts with us in Seoul, 2023. Here we’re introduced to Kang Dro, which happens to be the Deputy CEO’s nickname. He’s the epitome of cold and ruthless, and his real name is Tae-ha. He runs a big department store and has been named one of the leaders for the New Generation.

Tae-ha is also up for the position of CEO at SH Seoul, something we learn from his mother who is off schmoozing with the President on a yacht. He indirectly hints at a wedding coming up, something that Tae-ha had completely forgotten about given how wrapped up he is in work.

Min Hye-Sook is determined to make it into the CEO position for herself though, and is seemingly going to be playing the scheming mother role in this drama! It’s here we cut across to the swimming pool at the hotel, where Tae-ha notices flowers and a strange girl floating in the water. This is, of course, Yeon-woo!

Tae-ha helps her out and takes Yeon-woo out the water. She’s still alive, but when she awakens in this strange world, she calls Tae-ha her husband and hugs him tight. In doing so, Tae-ha’s heart-rate starts increasing via his watch. Yeon-woo is convinced she’s in the afterlife, having crossed the “waters of forgetfulness” and tries to rationale what’s happening, all whilst Tae-ha stands bemused and befuddled over what’s going on.

There’s more important things happening here though, given the Chairman arrives for dessert with Tae-ha. He makes a big decision and tells Secretary Hong that he could pretend Yeon-woo is his wife. After all, with his grandfather needing surgery and desperate for him to get married, he suspects pretending he’s already married to this “crazy lady” could be just the ticket to get him off his back.

Yeon-woo is all dressed up in this lavish hotel room, and she’s shocked at how beautiful everything is. She’s greeted by Na-rae, the head assistant here. Yeon-woo greets her tentatively and is shocked when she’s forced to undress, as these women help prepare her into a bridal gown worthy of being Tae-ha’s bride. Even if it is pretend!

Tae-ha seems to have picked up some of Yeon-woo’s words from the past though, reciting about the God of the Underworld just like she did. He helps her out with her shoe and the pair walk, hand in hand, down to see the Chairman to confirm this marriage. It all comes down to the big kiss, and the pair do kiss… but Tae-ha puts his thumb on her lips to prevent a direct smooch. However, Yeon-woo faints.

Everything seems to go well, as the Chairman leaves to get his surgery. When he does, Yeon-woo awakens and finds herself in bed. She continues to call Tae-ha her husband but he pulls away from her and tells her to stop this nonsense. He shows off outside and tries to give her a quick history lesson, including about the King’s temple and how they’re not in Joseon times anymore.

When Yeon-woo continues to try and touch Tae-ha, he eventually shrugs her off and tells Secretary Hong to deal with this. She’s not even used to proper doors either, and Hong ends up phoning the doctor for her. Yeon-woo is distracted by the big world around her, and how alone she is in this place.

When Tae-ha’s mother finds out, Hye-sook phones Tae-min, Tae-ha’s brother. Unfortunately, he ends up in an altercation with Yeon-woo at a revolving door. He slips on his drink and ends up chasing her away. As for Tae-ha though, he can’t stop thinking about the encounter with Yeon-woo. Yeon-woo though, realizes the encounter with the strange shaman speaks more about her current fate and how she’ll find something she wants far from home.

A kid called Lee Seo-joon helps show her the ropes and how to use money. However, she’s taken aback when he gets a call about meeting at his school. This woman is forced to slam on the brakes when someone inexplicably rushes out in front of her car.

In the morning, after a bad dream about Yeon-woo, Tae-ha receives more bad news. It turns out the surgery has been delayed for a month and the chairman is now going to be living with him for the time being. This means that Tae-ha needs to bring Yeon-woo back and keep this charade going for longer.

Hye-sook starts scheming and wants to know everything about Yeon-woo and just who her son has married. Secretary Hong has had trouble tracking her down given there’s no reports at the police station. However, she has been spotted at the convenience store on CCTV cameras so off he goes.

When Tae-ha shows up, he sees Yeon-woo at the window watching the kids inside eating noodles. Yeon-woo walks away but Tae-ha follows, asking her to be his wife for longer. He’s shocked and even more so when he gets some cursing and a swift hit for his troubles.

Everything does calm down though, and Tae-ha proposes a deal. He’ll greatly compensate her if she’ll act as his wife for just one day. She begrudgingly agrees and Tae-ha sets to work getting a team in place for hair styling and costuming.

After getting her some treats, Yeon-woo is shocked and confused over how a seatbelt works and how to get into this “modern-day palanquin”. The crazy car ride makes Yeon-woo nauseous but she’s given an identity all the same – Vanessa from Italy.

Chairman Kang certainly takes a liking to Yeon-woo when she tells her fake story and answers his riddles. She pounces on the opportunity and decides to stay for a few more days since they’re only just married. Tae-ha concedes and decides they should write an official contract to put all of this in writing. She’s also told to stay upstairs and not bother Tae-ha while he attends to business matters.

That night, Yeon-woo sneaks downstairs and looks for food. Only, she ends up finding ketchup and eats it right from the bottle. Tae-ha sees her by the fridge but he’s pretty shocked given it looks like she has blood on her lips. In fact, things take a turn for the worse when she bows to apologize and gets sauce all over his cheek!

This drama continues the next day when Yeon-woo turns the TV on and sees a historical drama playing. She’s shocked and tries to find a way to speak to those inside the TV. However, when Tae-min appears, the pair end up talking and they definitely recognise one another from the street.

Things take an even more dramatic turn when both Tae-ha ends up having an accident and Yeon-woo recognizes Min Hye-sook from her time in the Joseon period when she shows up at the door. She reaches out and touches her face, just as Tae-ha gets home.

When he confronts his mother, and leaves this whole situation hanging in the balance, we see our shaman who seems to have prophesied all of this and she claims that there will be “a fate that will repeat itself.” The final intriguing shot shows our Chairman opening up a cabinet to reveal the picture of Yeon-woo from Joseon times that the old Tae-ha drew.

The Episode Review

Everything is just starting to pick up now that we’re in modern day Seoul, and the drama feels like a reverse Mr Queen in some ways. You’ve got the fish out of water scenario, and Yeon-woo plays the part brilliantly. Even the little things like trying to buy food or getting into a car make for some hilarious moments that stand out.

Similarly, the drama manages to keep things interesting with Tae-ha’s backstory. It would appear that this is a generational thing, although these sort of dramas do love to present the idea of reincarnation, which works well given the context.