Broken (of) Love - EP 3

Arisa is such a major red flag, but I love her. I also think Lalin is not as naive as she comes across. I believe she knows exactly what Arisa is up to but she's just going along with it. Sidenote: Am I the only one who feels that Arisa has more chemistry with the mother? Their dynamic and scenes together are very intense.

Episode 3 starts with a flashback to an injured Arisa years ago, who got stabbed. As she woke up Mek asked her what had happened, and Arisa reported that she saw a woman on her way home getting assaulted, and decided to help her – but one of the guys had a knife and stabbed her with it. Mek argues that while she loves helping people, she needs to be more careful, because she has plenty of more thing to do and shouldn’t risk her life for others. But she pleads with him to let her continue helping people, because it’s what makes her wanna continue living. After the credits, we are with Lalin, who is trying to get a grasp on her mother’s business. As Arisa comes in she asks her if she got angry again, and argues that she can even her through the wall, but Lalin argues that it’s so difficult, and nothing but numbers, and it gives her a headache. Arisa tells her to give it a rest, and argues that as the CEO’s daughter she should have an underling do at least some of the stuff. But Lalin claims that if she doesn’t understand every process, how could she teach or order someone else to do it. But she is exhausted, she claims, and wonders why can’t numbers be like music notes. Arisa opts to get Lalin a little massage of her hands, and Lilin argues that she’s perfect at everything, and wonders where she could find another girlfriend like her. But Arisa gets defensive and argues that she doesn’t have to find another girlfriend, because she’s already the perfect one. Arisa then reports that Weiling called her, and Lalin thinks it’s because of her sudden proposal that had them all shocked. Arisa claims that her mother probably thought that she wanted something from Lalin, and she is right, because she wants to do that with her, she claims as she almost kisses Lalin – but they get interrupted by a knock on the door, and Weiling’s henchman comes in claiming Weiling is ready to see her. Weiling claims that Arisa know from the start that Lalin was her daughter, but Aris argues how could she have known, as she knew her daughter only as Lyla. She wouldn’t have imagined herself to be this connected to her, and argues that everything is just coincidence. But Weiling doesn’t believe in coincidence, and accuses her of having planned this. Arisa claims that she understands and argues that their relationship had a rough start, but it was just business. As for Lalin and her, it’s really about love, she claims, but Weiling laughs at that notion as they have just met. Arisa asks her if she really knows her daughter, and Weiling claims that as her mother, she does. Then, Arisa claims, she doesn’t even have to ask her how she loves her so easily. She argues that Lalin is liked by many people, and even if they knew each other for just one night, love can still happen. But Weiling thinks it’s still too fast and wants her daughter to learn more about her company – so, she can’t let her marry her. To let her only daughter marry someone she doesn’t trust is a no-go. Arisa claims that if she knows her daughter as well as she claims to, she can explain it to her herself that she doesn’t allow her to marry the one she loves, and argues that her daughter happiness should come first for her. And with that, she leaves. At dinner, Arisa remembers the night that they met, and argues it was fun, but Arisa argues that being dragged into the park wasn’t fun and adds that they almost got a fine if it hadn’t been for her fast walking. Arisa calls her cheeky, then claims that seeing her happy make her happy, and Lalin argues she likes all that Arisa has done for her, even dancing in the middle of the road she likes. Arisa the proposes to dance in the restaurant, and Lalin accepts the challenge and dances right there. Arisa tells her to stop but claims that the way she is, that why she’s liked her from day one. Lalin argues that she is different today, and wonders whether she wants to officially propose. She asks if her mother is alright with them, and agues her mother is not that cruel – to which Arisa asks: if they couldn’t see each other, would she be sad. Lalin then want to know whether her mother is not okay with their relationship, and Arisa nods in confirmation, claiming that her mother claims there’s no way she would agree. But Arisa won’t give up, she claims. She brought her here tonight just to be happy to enjoy this moment with her – just in case there will be no more. She then hands her a bracelet and wants it to be a reminder of her, for the day that they cannot be with each other. But Lalin vows as she is crying that she will not let their relationship end like this. If it will end, it will not by her mom’s disapproval, and she wants her to trust in them. She will fight for them. Next, Weiling and her henchmen visits some shady business run by a lady holding a gun. She wants to get a loan for 50 million THB (some 1.5 million US$) from her, because her investment plan is not going to plan, but she argues W empire is going to make a big profit next year. But the lady claims they didn’t repay her last loan, even though it’s past due. Weiling ensure that she will get back the money this time. The lady argues that she would need to repay both load, i.e. 100 million THB (3 million US$), and wants to know what assurances she can give her for all the money. The hands her a couple of documents and tells her it’s up to her to accept or decline. But the lady calls it an interesting statement and proposes to meet again in a week to exchange signed documents, and argues she can just wait for the money. Weiling is happy. Next, Lalin confronts her mother about Arisa and her prospective marriage, and she threatens that she will go back to Lyla. Weiling claims that this is Arisa’s plan, but Lalin maintains that it’s her own decision. But Arisa pleads with her to listen to her mother, and argues that it’s not time yet to marry, because her mother doesn’t trust her, but Lalin claims she trusts her. And they, she