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!"

to believe what he had just heard. What he believed were her bitter tears, which betrayed her true feelings—she was still

get off

comforting Cassandra,

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

and turned around, some of her tears glistened as they fell of

left Rufus standing outside. She refused to

door, Cassandra slowly sunk to the ground. She bit her hand to

Open the damn door!

not giving a

I'm begging you, please talk to me! I'll

of her weeping filled Rufus with dread. He ached to hold her in

just said only added more water to her

full of doubt. What she wanted was quite simple, but it was a simple thing that he

wanted nothing more than a simple life, a man devoted and faithful to her, with whom she could celebrate life

really do that, Rufus?' she cried

life began to take a different direction into unknown lands. I can only feel my way

she was absolutely enthralled by him, drawn by his magnetism and looks. He was so perfect, aside from his

foreshadowed the tragedy that was their romance. How could she have been so blind? Nonetheless, his constant profession of his love for her never failed to

and naive of her to believe that. She had been so confident, but now it had all disappeared in the

what others thought of her. But in Rufus's

at the empty white ceiling and sometimes looked at the distant night sky, sparsely populated by stars. She twisted and turned, haunted

behaved like it was nothing.

waited. She waited for his explanation,

would suffer less and shed fewer tears for the rest of her life.

her eyes, fighting back the

trying to soothe her weary heart. One neighbor popped his head out of the window

world is it

had never experienced such desparation.

his heart. He felt his blood boiling;

the door with all his might, again to no avail. He only bruised his hands.

I'll bring it down if you don't open this

his words when Cassandra felt the door shake. He apparently charged at it.

seconds, the hinge sounded to be in too much stress. Cassandra

so tired...I am so, so tired. I want to

constant crying. She felt

relieved him a

heart flipped by the little woman's weary

let you rest. I'll see