In The Impossible Heir, Han Tae-oh, played by Lee Jae-wook, is a genius who seeks to achieve success through Kang In-ha, but his plans do not go as expected.
Tae-oh comes from a dysfunctional family. He frames his abusive father for his mother’s murder, resulting in his father being sentenced to death.
Tae-oh’s mother is in hiding, and his father’s henchmen are looking for her to take revenge on her. It falls on Tae-oh to ensure his mother’s safety.
If that was not enough, Tae-oh is regarded as a murderer’s son at school, even when he moves to his mother’s hometown to start afresh.
Tae-oh finds a new path for himself when he meets a boy, Kang In-ha, who does not care about Tae-oh’s family and is willing to work with him for their mutual benefit.
Dedicating his life to In-ha’s success
Tae-oh is a genius, ahead of others his age; he scored in the top 0.1% nationwide. He is also the only person who does not turn a blind eye to In-ha’s antics.
Initially, Tae-oh and In-ha do not get along. In-ha tries to bully him at school, but Tae-oh retaliates, refusing to tolerate In-ha’s behavior.
Both come from troubled family backgrounds and end up bonding eventually. In-ha is not bothered by Tae-oh being the son of a murderer and offers to be his friend.
Tae-oh is a practical person who does not let his emotions come in the way of his plans, so while he refuses to be In-ha’s friend, he proposes a partnership.
Tae-oh will make In-ha, who is the illegitimate son of a rich man, his father’s successor and become successful through him.
Tae-oh dedicates his life to In-ha and helps him get into a prestigious university while working tirelessly to fund his own education.
Tae-oh and In-ha meet a girl named Hye-won in college. Tae-oh and Hye-won are both ambitious and seek success through In-ha.
Tae-oh starts liking her, but he refrains from pursuing a relationship to stay focused. However, when Hye-won starts dating In-ha, Tae-oh asks her to be with him instead.
For the first time, Tae-oh is willing to sacrifice his plans for someone, but that moment of weakness is short-lived.
Tae-oh goes back to prioritizing his goals over his feelings after Hye-won tells him that they will both regret giving up on their goals for each other.
A friend’s betrayal
Even as a college student, Tae-oh can predict the moves of In-ha’s family and helps In-ha, who is now his closest friend, make the right choices.
Once Tae-oh starts working at the Kangoh Group, he impresses the chairman and rises to become his right-hand man, while also ensuring In-ha’s advancement.
Over time, the chairman grows to trust Tae-oh and heeds all his advice. By playing his cards right, Tae-oh gets the chairman to acknowledge In-ha as his son.
It is then that things take a turn for the worse. Tae-oh is assaulted, and In-ha asks the police not to investigate to protect the Kangoh Group’s reputation.
This incident brings Tae-oh and Hye-won, who still harbor feelings for each other, closer. They end up kissing before Hye-won marries In-ha.
In-ha’s half-brother, In-ju, finds out about it and blackmails Hye-won. Aware that Hye-won’s life will be ruined if the news leaks, Tae-oh makes a sacrifice for her.
He agrees to comply with In-ju’s demands, which leads him to use drugs with In-ju. The next morning, Tae-oh wakes up to find In-ju and his mistress murdered.
Tae-oh is framed for their murders, and his reputation is further damaged when he is accused of embezzlement. This causes In-ha to sever all ties with him.
It is then revealed that In-ha framed Tae-oh, who finds out about the betrayal and realizes that In-ha was never his friend.
While In-ha takes Tae-oh’s place in the future strategy office, Tae-oh is found guilty of murdering In-ju and his mistress, resulting in his capital punishment.
Tae-oh then decides to spend his days helping Hye-won become the next owner of the Kangoh Group, while In-ha uses his power and influence to get Tae-oh killed.
Also Read: Kang In-ju’s death in The Impossible Heir explained