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."

his arms, Ivy sobbed all

I want to

Lionel flatly refused without a second thought, "No, you can't keep this baby. I'm not ready for a baby

was trying to argue with him, she dropped her

have a good reason for my desire, and maybe, you'll understand," she began, 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 me is a miracle which gives me joy that words cannot express.

brought back to reality. His usually impertinent face clouded with regret

falling in front of the car, the words she said to him in

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

emotions like a shot, Ivy realized her words aroused him to deep-seated feelings. Using that to her advantage, she once again burst into tears, and bitterly pleaded in a

known each other for seven years, and all along, she turned a blind eye to his wild, 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 putting up with his womanizing, he

knew that for a fact and it gave her boldness to take him

condoms all the time, but she had

planning for all those years go up in smoke, so she had to make a

Lionel comforting her so tenderly, she enjoyed to see her plot pan out well.

long last he exploded, "Ivy, don't push me! I've shown due respect for your feelings. In any case, you can't give birth to this

been lying to me with all these fake promises. In the end, you are giving up your

stood up, her hands resting gently on her tummy, her voice

and I don't care whatever evil thoughts you have for your way of life. I'm not terminating the

their love nest struck timely, loud and clear.

smiled at him.

If ever you try to hurt my baby, that will

over her words, Lionel's mind ran through all the time they had been together. He remembered his first meeting with Ivy. The girl

carried herself. She was unpretentious, and charming in

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

to fulfill his promise to marry her. Under the arrangement of his family, he married Cassandra, and broke Ivy's heart.

told her that he was going to marry Cassandra was still etched on his memory. In anger she had wriggled free

death, she had never been the same again. She turned into a completely different person,

However, material satisfaction could not fill the gap between them. Lionel's marriage

heart became his wound. Lionel went even further than that. Quietly, he snubbed Cassandra and never touched her. But as long as they didn't dissolve the marriage, Ivy

you. I always thought you knew

a ball

know your feelings for me, so I have waited for all these years. But what do I get