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!"

What he believed were her

get off work tomorrow onwards, okay?" Don't

comforting Cassandra, to

shook her head slowly as she closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks, "it's impossible for us to be together. I mean it, Rufus. I really don't love you anymore. I can't continue

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

She refused to open it no matter how hard he

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

the damn

desperately, not giving

talk to me! I'll do whatever you

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

added

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

man devoted and faithful to her, with whom she

do that, Rufus?' she cried silently.

can only

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

identity had clearly 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

devoted to her and only her, but it was just wishful thinking and naive of her to believe that. She had been so confident, but now it had all

what others thought of her. But

again, by simple calls and messages, 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

time, Rufus behaved like

She waited for his explanation, but now she was tired of

she thought she would suffer less and shed fewer tears for

eyes, fighting

sweetly to her, trying to soothe her weary heart. One neighbor popped his head out of the window and eyed the handsome

the world is

had never experienced

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

the door with all his might, again

I don't care. I'll bring it down if you don't open

finished his words when Cassandra felt the door shake. He apparently

hinge sounded to be in too

am so tired...I am so, so

by the constant crying. She

relieved him a

by the

I'll let you rest. I'll see