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.

only way he'd let Cassandra leave him

Don't do this, Rufus! Wake up!' Cassandra

quickly made 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 even passing

Rufus's number and hoped that the ringing would wake

work. Rufus just lay there, unmoving.

Please!

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

her keys to try to break the window

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

took a deep breath

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

short

all her energy and soon, she was able to drag him out of the car

and started to resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast with her

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

she fought through the bitter taste in her mouth; she fought through the exhaustion—but to no avail, Rufus remained

lose hope. She

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

heart that

him. She thought she was doing the right thing. She'd been thinking over this break up for

Rufus! Stay with me, I'm

to breathe life

chest heaved. Cassandra froze.

his chest and blow air into his mouth. She

Everything about him felt

voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's voice!

he could open his eyes and hold her in his arms. He wanted to tell her,

didn't have the energy to do so

into his mouth. Rufus could tell that it was Cassandra's lips that had touched his cold ones; as

saving me?' Rufus thought

Cassandra's mouth. He couldn't help but feel his heart ache

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 as he tried,

quickened when he

be scared, darling. I'll protect you, I'm here, ' Rufus consoled Cassandra in his

motivated him to push his body more—he wanted to speak