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!"

refused to believe what he had just heard. What he believed were her bitter tears, which betrayed her

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

tried comforting Cassandra,

to be together. I mean it, Rufus. I really don't love you anymore. I can't continue to love you. I can't afford it anymore, so I

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

and left Rufus standing outside. She refused to open it

She bit her hand to keep her sobs from escaping. She

Open the damn door!

the door desperately, not giving a damn about his priceless

to me! I'll

filled Rufus with dread. He ached to hold her in his arms, to reassure her that everything would

what he just said only added more water to her tears.

really do that? Give me whatever I want?' she thought to herself, full of doubt. What she

life, a man devoted and faithful to

really do that, Rufus?'

met you, my life began to take a different direction into unknown lands. I can only feel my way into my world since it was so

married Lionel, she was absolutely enthralled by him, drawn by his magnetism and looks.

How could she have been so blind? Nonetheless, his constant profession of his love for

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

thought of her.

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.

behaved like it was nothing.

explanation, but

less and shed

shut her eyes, fighting back the

heart. One neighbor

world

had never experienced such desparation.

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

again to no avail. He

I'll bring it down if

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

the hinge sounded to be in too

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

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

him a little.

the

rest.