In Forever

CHAPTER TWO: SACRIFICE

The courthouse doors groaned open behind Elias.

Cold wind hit his face as he stepped onto the crowded stairs, the sealed documents still clutched in his hand.

Around him, reporters shouted at lawyers and suited clients. Camera flashes popped like tiny explosions in the gray afternoon.

None of it reached him.

All he saw was Ivy.

She stood several feet away beside a sleek black SUV, surrounded by agents in expensive suits.

Even beneath oversized sunglasses and a designer coat, she drew stares. People paused mid-stride just to look at her.

A star.

His lips curved faintly.

She had always been beautiful. Even as a gap-toothed child drowning in oversized sweaters, she carried light.

Back then, he believed the world would eventually notice her brightness.

He had been right.

He just never imagined that when the world noticed her, it would push him out.

Elias looked down at the document in his hand.

Family Severance Agreement.

The words felt absurdly formal for something so simple. A piece of paper declaring he no longer existed in her world.

He folded it carefully and slipped it into his worn coat pocket. No point staring.

It was done.

The agents hurried Ivy toward the SUV, shielding her from cameras. None of the reporters paid Elias any attention.

To them, he was invisible—a tired man in cheap clothes standing quietly outside a courthouse.

One agent opened the car door.

For a brief second, Ivy hesitated.

Her head turned slightly—just enough that Elias thought she might look back.

Might say something.

Anything.

But the agent leaned in and whispered in her ear. Her shoulders stiffened. She slipped into the vehicle without another glance.

The door shut.

Elias stared at the dark tinted windows.

Then he smiled softly.

"She'll be fine," he murmured.

Maybe this was for the best. He had always known he didn't belong in her new world. People like him became liabilities.

One leaked photograph of her visiting a rundown apartment, and the media would tear her apart.

He could endure humiliation.

But not if it harmed her.

Never her.

A group of young women rushed past him, squealing.

"Oh my God, did you see Ivy Carter in there?"

"She's even prettier in person!"

"I heard she's signing an overseas movie deal!"

Their voices faded into traffic noise.

Elias descended the steps slowly, ignoring the ache in his knees.

His body had been wearing down for years. Long shifts. Little sleep. Too much stress. It all added up.

At thirty-five, he felt seventy.

The city moved around him in a blur—honking horns, hurried footsteps, towering buildings. Giant digital billboards flickered overhead.

One displayed Ivy's face.

Elias stopped walking.

She smiled down from the massive screen, flawless and radiant. A luxury jewelry brand sparkled beside her image.

Memories flooded him.

A tiny girl sleeping on his shoulder while he calculated unpaid bills.

She had cried because classmates mocked her worn shoes.

Her first school recital.

There were nights she practiced singing while he cooked instant noodles in their cramped kitchen.

The day she got accepted into a trainee program and cried harder than he did.

His chest tightened.

"She really made it," he whispered.

Pride outweighed the pain.

It always would.

His phone vibrated.

He pulled it out, expecting another overdue notice. Instead, a message from his landlord:

RENT DUE TOMORROW. NO MORE EXTENSIONS.

He sighed.

Right. Reality.

His savings would barely cover another month.

Taking time off work for the court proceedings had stretched things thin.

Still, he wasn't worried.

He had survived worse.

Pocketing the phone, Elias started toward the bus stop across the street.

The traffic light glowed red.

Cars rushed past endlessly. Rain clouds gathered overhead, darkening the city.

Elias shoved his hands into his pockets.

Then he heard it.

"Elias!"

He turned.

Ivy stood several feet behind him.

Alone.

Her sunglasses were gone. Her eyes were red-rimmed, lips trembling.

For the first time that day, she looked less like a celebrity and more like the little sister he remembered.

Elias smiled immediately.

"You came back."

His voice came out softer than intended.

Ivy's face twisted painfully.

"Why..." Her voice cracked. "Why did you sign it so easily?"

He blinked.

"What?"

"You didn't even fight me." Tears welled. "You didn't yell or ask why. You just signed it like it meant nothing!"

He stared at her for a moment.

Then he chuckled faintly.

"You wanted freedom."

"That's not—"

"You were scared," he interrupted gently.

Ivy froze.

Elias stepped closer.

"I know how cruel people can be." His voice stayed calm. "Your world is built on image. If they found out your brother was some poor nobody living paycheck to paycheck, they'd use it against you."

Her tears spilled over.

"You think I care about that?"

"No," Elias said honestly. "But your management does."

She looked away instantly.

That told him enough.

Elias sighed.

"Ivy."

The softness in his tone made her look back.

"You don't need to feel guilty."

Her face crumpled.

"I abandoned you."

"No." He shook his head. "You survived."

A broken sound escaped her throat.

For years, Elias had imagined this moment differently. He thought he might feel resentment. Bitterness.

Instead, all he felt was exhaustion.

And concern.

Because despite everything, Ivy still looked unhappy.

"Are they treating you well?" he asked suddenly.

She stared at him in disbelief.

"You're asking me that now?"

"Of course." He frowned. "You haven't been sleeping properly either."

Her eyes widened.

Elias pointed beneath his own eyes. "Dark circles."

That used to happen whenever she overworked herself practicing.

For several seconds, Ivy just stared.

Then she started crying harder.

People nearby glanced over curiously.

Elias panicked slightly.

"Ah—don't cry here," he said awkwardly. "You're famous. People are watching."

