Chapter 4

Marcus stumbled back, clutching his jaw, a pained expression instantly replacing his smirk. "Olivia! Thank God. He just... he attacked me. For no reason." He looked at her, his eyes wide with feigned innocence. "I was just asking if he was okay, and he flew into a rage. I think... I think he' s jealous, Olivia. About us."

He then looked at me, a flicker of triumph in his eyes before he turned back to Olivia, his voice laced with manufactured concern. "I didn' t even know about his parents, what happened. He started screaming about them. I swear, I had no idea what he was talking about." He made himself sound like the victim, confused and hurt.

Olivia rushed to Marcus' s side, her hand gently touching his face where my fist had landed. "Are you okay, darling?" Her voice was soft, full of concern for him. Then she turned to me, her eyes blazing. "Ethan! How could you? Marcus is my fiancé! You apologize to him right now. You' re lying, trying to manipulate me, just like you always do!"

My voice was choked. "He... he insulted Mom and Dad. He said I was... abnormal, like them." I looked at her, pleading with my eyes for her to remember, to understand. "You know how much that hurts me, Olivia. You used to understand."

She cut me off, her voice cold as steel. "Don' t you dare bring your parents into this to excuse your violent behavior, Ethan! Marcus would never say such a thing. You' re twisting things, trying to make him look bad because you can' t stand that I' m happy with someone else. I' ve had enough of your dramatics and your possessiveness."

"Apologize to Marcus. Now." Her voice was a command, leaving no room for argument.

I stared at her, the woman who had once been my protector, now standing as my accuser, siding with the man who had deliberately wounded me. The silence stretched, thick with tension. I couldn't. I wouldn't apologize for defending my parents' memory.

Her face hardened. "Fine. Go to your room, Ethan. And you will stay there until you' re ready to apologize to Marcus and mean it. I am beyond disappointed in you."

I turned and walked away, the weight of her judgment pressing down on me. Back in my room, the faint glow of the star on my ceiling seemed to mock me. She used to shield me. Now, she shielded him. Her favoritism had shifted, leaving me out in the cold.

My phone vibrated. A new message from Elysian Fields. "Mr. Miller, we' ve reviewed your case. Given the aggressive nature of your leukemia, the optimal window for cryopreservation is within the next twelve months. We can proceed as soon as you confirm your desired date."

My desired date. I thought of Olivia' s wedding. October 26th. My twentieth birthday. A bitter smile touched my lips. Perfect. A final, silent act. I would be gone before the vows were even spoken.

I wouldn't attend the ceremony. I wouldn't disrupt her happiness. I would just quietly disappear. That would be my final gift to her: my absence.