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

you as soon as I get off work tomorrow

tried comforting Cassandra, to

"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

tears glistened as they fell of her eyes. She then returned to her apartment.

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

the ground. She bit her hand to keep

the

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

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

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

what he just said only added more

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

devoted and faithful to her, with whom she could celebrate life and

that, Rufus?' she

different direction into unknown lands. I can only feel my

drawn by his magnetism and looks. He

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

that he was completely devoted to 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

was never bothered by her unfavorable circumstances of birth, nor by what others thought of her.

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 turned,

after time, Rufus behaved like it was nothing.

She waited for his explanation, but

thought she would suffer less and shed fewer tears

her eyes, fighting back the

soothe her weary heart. One neighbor popped his head out of the window and eyed the handsome man suspiciously.

what in the world is it that you

had never experienced such

into his heart. He felt his blood boiling;

with all his might, again

or not, I don't care. I'll bring it down

finished his words when Cassandra felt the door

be in too much

am so, so

the constant crying. She felt

relieved him a

by the little woman's

let you rest. I'll see you