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

what should I do? I want to keep this baby," she wept.

flatly refused without a second thought, "No, you can't keep

futile it was trying to argue with him, she dropped her demand. 'It would be better to play

my way, Lionel. I 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. I'm more than willing to take a risk and carry the pregnancy to term," she paused and

reality. His usually

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

his wrangles

advantage, she once again burst into tears, and bitterly pleaded in a low voice, "Lionel, I'm not asking for much. All that I want is for

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

for a fact and it gave her boldness to take

condoms all the time, but she

for all those years go up in smoke,

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

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 baby. I'll take

finally know you have been lying to

and stood up, her hands resting gently on her

you have for your way of life. I'm not terminating the

the living room of their love nest struck timely, loud

at him. A

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

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

way she carried herself. She was unpretentious, and charming in her own special way. And as they began dating, she became the sun that

heels in love with her. Among his

her. Under the arrangement of his family, he married Cassandra,

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 arms and ran out of the door, into the busy traffic, absentmindedly ramming into

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

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

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 couldn't get rid of her

you. I always

pregnancy was a ball in her

for all these years. But what do