A Graduation Gift

"You have no right to say no. As the daughter of Qin family, you should be thinking about how to serve the family well. This marriage is a step forward for all of us. Whether you want to marry or not is not up to you!"

"Stop being selfish! Marrying into the Tang family is not a sacrifice."

"You must marry!"

"Cassandra, I'm so sorry. Forgive me, but I have no choice..."

Cassandra shot up from her bed, her body covered in damp sweat. The nightmares had come back - old, painful, memories that held the burn of words. She thought she could feel her mother's wet tears and hear the haunting voice of her apology echo in the room and reach her. She took deep breaths, trying to steady her breathing. Lying back down on her bed, she wrapped the quilt around her, as if it gathered her own sufferings as well.

Prompted by her earlier remembrances and unable to sleep, she let herself surrender to memories from farther back. Four years ago, it was supposed to be a time of hope. She was a senior high school student who was about to graduate. The future ahead of her was painted in bright warm colors. However, life isn't always what one likes, is it? That year, the Qin family suffered huge business failures. It was teetering at the edge of closing down when projects failed, one after another.

Soon, their business partners had terminated agreements, and the banks refused to grant them loans. The company was close to biting the dust, and it was as if the world was taking her future away piece by piece. It was at this time of crisis that the Tang family appeared like a last thread of hope, offering a helping hand to the Qin family.

But of course, it came with a price - her hand in marriage to the Tang family's son. In retrospect, the Tang family did not simply extend their hand as an act of graciousness. The two families had been intertwined in complicated relationships. To put it simply, the fall of the Qin family would have adverse, albeit indirect, damage to the Tang family's interests, so they could not just watch as they fell down and in turn pull them a few steps down as well. In the end, they figured out that marriage would be a simple way to deal with their complex positions.

as other families sometimes did to gain a more favorable position. Finding no other alternatives, the Qin family grasped tightly at what seemed to be their last thread

a strategic marriage with a man she

of her freedom. She was determined to live her own life, but she could do nothing else when her weeping mother knelt in front of her and pleaded for her to agree. The image of her mother's tear-streaked face and trembling voice were still haunting her to this day.

best, she thought that

came. It was small and simple. Horace's original plan was to have a grand wedding, as was the tradition of their family, and of

boat as her - he was also forced into a marriage with a stranger for the

room open and staggered inside, grabbing Cassandra by her wedding dress and staring down at her. His eyes

happy by marrying into my family?" He choked on a bitter, drunken laugh as he continued, "I will never touch you. I promise you, you will have a miserable life. You may be my wife on paper, but you'll never get

She could almost feel the venom in his words, but a part of her also understood why he was acting this way. The marriage cost him his happiness, and he was now bound to her instead of the woman he loved. She could feel his anguish from his fingertips as he gripped her arm, ignoring that she was also a victim

burned him. Then, he slumped on the couch

She too, was a victim. Cassandra recalled his earlier words: "You think you won?" She

to the tears she was keeping at bay. She wrapped the quilt tighter around her, letting out all the bitterness she harbored for years. She tried to think of the brighter times to cast light into the gloom

her life. She basked in the freedom of the present, pursuing her dreams and carving off her pain. It was as if the towering basilicas and the stained glass windows breathed new life into her, filling

the life she left behind there. After her graduation,