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 him was if

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

a way to break inside the car. However, they were in a deserted area and

came to her. She dialed Rufus's number

just lay there,

Please! You're

through tears as she tried futilely open the car. She was starting to get worried as Rufus had already stayed in an

used her keys to try

and trying. Eventually, the window started to show some cracks,

took a deep breath and

shivering. She reached inside the

while she was short and slim—she wasn't

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

resuscitate him—she tried pumping his

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

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

was starting to lose hope. She was crying, scared and

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

heart that was filled

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

Rufus! Stay with me, I'm

as she continued to breathe life back into him.

chest heaved. Cassandra

air into his mouth. She had more

in a cold, dark place. Everything about him felt stuck and frozen as if

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

open his eyes and hold her in his arms. He wanted

the energy to do so as he couldn't feel his body

into his mouth. Rufus

Cassandra? Are you saving me?' Rufus

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

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, he

he sensed

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

body more—he wanted to speak