repeats the threat to her mother: if they can’t marry, then she will leave. Wiling then proposes to prove her wrong, and asks Arisa to move into her house, so that she can keep her eyes on her, and let her see that Arisa is being sincere with Lalin. And Arisa accepts. In her darkroom, Arisa looks at photos as Mek comes in and claims he hasn’t seen her this happy for a long time, and calls it a real happy smile, but Arisa argues that a people’s smiles can be fake. Then, Arisa reports that Weiling allows her to date Lalin – but the marriage might be difficult. They need some time to trust her completely, and Mek argues she needs to play the role of Lalin’s lover for a while – but he knows she can do it as a hard-hearted woman. She needs to be careful about her own heart, though, as that may turn out to be her weakness. But she tells him not to worry, as she would never put her heart into play in this game, and argues Lalin is just a pawn in her revenge game. Lalin overhears some people locker-talking about her dating her mother’s rival, and about the company finances that force her mother to get an illegal loan, and they argue she uses her daughter to pay a debt. Lalin ends the conversation by claiming that not taking when you have nothing positive to say is manners 101. Lalin later tells Arisa of the rumors she heard about her mother going bankrupt, but she’s not telling her about it, so she doesn’t know how to help her. She argues that she’s bad at business, but Arisa claims that she isn’t, and she’s willing to help if she can. Arisa calls Weiling lucky for having a daughter that cares – if her parents were still alive she would do the same, she argues. She then promises to help her mother. Ai talks reports about some restructuring at Petra, but Arisa leaves this job to her assistant, and requests that they can’t let them catch them. Ai agrees, the Mek wants Arisa to take a look at something, and she gets to watch a video from the meeting Weiling had with the shady business lady. Mek claims that Weiling needs get a loan from this lady – she has no other choice. And Arisa claims that she accidentally fell into a trip like this, and argues that they need to make a move. Weiling is back with said lady to receive the load documents – but they are unsigned. And the lady claims there’s a rumor going around that her company might be going bankrupt, and doesn’t want to invest in a dying company. Outside, she says to her henchman that they need another offer fast, but he tells her that if they don’t pay the bank in time they might be black-listed. Arisa looks at photo of Lalin as a kid, and Lalin comes in to asks her if she was cute back then. But Arisa argues that her present self is cuter, and she argues that Lalin looks like her father. But Lalin argues that she doesn’t give up like her mother, so her mother has to face o woman like herself: her. Then she asks about Arisa parent and she calls herself the perfect replica of them both. Lalin calls her so cool, but she’d be much cooler if she can get along with her mother. Arisa argues that she’s trying, but her mother must be open-minded as well. Lalin claims that’s her mission: to make them get along. At dinner, Arisa put food onto Lalin’s plate in front of Weiling, who tells them the reason that she let’s Arisa live in her house is she wants to know her, to make sure that she’s sincere with her daughter. Arisa tells her to ask away, she has nothing to hide. Weiling wants to know about her parents, but Arisa tells her that her parents are dead since she was 10 years old, and she grew up with elderly relatives. Weiling claims that she is sorry, then wants to know what brought her into the property business, and Arisa responds that she was always interested in this kind of work, so she studied a lot, and she claims that Weiling was her inspiration. Weiling argues that it’s not easy and that she’s been through a lot. She argues that in this field of work one needs to be strong. Arisa argues that she needs Weiling as her mentor, then, because she is still a newbie. Lalin argues that they could stop being rivals, so both of her loved ones could be together. But Weiling tells her daughter to stop mixing business and personal matters. Later, Arisa combs Lalin’s hair as the latter asks whether she feels awkward staying there. But Arisa feels at ease anywhere where she’s by her side, even with a million of her mother’s conditions. She will meet her expectations because she loves her daughter, she argues. Lalin offers to move back to her house the second it turn awkward, but Arisa is no person who will give up easily, until she gets what she wants. And they make out a little. Later Lalin has fallen asleep snuggled against Arisa, but Arisa leaves their bed carefully trying not to wake her up. She goes to meet Weiling at the pool to make her an offer: she helps her with the loans she had, for half of the company in shares. Weiling argues that’s too much, but Arisa claims it’s the only way to save the company. And we flash back to one week earlier, when Arisa met the shady business lady, and the lady claims she wouldn’t dare forget her lifesaver, and can get whatever she wants from her. But Arisa has only one concern: she mustn’t give Weiling the load she desires. As we see Arisa park in front of W empire and gets into the building, we get a final flashback revealing that the lady Arisa saved while getting injured was the shady business lady. The lady promised her to help her in any way, because she’s alive because of her. Lalin thanks her for saving her mother. And with Mek’s warning that Arisa’s heart might be her biggest weakness, we end the episode. ___ The plotting was a little clunky this time – but deeper and deeper we delve into the depths of this story, and Mek’s warning was a constant reminder of the central dilemma: will Arisa be able to ruin Lalin and her family knowing well that that will destroy the young woman, or will she at some point ditch the revenge plot to be with Lalin, and will Lalin even want to be with Arisa at that point. If this all wasn’t hurtful to Lalin, one might applaud the business sense of Arisa, worming her way into her enemy’s company and home, but it all is tinged with the prospect of how this might end. I’ll tune in again next week, for sure.