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!"

what he had just heard. What he believed were her

get off work

comforting Cassandra,

as she closed her eyes, tears streaming down her 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

of her tears glistened as they

slammed the door shut, full of bitterness, and left Rufus standing outside. She refused to open

ground. She bit her hand to keep her sobs from escaping. She didn't

the damn

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

talk to me! I'll do

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

added

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

to her, with whom she could celebrate life and love until their death.

you really do that, Rufus?' she cried

I 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 dark, ' her thoughts recalled

his magnetism and looks. He 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

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

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

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

time after time, Rufus behaved like it

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

gone, she thought she would suffer less and

shut her eyes, fighting back the tears.

her weary heart. One neighbor popped his

what in the world is it that

never experienced such

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

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

not, I don't care. I'll bring it down if you don't open this damn

barely finished his words when Cassandra felt the

the hinge sounded to be in too much stress. Cassandra started

am so, so

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

response relieved him a little.

heart flipped by the little

let you rest. I'll see you