A Graduation Gift

Cassandra had never paid attention to the sound of the wind so carefully before.

She hated the wind and the rain. She liked the sun. But tonight, she listened to the gush of the wind all night long.

It was still winter. The wind last night was still chilly. It blew through the trees and caused the leaves to rustle.

The wind sounded so sad as if it was worried that it would be soon be replaced by the warmth someday.

She kept calling Rufus. But she failed to get through. The automatic voice informing her of all the failed call depressed Cassandra. It was the cold voice of the machine, bereft of emotion, that affected her deeply.

Cassandra remembered what Rufus had once said to her.

"Let me be the one to turn to no matter what happens later, okay?"

Yes, and here she was, calling him again and again, to do exactly that. However, he was nowhere to be seen.

Finally, daylight came. Cassandra heard the bustle of the servants beginning their preparations for the day. She forced herself to bathe and get ready to go to work. However, the moment she opened the door, she saw Jill advancing towards her.

Before Cassandra could greet her, Jill had already raised her hand and slapped her in the face with full strength.

"You bitch! Ivy's baby is gone! Are you happy now?"

Jill shouted the words as she shivered with rage. Tears rolled down her cheeks quickly.

"It's my first grandchild! How did you have the heart to do such a thing!?"

Cassandra had not recovered from the impact of the slap even though she could not feel the pain on her face anymore.

'How is that possible? Ivy's baby is gone? It is a thirty-week old baby! And it is growing bigger and bigger!"

Cassandra felt like she was in the most unimaginably horrid nightmare. How she wished everything could've return to peace when she woke up from the nightmare.

She closed her eyes and then opened them again. Jill was still standing right before her, crying hysterically. Horace stood not far away with his hands behind his back, restraining his emotions.

There was no expression on his face. But people could feel his anger simmer within.

Even though Ivy was not his official daughter-in-law, she had been living with the Tang family whilst pregnant. She was well-mannered and Jill favored her a lot. Horace, himself, bore no ill will towards her. Shockingly, she had a conflict with Cassandra just before her due date.

is ready. Let's go to the hospital to

not acknowledge Cassandra. He spoke directly to Jill and led her away. Casandra could hear the soft sobs of Jill

downstairs in a daze, her mind blank. Once downstairs, she noticed the servants scrutinizing her. They didn't greet her as warmly as

now that in their

concentrate on work the whole day. She asked about Rufus in a casual manner and learned that he

her wit's end. His sudden, uninformed, absence had

managing to complete her work for the day, she deliberated for long and left for

been taken to Jenks's hospital. Upon reaching, Cassandra asked the nurse about Ivy and finally located the room. It was a VIP room on the top floor.

hear the unclear whispers and the

a long time. Finally, she gathered the courage and knocked on the door, holding a bouquet of flower in

Lionel stood

blazed when he saw Cassandra. His rage raised

off! I don't want to see your

door, but Cassandra reached out to stop

for Ivy...the flowers. Please give

beyond mercy. He seized the bouquet from her hand and threw it on

brings you here? Why have you come? Get the hell out

door slammed shut with

a while before they started whispering. They peeped and pointed at Cassandra while

lowered her head and smiled bitterly at

around and walked back inside. Ivy knew that it was Cassandra.

she regained consciousness. She delivered the dead baby with

was now lying weakly in bed. Earlier if she had been spurned, she would chart a savage course for revenge. However, the loss of baby had greatly affected her. She was

and wilful Ivy. This peaceful and quiet woman made him anxious.

no longer be my wife. I'll

Cassandra. He had hoped to be favored by Horace once the child was born. Now his hope was gone with the baby. Holding onto the wife just wasn't something he cared

eyes sparkled with joy. She lowered her head to hide her joy so that Lionel would not notice it.

design and selling it to another designer. The

stole her position in the Tangs but also

the stage as the representative of Tang Group. Cassandra was in good spirits while her brother was going

in her belly had started kicking her. She even lost

out of the Tang family when she had a chance. However, Cassandra's proposal to divorce Lionel was denied by Horace even as the date

to grab