A Graduation Gift

But Cassandra thought otherwise. For a man that only saw her as a childbearing body, marriage was nothing but a tool!

'This is ridiculous. I can not believe it but I am still in love with him at this moment! I'm such a cheap and worthless person...' she was mad at herself.

Having a child with Rufus was supposed to send happy thoughts through her head.

Still, it saddened her that her child, though could be materially satisfied by Rufus, wouldn't grow up in a whole family.

"Rufus, what is the problem? You gave your condition and I accepted it," Cassandra asked.

There was finally a smile on her face at this moment but it was not the kind that he expected. It pained him to see this kind of smile.

"Nothing bad, okay. We can observe it from now on," he replied.

Rufus wasn't sure of when he started to find it difficult to compose himself around Cassandra. When she implied that she was willing to sacrifice a year of her life just to get rid of him, rage started to burn inside him.

He was tired of being a gentleman. He reached over, clasped her waist and hoisted her up on the table.

Rufus noticed her tenseness. Suddenly he heaved a sigh and tightened his hug.

"Not today! Tomorrow, you will not go back to your apartment after work. I will arrange a driver to pick you up so you don't have to feel guilty for using the company vehicle for personal needs," he said.

Rufus knew how she thought. She did her best not to use the company vehicles for private purposes.

In regular times, Cassandra would refuse. But in today's situation, she had no say in the decision.

Rufus held her in his arms and put her into the tub before he turned on the warm water. He said nothing as he washed her.

Cassandra was worried that he would take advantage of her again but to her surprise, he just bathed her with great care and no trace of violence.

She wondered whether he had been stung by his guilty conscience and thought he might have regretted what he had done.

to Rufus but as soon as she

teased, "Don't take this

but a child. Rufus had lived with her for a long time, so he knew

Well, how much he

bed and covered with a quilt. She drifted into sleep right away, unbothered by hunger or

so exhausted.

bed, looking down at her sleeping

it was buried under the quilt, leaving her arched eyebrows and delicate nose

eyelashes fell on the dark circles under her eyes that

it pissed him off, for now

One year later she might have a chance to leave him but during the year, he would use other

off,

face, his eyes were alight with ease and joy as some

the laptop before her. Thinking about Jill's remarks from the night before

nourish your health. I think it wouldn't affect your health if you and Lionel plan to have another child now. You'd better have a child when you are young because a young woman recovers more quickly from childbearing than an elder woman

held her hands. Concern and sincerity emanated from her and Ivy just smiled and nodded,

she had lived with the Tangs for such a long time. Even Lionel had

by her schemes but this now wasn't what

become more and more distant from her. He didn't touch her despite the fact that they slept in

to be so obsessed with her body but now he was indifferent. This brought a sense of

something out or was suspected something mysterious about her

had not mentioned anything and treated her with respect in the presence of

not able to take his eyes off her. He looked at her with as

tried to keep it all inside as to not break the superficial harmony since she couldn't bear to think what would happen

chitchat pulled Ivy

exactly you can get pregnant. Aren't you preparing for

in the superstition! I only believe in science. Measuring body temperature daily and using the ovulation test

advice and are all pregnant now,"