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!"

with a snarl. He refused to believe what he had just heard. What he believed were

soon as I get off work tomorrow onwards, okay?"

comforting Cassandra, to

impossible for us to be together. I mean it, Rufus. I really don't

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

shut, full of bitterness, and left Rufus standing outside. She refused to open it no matter how hard he

the door, Cassandra slowly sunk to the ground. She bit her hand to keep her sobs from escaping. She didn't want Rufus to hear.

the damn door!

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

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

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

what he just said only added more water

doubt. What she wanted was quite simple, but it was a simple thing

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

really do that, Rufus?' she

unknown lands. I can only feel my way into my world since it was

him, drawn by his

How could she have been so blind? Nonetheless, his constant profession of his love for her never

was just wishful thinking and naive of her to believe that.

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

would stare up at the empty white ceiling and sometimes looked at the distant night sky, sparsely

time, Rufus behaved like

explanation, but now she was tired of

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

fighting back

was talking sweetly to her, trying to soothe her weary heart. One neighbor popped

what in the world

never experienced such

felt his blood boiling; his

again to no avail. He

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

felt the door shake. He

to be

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

constant crying. She felt spent;

him a

by the

I'll let you rest. I'll see you