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."

of his arms, Ivy sobbed all the more,

I want to keep this baby,"

you can't keep this baby. I'm not

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

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. I'm more than willing to take a risk and carry the pregnancy to term," she paused and wiped a tear from her eyes. "Please,

brought back to reality. His

said to him in the ward and the way she reassured

he was at a critical moment in his wrangles

Using that to her advantage, she once again burst into tears, and bitterly pleaded in a low voice, "Lionel, I'm not asking for

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

knew that for a fact and it gave

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

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

to see her plot pan out well. It cut his heart that she stubbornly insisted on having the

respect for your feelings. In any case, you can't give birth to this baby. I'll take you to the hospital for an

she recovered from the initial shock, she said with a bitter smile, "Lionel, I finally know you have been lying

wiped her tears and stood up, her hands resting

your way of life. I'm not terminating the pregnancy, come what may.

in the living room of their love nest struck timely, loud

at him. A

for you, Lionel. If ever you try to hurt my baby, that will be the end of you

he pondered over her words, Lionel's mind ran through all the time they had been together. He remembered his first

charming in her own special way. And as they began dating, she became the sun that would always brighten up

knew it, he had fallen head over heels in love with her.

her. Under the arrangement of his family, he

anger she had wriggled free from his arms and

the jaws of death, she had never been the

had decided to buy her the villa. However, material satisfaction could not fill the gap between them. Lionel's

wound in her 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 still

I always thought

on the pregnancy was a ball in her court. He couldn't force her to have an abortion unless she agreed to.

me, so I have waited for all these years. But what do I get in