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!"

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

soon as I get off work tomorrow

tried comforting Cassandra, to no

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

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

bitterness, and left Rufus standing outside. She refused to open it no matter

ground. She bit her hand to keep

the damn

giving a damn about his priceless Italian tailormade

to me! I'll do whatever

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

only added more water to her

doubt. What she wanted was quite simple,

more than a simple life, a man devoted and faithful to her, with whom she could celebrate life and love until their

really do that, Rufus?' she cried silently.

unknown lands. I can only feel my way

him, drawn by his magnetism and looks. He was so perfect, aside

identity had clearly foreshadowed the tragedy that was their romance. How could she have been so blind? Nonetheless, his constant profession of his

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

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

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

after time, Rufus behaved like it was

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

she would suffer less and shed fewer tears for the rest of

shut her eyes, fighting back the tears.

was talking sweetly to her, trying to soothe her weary heart. One neighbor popped his head out of the window and

the world is

had never experienced such desparation.

such chaos into his heart. He felt his blood boiling; his heart could beat out

door with all his might, again to no avail.

it

when Cassandra felt the door shake.

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

am so tired...I am so,

out by the constant crying. She felt spent; her

response relieved him

flipped by the little

I'll let you rest. I'll see