Never Forever (2007) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Andrew attempts suicide because he is unable to father children due to unhealthy sperm, which renders him infertile. This is particularly devastating given the cultural pressure from his family for Sophie to conceive an heir. The combination of his sterility, the expectation that he provide a child, and the emotional strain of losing his father leads him to attempt to take his own life.

• andrew
• suicide
• infertility
• sterility
• korean family pressure

Sophie approaches Jihah after witnessing him being turned away as a sperm donor at the clinic, learning he is an illegal alien whose donation was rejected. Desperate to conceive after Andrew's suicide attempt and hospitalization, and having been denied help from Dr. Hanson, Sophie offers Jihah $300 per session plus $30,000 if she becomes pregnant. Her desperation to save her husband and her marriage drives her to this extreme measure.

• sophie
• jihah
• proposition
• paid sex
• desperation
• infertility

Their arrangement begins as a purely transactional agreement, but gradually evolves into a genuine emotional connection. After their first intimate session, they begin exchanging personal stories and vulnerabilities. Jihah takes Sophie to his prayer spot in the park, and they develop real affection for each other despite the illegal and morally complicated nature of their situation.

• sophie
• jihah
• relationship
• emotional bond
• transaction to love

Sophie reveals that she had an abortion before they were married after Andrew expresses wanting to give up trying to conceive and mentions Dr. Hanson's new procedures. She uses this revelation as a counterargument, suggesting that since she was able to get pregnant before, they should continue trying rather than abandon hope. The revelation creates tension and distance between them.

• sophie
• andrew
• abortion
• revelation
• marriage tension

Jihah discovers Sophie and Andrew's address by searching through receipts at the dry cleaners where he works. He arrives at the party but pretends to have the wrong address, watching from a distance as the group prays together. His presence suggests he wants to see Sophie and perhaps understand the life she has with her husband, though he cannot openly acknowledge their connection.

• jihah
• party
• address
• surveillance
• emotional conflict

After Andrew discovers Sophie's affair by hearing her with Jihah through the door, he demands she abort the child as a condition for his forgiveness. He cannot accept raising a child that is not biologically his, especially given the betrayal of the affair. The request reflects his inability to move past the infidelity and his conflicted feelings about his own infertility.

• andrew
• abortion
• forgiveness
• infidelity
• infertility shame

Sophie adamantly refuses Andrew's demand to abort the baby because she has grown to love the child she is carrying, regardless of its biological father. By this point, she has developed genuine feelings for Jihah and views the pregnancy as something precious. She chooses to keep the baby despite knowing it will likely end her marriage, prioritizing her maternal bond over staying with Andrew.

• sophie
• abortion refusal
• motherhood
• personal choice
• love for child

Jihah is detained by police for his illegal residence in the United States and is told he will be deported the next morning. While being held, he requests to make a phone call. Sophie goes to his apartment and answers his ringing cellphone, suggesting she may try to help him or at least maintain contact. The deportation represents the tragic consequence of his illegal status and the end of his relationship with Sophie.

• jihah
• deportation
• police
• illegal alien
• separation

Jihah gives Sophie a key to his apartment shortly before his arrest, symbolizing his trust and deeper emotional commitment to her beyond their transactional arrangement. The key represents an invitation into his personal space and life, showing that their relationship has evolved from a paid agreement into something more intimate and meaningful despite the circumstances.

• jihah
• key
• apartment
• trust
• emotional commitment

The final scene shows Sophie several years later, visibly pregnant again and watching her young son play in the water while she knits. This bittersweet ending suggests she chose to keep the baby and eventually left her marriage to raise her children. The image represents both fulfillment through motherhood and a lingering sense of loss and unresolved guilt about the circumstances surrounding her first child's conception and the loss of Jihah.

• beach ending
• son
• pregnancy
• motherhood
• bittersweet
• closure

After discovering Sophie's affair and her refusal to abort the child, Andrew physically restrains Sophie and attempts to drag her upstairs. This violent outburst represents the breaking point of his emotional stability, combining his anger over the betrayal with the shame of his own infertility. His loss of control highlights the film's exploration of how infertility and betrayal can lead to destructive behavior.

Foreshadowing: Earlier foreshadowing includes Andrew's suicide attempt, showing his pattern of extreme responses to his perceived failures.

• andrew
• restraint
• violence
• anger
• infertility shame
• marriage breakdown

While Sophie is at church fainting during prayer, Jihah is shown buying flowers and browsing for jewelry. These purchases indicate his growing emotional investment in the situation and his developing feelings for Sophie. The gifts suggest he is beginning to see himself as a prospective father and wants to celebrate or acknowledge the pregnancy in a meaningful way, despite the illegal and transactional nature of their arrangement.

• jihah
• flowers
• jewelry
• pregnancy
• emotional investment
• fatherhood