A Graduation Gift

With anger etched on Ivy's face, she passed Lionel a look that could only be described as distaste.

Ever since she got discharged from the hospital, she started sensing a strain in their relationship. As the days passed, Lionel was getting further and further away from her. At the beginning, she assumed Cassandra's departure would make her path clear. But things weren't as easy as she had hoped. Even after Cassandra left, Cassandra's memory haunted him.

Lionel would often come home in a drunken state. And while he was wasted, he would chant Cassandra's name. This made Ivy's blood boil in rage. By now, she had lost all her confidence and hope in this man. Yet she hadn't given up on her aspiration to become a part of the Tang family. In fact her greedy mind was trying to figure out a way to turn this dream into a reality. As she knew she wouldn't get much support from Lionel, she realized Jill was her last resort.

However, she couldn't stop fretting about it. She knew that Jill was Horace's wife and, as a consequence, had a prominent position in the house. In spite of this, her dubious mind reasoned that Jill wouldn't have much say in Lionel's marriage related matter. Moreover, things weren't so lucid. She realized she had a long way to go.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Ivy felt Lionel's tender touch on her neck. It gently moved up and stopped on her soft face. On a closer inspection, Ivy noticed a hazy look in his eyes.

"Why did you have to choose him? How could you do this to me?"

Lionel murmured to himself. His face depicted the rawest form of sadness.

it wasn't intended for her. 'Here comes his Cassandra melodrama, ' her mind screamed and

Ivy retorted back, "She chose him because he is better than you in every aspect. He is smart,

this conversation tomorrow. During such days, Ivy never thought twice before throwing him the most

that he had no feelings for her, anything that she said could be used against her. Hence

for no obvious reason because she knew that Lionel would still love her. But now she knew that shield of love had

one to rely on. All these years she had depended

you think I am a

to reason.

Cassandra left you and went after him. You

he came back to his senses. All these days she had bottled up a lot of emotions hence she took this opportunity to release her pent-up anger. Right now, she had no

meant. Inside his head, they were uttered by Cassandra rather than Ivy. 'Is Cassandra trying to test my patience?

sanity was lost, but he