"I hate you," she whispered suddenly.

The words hit harder than expected.

Before he could respond, she grabbed his coat.

"I hate you because you still treat me kindly!" she cried. "Even after everything!"

Elias stood frozen.

His heart ached.

Slowly, he lifted a rough hand and rested it carefully on her head—just like he used to when she was small.

"It's okay," he murmured.

Ivy buried her face against his chest, shoulders trembling violently.

For a brief moment, it felt like old times.

Just the two of them against the world.

Then angry voices cut through.

"There she is!"

Her agents rushed toward them frantically.

"Miss Carter, reporters are still nearby!"

"We told you not to leave the vehicle!"

Ivy stepped away immediately, wiping tears.

The warmth vanished.

One agent shot Elias a cold glare before lowering his voice toward Ivy.

"Please remember your image."

Elias noticed the subtle shame crossing her face.

And just like that, he understood.

There were invisible chains around her now. Chains made of fame, contracts, public expectations, and fear.

He smiled gently.

"You should go."

Ivy looked stricken.

"Brother—"

"I'll be okay."

The agent opened the SUV door.

Traffic lights changed overhead.

Rain began falling lightly across the city.

Ivy hesitated one last time, then whispered shakily, "I'll contact you later."

Elias nodded.

Even though they both knew she probably wouldn't.

The SUV door closed.

The vehicle pulled away.

Elias stood there as the car headed towards the traffic.

Only then did his smile fade.

Silence settled around him.

He looked up at the gray sky.

Rainwater slid across his face like cold tears.

For the first time all day, loneliness truly hit him.

Not anger.

Not betrayal.

Just emptiness.

He had spent twenty years living for someone else.

Now he didn't know what came next.

A horn blared nearby.

Elias blinked. The pedestrian light had turned green. People crossed the street hurriedly around him, carrying umbrellas and bags.

He adjusted his worn coat and stepped forward with the crowd.

Halfway across—

"LOOK OUT!"

Tires screeched.

Elias turned.

A massive delivery truck barreled through the red light, completely out of control. Cars swerved. Pedestrians scattered.

And directly in its path—

The black SUV.

It had stopped near the curb ahead due to traffic.

Elias saw Ivy through the window.

Her eyes widened in horror as the truck hurtled toward her.

Everything inside him went silent.

He didn't think.

Didn't hesitate.

"IVY!"

He sprinted.

People shouted behind him. His knees screamed. Lungs burned. None of it mattered.

The truck was too close.

Too fast.

The SUV doors had barely begun opening when Elias reached it.

He yanked the rear door open.

Ivy looked up, startled.

"Brother—?!"

Elias grabbed her arm.

He pulled her toward him with every ounce of strength left in his body.

The world exploded into noise.

Metal roared.

People screamed.

Elias twisted, shoving Ivy away from the vehicle—

Just as the truck slammed into the SUV.

Shattered glass and twisted steel flew everywhere.

Something immense struck Elias from the side.

Pain erupted.

For one horrifying second, he felt himself lifted off the ground—

Then crashing onto the pavement.

A sickening crunch echoed.

Then silence.

Rain tapped softly against concrete.

Elias blinked slowly.

He couldn't move.

Warmth spread beneath him.

Blood.

His vision blurred at the edges.

The ruined SUV burned nearby. Smoke curled into the rainy air. People screamed around the wreckage.

But Elias barely noticed.

Because Ivy was alive.

She knelt several feet away, staring at him in horror. Untouched except for minor cuts from flying glass.

Her mouth moved soundlessly.

Then—

"BROTHER!"

The scream tore through the street.

Elias smiled weakly.

Ah. Good. She's safe.

Ivy stumbled toward him desperately, tears pouring down her face.

Her agents grabbed her before she could reach him.

"No!"

"Miss Carter, it's dangerous!"

"LET ME GO!"

Elias watched quietly.

Strangely, he couldn't feel pain anymore.

Only cold.

His body felt heavy.

So tired.

People crowded around him, shouting for ambulances. Someone pressed trembling hands against his wounds.

But Elias already knew.

It was bad.

Very bad.

His breaths came shallow.

Rain fell softly onto his face.

Memories drifted through him.

A little girl laughing.

Late nights working.

Burned dinners.

School concerts.

Tiny hands clutching his sleeve.

"Brother."

The word echoed faintly.

Elias's eyes found Ivy again.

She looked terrified.

Just like when she was five, standing in that hospital hallway after their parents died.

His chest tightened.

He wanted to comfort her.

Tell her not to cry.

Tell her she'd be okay.

But his voice no longer worked.

Blood filled his mouth instead.

Ivy finally broke free. She collapsed beside him on the wet pavement.

"Please..." she sobbed. "Please don't leave me..."

Elias stared at her.

With enormous effort, he raised a trembling hand toward her face.

His fingertips brushed her cheek.

Warm.

Alive.

Good.

His lips moved faintly.

"Live happily."

Tears streamed down Ivy's face.

"No... no, no, no..."

Elias smiled weakly.

That expression suited her better than disgust.

His vision darkened further.

The sounds around him faded to distant echoes.

Sirens wailed somewhere far away.

But they felt impossibly distant.

Elias's final thoughts were strangely peaceful.

He had protected her.

In the end, that was enough.

Darkness swallowed everything.

—

And somewhere far away, another man opened his eyes.