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 had just heard. What he believed were her bitter tears, which betrayed her true

you as soon as I get

tried comforting Cassandra,

Cassandra 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.

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

and left Rufus standing outside. She

to the ground. She bit her hand to keep her sobs

Open the damn

desperately, not giving a

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

He ached to hold her in

said only added more

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

man devoted and faithful to her, with whom she could celebrate life and love until their

really do that,

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

his magnetism and

she have been so blind? Nonetheless, his constant profession of his

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

by her unfavorable circumstances of birth, nor by what others thought of her.

lonely nights, Cassandra would stare up at the empty white ceiling and sometimes looked at the distant

behaved like it was

waited and waited. She waited for his explanation, but now she was tired

less and shed fewer

shut her eyes, fighting back the tears.

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

world is it that

had never experienced such desparation.

his heart. He felt his blood

again to no avail.

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

finished his words when Cassandra felt the door

the next few seconds, the hinge sounded to be

am so, so tired. I want

by the constant crying. She felt spent; her

relieved him

the little woman's weary

rest. I'll