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

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

car. However, they were in a deserted

She dialed Rufus's number

work. Rufus just lay there, unmoving.

wake up! Please!

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

with another idea—she used her keys to

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

cracks had shown, she took a deep breath and landed

hand was shivering. She reached inside the car and grabbed Rufus's body in an attempt to

big while she was short

from trying anyway—this was an emergency after all. She gathered all her energy and soon, she was able to drag him out of the car

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

she wished in her heart that Rufus would open his

fought 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

hope. She was crying, scared and desperate.

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

that was

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 quite awhile—now she just wished she'd thought it over one

Stay with me, I'm

as she continued to breathe life back into him.

chest heaved. Cassandra

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

about him felt stuck and frozen as if he was dying.

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

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

energy to do so

and blowing air into his mouth. Rufus could tell that

that you, Cassandra? Are you saving me?' Rufus

taste the bitterness of the tears that ran in Cassandra's mouth. He couldn't help but feel his heart ache at the thought of Cassandra

her that everything was going to be okay. Hard as he tried, he just couldn't make himself move. He felt disconnected

he sensed

scared, darling. I'll protect you, I'm here, ' Rufus

his body more—he wanted to speak to