Na In Jung struggles with her love between the rather cold and rebellious Yong Ki and a successful businessman, Soo Hwan. Kang Yong Ki is a pop culture artist. He was separated from his first love, Jo Ann, and still carries the wound that he suffered from their relationship. His half sister is Joo Ran who is married to Soo Hwan. Soo Hwan begins an affair with In Jung but he only has ambition for the CEO position of Yong Ki's father's company. Soon after he discovers that his ambition does not fill the emptiness that he has inside and realizes he needs In Jung. But In Jung and Yong Ki have already fallen in love with each other. Will In Jung go back to her first love or stay with Yong Ki?

“Cruel Love” is a story between a heroine (In-jung) and two guys (Yong-ki and Soo-hwan) seeking for true love.

In-jung was a promising cellist in her early 20s, lacking for nothing. On her glory days as a successful orchestra member, to her astonishment, In-jung found out her first love, Soo-hwan, was a married man, and got 5 years imprisonment for adultery. Finally, she ends up as a fried-chicken seller in a poor village, and becomes an unrelenting woman without any hope left for her life until the end.

One day, In-jung ran across Yongki, a pop artist guy who was born on the wrong side of the blanket in the prosperous conglomerate family. Yongki lost his colleague and first love Joan for good as he was not committed enough to save her from his family’s negligence. By several coincidences, Yongki meets Injung here and there, realizing painful love in his heart.

By the time when Injung also realizes subtle love towards Yongki, Injung’s first love Soo-hwan, who ruined her life completely, appears in front of Injung, asking for her forgiveness. So, what would be Injung’s choice and what would the left look like? This is the key of the drama “Cruel Love”.