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.

he'd let Cassandra leave him was if he died.

this, Rufus! Wake

However, they were in a deserted

came to her. She dialed Rufus's number

didn't work. Rufus just lay there,

wake up! Please!

as she tried 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

to try

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

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

open from the inside—all the while, her hand was shivering. She

she was short and slim—she

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

tried pumping his chest

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

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 remained unmoving.

She was crying, scared

things to you, I'm so sorry! Open your eyes and look at me! I won't leave you

heart that

this would happen, she would never have attempted to break up with him. She thought she was doing the

with me, I'm

as she continued to breathe

heaved. Cassandra

and blow air into his mouth. She had more

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

anything in the darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's voice! She was here and she was calling his

all his might that he could open his eyes and hold her in his arms. He wanted to

do so as he

from 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 his cold ones;

saving me?' Rufus thought to

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

he loved her so much. He wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay. Hard as he tried, he just

heart beat quickened when he sensed how scared Cassandra was.

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

body more—he wanted to speak to her, feel her, and hold