A Graduation Gift

After reaching the hospital, Lionel rushed into the emergency room with Cassandra in his arms.

"Hospitalize her!" he ordered, gave a wad of money and hurried away.

As quickly as he had come, his footsteps receded into the night, leaving the doctor bewildered at his abrupt manner.

Cassandra willed her eyes to open and looked at the doctor on duty, with a bitter smile on her lips.

"Doctor, I think I have a fever," said Cassandra weakly.

Then she lost consciousness and fell backwards.

Luckily, a pair of powerful arms caught her.

'Well, the doctor is quick in movement. He's really a nice and thoughtful man, '

thought Cassandra the second she fell into a coma.

The doctor stared at the second man who suddenly appeared in the emergency room. He suspected this second man must have come here in hot pursuit of the unruly character who had just left. By their manner of handling the unconscious lady, it was obvious there was bad blood between the two.

Rufus's face darkened with anger. Urgently, he ordered the third guy who accompanied him and was standing by his side, "Victor, keep a close watch on him. Find out what he's up to."

Quietly, Victor nodded and left, pensively touching his nose with a finger. By the hasty way in which Rufus followed Lionel, he knew Rufus really cared about Cassandra.

Rufus was right. Lionel didn't intend to take Cassandra to the doctor. It was just his excuse.

From the parking lot Lionel stepped on the gas and drove like a maniac straight to Ivy's home, burning with anxiety.

A puffy eyed Ivy came to open the door. When she saw Lionel, she threw herself directly into his arms.

"Here you are at last," she greeted, her anxiety echoing on every syllable.

A beautiful, strong woman most of the time, Ivy was now clumsy and irritable. She wore little make-up and was terribly upset. It distressed Lionel.

Helping her to sit on the sofa and wiping away her tears, Lionel held Ivy in his arms and comforted, "Take it easy. I'm here with you."

sobbed all the more, her shoulders twitching and her

I want to keep this

"No, you can't keep this baby. I'm

a moment a menacing look flashed across Ivy's face. But soon, realizing how futile it was trying to argue

in a solemn tone now. "You see, after the last car accident, the doctor said my uterus sustained pretty bad injuries. It would be virtually impossible to conceive. But look, here I am, pregnant, beyond a shadow of a doubt. That to

was brought back to reality. His usually impertinent

the words she said to him in the ward and the way she reassured him in tears were unforgettable.

a critical moment in his wrangles with Rufus. He needed to put things

she once again burst into tears, and bitterly pleaded in a low voice, "Lionel, I'm not asking

compulsive behavior. She knew all about his philandering and had learned not to give a hoot about his other women. Even if he couldn't wise up and stop wasting time and money on every skirt he saw, Ivy wouldn't care. And for her patience

knew that for a fact and it gave

condoms all the time, but she had secretly poked holes in the

she had been planning for all those years

pan out well. It cut his heart that she stubbornly insisted

give birth to this baby. I'll

the initial shock, she said with a bitter smile, "Lionel, I finally know you have been lying to me with all these fake promises. In

hands resting gently on her tummy, her voice calm.

my baby and I don't care whatever evil thoughts you have for your way

of their love nest struck

Ivy suddenly smiled at him. A charming,

to hurt my baby, that

the time they had been together. He remembered his first meeting with Ivy. The girl had a unique apple

he was taken by her beauty and the simple way she carried herself. She was unpretentious, and charming in her own special way. And as they began dating, she became the sun

knew it, he had fallen head over heels in love with her. Among his many mistresses, Lionel knew she was the

he failed to fulfill his promise to marry her. Under the arrangement of his family, he married Cassandra, and

Ivy's face after he told her that he was going to marry Cassandra was still etched on his memory. In anger she had wriggled free from his

snatched out of the jaws of death, she had never been the same again. She

satisfaction could not fill

wound. Lionel went even further than that. Quietly, he snubbed Cassandra and never

you know I love you. I always

decision on the pregnancy was a ball in her court. He couldn't force her

have waited for