In Expats, Mercy makes a mistake that haunts her endlessly and ruins Margaret’s life. Ji-young Yoo plays Mercy.
Mercy is a 24-year-old girl who left New York to get away from her mother, with whom she does not have an easy relationship.
She had good grades, which got her a scholarship to Columbia, and as soon as she finished college, she moved to Hong Kong, a place that seemed far enough for her mother not to follow.
Moving to Hong Kong was supposed to give Mercy a chance to start afresh, but it turned out to be the worst phase of her life.
Mercy’s mistake
During a yacht party with her college friend and her wealthy circle, Mercy finds little enjoyment in their company, but she meets Margaret.
Margaret is kind to Mercy, and they hit it off immediately. Mercy offers to assist Margaret in caring for her three children, hoping that Margaret will hire her.
Margaret invites Mercy to join her and her children for dinner. They later visit the night market, and Mercy gets along with Margaret and the children.
When Mercy assures Margaret that she will look after the boys, Margaret leaves Philip and Gus under her care to buy something with Daisy.
During this time, Mercy texts her friend about her meeting with Margaret. In that brief moment of distraction, she loses Gus, a mistake that haunts her day and night.
Despite the police’s efforts, Gus is not found, and even a year later, Mercy keeps thinking about her mistake and how she has ruined Margaret’s perfect family.
The burden of guilt
Mercy still lives in a small apartment by herself and has to work seven days a week just to afford rent. She does all kinds of jobs.
While catering at a party, Mercy sees Margaret and is reminded of the consequences of her actions. Seeing Margaret leaves Mercy shaken, as she has not been able to forgive herself.
Mercy believes that she was born cursed, which is why she will never have a family and die alone. Losing Gus further deepens this belief.
The night Gus went missing, Mercy met David, the only person at the scene who comforted Mercy. David and Mercy met each other during challenging periods in their lives.
Unable to deal with her guilt, Mercy makes several mistakes, one of which is having an affair with David, despite knowing that he is married.
However, Mercy cannot continue like that. Sooner or later, she must confront and accept her mistakes to move on and create a better life for herself.
Also Read: Margaret: Expats Character Explained
