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!"

believed were her bitter tears, which betrayed her

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

tried comforting Cassandra,

I mean it, Rufus.

took a step back and turned around, some of her tears glistened as they fell of her eyes. She then returned to

slammed the door shut, full of bitterness, and left Rufus standing outside. She refused to open it no matter

slowly sunk to the ground. She bit her hand to keep her

Open the damn door!

giving

please talk to me!

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

added

herself, full of doubt. What she wanted was

to her, with whom she could celebrate life

that, Rufus?' she cried silently.

different direction into unknown lands. I can only feel

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 eventually, succumb to

was completely devoted to her and only her, but it was just wishful thinking and naive of her to believe that. She

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

lonely nights, Cassandra would stare up at the empty white ceiling and sometimes looked at the distant night sky, sparsely populated by

after time, Rufus behaved like

waited. She waited for his explanation, but now she

less and

shut her eyes, fighting back

to soothe her weary heart. One neighbor popped his

what in the world is it that

experienced such

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

door with all his might, again

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

felt the door shake. He

the next few seconds, the hinge sounded to be in too much

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

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

response relieved him a

by the little woman's weary tone.

you rest. I'll see you