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!"

hissed with a snarl. He refused to believe what he had just heard. What he believed were her bitter tears, which betrayed

as I get off work tomorrow onwards,

tried comforting Cassandra, to no avail.

I mean it, Rufus. I

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

standing outside. She

hand to keep

the damn

the door desperately, not giving

talk to me! I'll do whatever you

He ached to hold her in his arms, to reassure her that everything

he just said only added more water to her

he really do that? Give me whatever I want?' she thought to herself, full of doubt. What she wanted was quite simple, but it was

to her, with

that, Rufus?'

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

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

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 disarm her and

completely 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 disappeared in the face of Amanda.

by her unfavorable circumstances of birth, nor by what others thought of her. But in Rufus's heart, Amanda had

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 and turned,

time after time, Rufus behaved like it was

waited for his explanation, but now she was tired of it.

less and shed

eyes, fighting back the tears.

neighbor popped his

the world is it

never experienced

woman could bring such chaos into his heart. He felt his blood boiling; his heart

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

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

finished his words when Cassandra felt the

to be in too much stress. Cassandra

am so, so tired. I want to

been worn out by the constant crying. She felt spent; her tears had run

relieved him a

by the

rest. I'll see you