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.

Cassandra leave him was if he

anymore, Rufus! Don't do this,

a way to break inside the car. However, they were in a deserted area and no one was even passing by. She started to

an idea came to her. She dialed Rufus's number and hoped that the ringing

didn't work. Rufus just lay

up! Please!

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 for a while now

keys to try to

started to show some cracks, but her hands were

hit the window through gritted teeth. When enough cracks had shown, she took a deep breath and landed

shivering. She reached inside the car and grabbed Rufus's body in an attempt to drag him out of

she was short and slim—she wasn't

trying anyway—this was an emergency after all. She gathered all her energy and soon, she was able

down on the road and started to resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast

continued doing this as she wished in her heart that Rufus would open his eyes to look at her. However,

through the tears that rolled down her cheeks and into her mouth; she fought through the bitter taste in her mouth; she fought through the exhaustion—but to no avail, Rufus

starting to lose hope. She was crying,

is all my fault, Rufus! I never should've said all those things to you, I'm so sorry! Open your eyes and look at me! I won't

in her heart that was filled with

the right thing. She'd been thinking over this break up

Rufus! Stay with me, I'm so

as she continued to

Rufus's chest heaved. Cassandra

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

kept sinking in a cold, dark place. Everything about him felt stuck and frozen as if he was dying.

couldn't see anything in the darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's voice! She was here and

all his might that he could open his eyes and hold her in his arms. He wanted to tell her, 'Cassandra, I'm yours

have the energy to do so as he couldn't feel

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 as their lips met, Rufus felt

Are you saving

the bitterness of the tears that ran in Cassandra's mouth. He couldn't help but feel

her eyes, reach out to touch her hair, and tell her that he loved her so much. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay. Hard

he sensed how scared Cassandra was.

scared? Don't be scared, darling. I'll protect you, I'm here, ' Rufus consoled

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