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!"

just heard. What he believed were her bitter tears, which betrayed her true feelings—she was still deeply in love with him.

be here for you as soon as I get off work tomorrow

tried comforting Cassandra, to no avail.

cheeks, "it's impossible for us 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

turned around, some of her tears glistened as they fell of her eyes. She then returned to

standing outside. She refused to open it no matter how hard he banged on the

sunk to the ground. She bit her hand to keep her sobs from escaping. She didn't want Rufus to

Open the

not giving a damn about

you, please talk to me! I'll

He ached to hold

he just said only added more water to

to herself, full of doubt. What she wanted was quite simple, but it was a simple

and faithful to her, with

can you really do that, Rufus?' she

since I met you, my life began to take a different direction into unknown lands. I can

absolutely enthralled by him, drawn by his magnetism and

blind? Nonetheless, his constant profession of his love for her never failed to

just wishful thinking and naive of her to

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

simple calls and messages, Amanda would take Rufus away from her. Countless lonely nights, Cassandra would stare up at the empty white ceiling and sometimes looked

time after time, Rufus behaved like it was nothing.

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

she thought she would suffer less and shed fewer tears

fighting

her, trying to soothe her weary heart. One neighbor popped his head out

the world is it that you

had never experienced such

He felt his blood boiling; his heart

again

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

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

few seconds, the hinge sounded to be in too much stress. Cassandra

so tired...I am so, so

constant crying. She felt spent;

him

the little woman's weary

I'll let you rest.