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.

let Cassandra

leave you anymore, Rufus! Don't do this, Rufus! Wake up!'

inside the car. However, they were in a

Rufus's number and hoped

Rufus just

Please!

get worried as Rufus had already stayed in an oxygen-deprived space for too long and his legs had been

came up with another idea—she used her keys to try

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

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

window and swung the door open from the inside—all the while, her hand was shivering. She reached

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

her energy and

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

her heart that Rufus would open his eyes to look at her. However,

and into her mouth; she fought through the bitter taste in her mouth; she fought through

hope. She was crying, scared

sorry! Open

that was filled

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

Stay with me, I'm

bawled as she continued to breathe life

chest heaved. Cassandra froze.

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

him felt stuck and frozen as if he was

in the darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It

his might 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

energy to do so

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

you, Cassandra? Are you saving me?'

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

to gaze into 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

beat quickened when he sensed how scared

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

wanted to