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!"

a snarl. He refused to believe what he had just heard. What he believed were her bitter tears, which betrayed her true feelings—she was still deeply in love

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

tried comforting Cassandra, to no

her cheeks, "it's impossible for us to be together. I mean it, Rufus. I really don't love you anymore. I can't

of her tears glistened as they fell of

full of bitterness, and left Rufus standing outside. She refused to

her hand to keep

Open the

kicked and banged the door desperately, not giving a damn about his priceless Italian tailormade shoes.

please talk to me! I'll do whatever you

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

added more water to

Give me whatever I want?' she thought to herself, full of doubt. What she wanted was quite simple, but it was a simple thing that he could never give

faithful to her,

can you really do that, Rufus?' she

life began to take a different direction into unknown lands. I can

him, drawn by his magnetism and looks. He was so perfect,

so blind? Nonetheless, his constant profession of his love

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

by what others thought of her. But in Rufus's heart, Amanda had been gradually tipping the scales in her favor.

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

after time, Rufus behaved like it was nothing.

waited for his explanation, but now she was tired

him gone, she thought she would suffer less and shed fewer tears for the rest of

shut her eyes, fighting back the tears.

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

the world

had never experienced

bring such chaos into his heart. He felt his blood boiling; his heart could beat out of

might, again

care. I'll bring it down if you

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

hinge sounded to be in too much stress. Cassandra

so tired...I am so, so tired. I

constant crying. She felt spent; her tears

relieved him a little.

heart flipped by the

you rest. I'll see