A Graduation Gift

'Tastes good? Must've been Amanda who said it.

Amanda bought this bread for him, but he turned around and gave it to me? It's ridiculous how he thinks I know nothing about this.

Rufus, you must be wallowing in satisfaction right now as two women pine for you at the same time.

What exactly am I to you?' she thought to herself.

Her trust in him was already at the brink of collapse, but because of this, it had fallen rock bottom. 'Is there any good reason, any reason at all to stay in a relationship with a man who uses what his other lover gave him to flatter me?' she wondered, apparently in a daze.

"Rufus, we're bearking up!"

Cassandra wrestled with herself before blurting it out, hear tears like torrents streaming down her cheeks.

"What's wrong with you, again?"

Rufus's smile was gone like the wind and was replaced with a look of concern when he saw her tears. A wave of panic engulfed him.

'Why is she crying? Is it because of my tardy return?

But no matter how upset she is, she has no right to break up with me because of that small slight, ' he thought and got kind of crossed.

"I remember saying that to you before, are you just using that to get back at me?"

Rufus asked, knitting his eyebrows and studying her expression, grasping for some sort of clue that would give away her true intentions.

Cassandra only shook her head, unable to say anything.

"Tell me what happened, Cassandra. Please, please talk to me,"

Rufus pleaded. He took Cassandra's arm and held it tightly. She was wracked with sobs.

His stomach did a one-eighty. He was so physically close to her, yet their hearts and feelings were so far away from each other.

He silently wished that she would stop being so stubborn and be gentle like other women. He just couldn't bear seeing her in tears.

"I don't love you anymore. We're done,"

Cassandra cried out desperately and in one swift motion, pulled her arm out of Rufus's grip.

Once upon a time she had always imagined that she would live a happy and peaceful family life with Rufus.

But the recent events had only reminded her that she was never good enough for him. They weren't fated to be with each other.

"No!"

he believed were her bitter tears, which betrayed her true feelings—she was still deeply

soon as I get off work tomorrow onwards, okay?" Don't say things like

tried comforting Cassandra, to no

to be together. I mean it, Rufus. I really don't love you anymore. I can't

tears glistened as they fell of her eyes. She then returned to her

standing outside. She refused to open

the door, Cassandra slowly sunk to the ground. She bit her hand to keep her sobs from escaping. She didn't want

Open the damn

kicked and banged the door desperately, not giving a damn about

I'm begging you, please talk to

filled Rufus with dread. He ached to hold her in his arms, to reassure her that everything would be okay.

what he just said only added

she thought to herself, full of doubt. What she wanted was quite simple, but it

wanted nothing more than a simple life, a man devoted and faithful to her,

really do that, Rufus?'

met you, my life began to take a different direction into unknown lands. I can only feel my way into my world since it was so dark, ' her thoughts recalled

by his magnetism and looks. He was so perfect, aside from

so blind? Nonetheless, his constant profession of his love for her never failed

was completely devoted to her and only her, but it was just wishful thinking and naive of her to

of birth, nor by what others thought of her. But in Rufus's

Amanda would take Rufus away from her. Countless lonely nights, Cassandra would stare up at the empty white ceiling and sometimes looked at the distant night sky, sparsely populated by stars. She twisted

time, Rufus behaved like it was nothing.

She waited for his explanation, but now

gone, she thought she would suffer less and shed fewer tears for

eyes, fighting back

One neighbor popped his head out

world is it that

had never experienced

felt his blood boiling; his heart could beat out of his chest.

might, again to

it

barely finished his words when Cassandra felt the door

the next few seconds, the hinge sounded to be in too much stress. Cassandra started to get flustered.

so,

constant crying. She felt spent;

response relieved him a

heart flipped by the little woman's weary

I'll let you rest.