A Graduation Gift

Cassandra stood at the side of the road, holding the phone in her hand and dumbfounded. She didn't know what had just happened.

She heard something loud. Where could it have come from?

Suddenly, she had a good guess on what had happened so she turned around and ran back to the Garden Villa immediately.

The wind blew across her face as she breathed heavily and quickened her pace.

Her heart was beating rapidly and she could only see darkness but she held on to the one person who was keeping her going.

It was Rufus! Rufus!

Rufus could feel his body aching all over when the terrible car accident happened. But nothing could compare to the ache his heart was nursing.

"Cassandra..."

Rufus murmured the little woman's name. A glimpse of a familiar figure was suddenly running towards him.

Was it Cassandra? Or an illusion?

Rufus couldn't tell who the figure was because he couldn't even open his eyes. Before he knew it, he had already fainted.

Cassandra saw Rufus's Range Rover crash into a wall from a distance—the front of the car looked quite damaged.

Her chest tightened at what she'd seen; her heart began to beat so fast that she felt it would jump out of her chest anytime soon.

She ran and ran until she'd closed the distance between them.

When she arrived at the car, she saw Rufus slumping over the wheel. His legs were stuck inside the car and he looked terrible. It was hard to digest the entire scene.

Cassandra felt as if someone had grabbed her heart and crushed it—she couldn't breathe.

She tried to ram the door open but it was locked and she couldn't break it from the outside.

She then tried to smack the window hoping that Rufus would wake up to the noise but he didn't even flinch. He wasn't moving at all. Did he just faint or was he...dead already?

Cassandra was crying and shrieking, "Rufus, wake up! Don't leave me! Rufus!"

What Rufus had said before came true.

way he'd let Cassandra leave

you anymore, Rufus! Don't do this, Rufus! Wake up!' Cassandra shouted in

a call then continued to look for a way to break inside the car. However, they were in a deserted area and no one was

dialed Rufus's number

didn't work. Rufus just lay there,

Please!

as she tried futilely open the car. She was starting to get worried as Rufus had already stayed in an oxygen-deprived space for too long and his legs had been stuck

another idea—she used her keys to try to break the window open from the corners.

trying and trying. Eventually, the window started to show some cracks, but her hands were already

cracks had shown, she took a deep breath and landed a clenched

shivering. She reached inside the car

big while she was short and slim—she wasn't strong

stop Cassandra from trying anyway—this was an emergency after all. She gathered all her energy

down on the road and started to resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast with her hands, then blowing

Rufus would open his eyes to look at

fought through the

She

I never should've said all those things to you, I'm so sorry! Open your eyes and look at me! I

cried in her heart that was filled with

she only knew that this would happen, she would never have attempted to break up with him. She thought she was doing the right thing. She'd been thinking over this break up for

Stay with

continued to breathe life

chest heaved. Cassandra froze.

continued to pump his chest and blow air into his mouth. She had more hope

Everything about him felt stuck and frozen

see anything in the darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's voice! She was here and she was calling his name!

that he could open his eyes and hold her in his arms. He wanted to tell her, 'Cassandra, I'm yours and yours only. Don't you ever leave

to do so as he couldn't feel his body anymore.

out from where he was and someone started resuscitating him. Someone was pumping his chest and blowing air into his mouth. Rufus could tell that it was Cassandra's lips that had touched his cold ones; as soon

that you, Cassandra? Are you saving

He couldn't

wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay. Hard as he

he sensed

I'll protect you, I'm here, ' Rufus consoled Cassandra in his mind.

bawling only motivated him to push his body more—he wanted to speak to her, feel her, and