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 him was if

won't leave you anymore, Rufus! Don't do this, Rufus! Wake up!' Cassandra shouted in

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 by. She started to get

Rufus's number and hoped that the

didn't work. Rufus just lay

wake up! Please!

get worried as Rufus had already stayed in an oxygen-deprived space for

to try to break the

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

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

the window and swung the door open from the inside—all the while, her hand was shivering. She reached inside the car and grabbed Rufus's body in an attempt

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

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

him—she tried pumping his chest hard and fast with her hands, then blowing air

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

fought through the bitter taste in

to lose hope. She was crying,

never should've said all those things to you, I'm so sorry! Open your eyes and look at me!

her heart that

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 more time.

with me,

bawled as she continued to breathe life back

chest heaved.

continued to pump his chest and blow air into his

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

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

his arms. He wanted to tell her, 'Cassandra, I'm yours and

do so as he couldn't feel his body anymore.

and blowing air into his mouth. Rufus

Cassandra? Are you saving me?' Rufus thought

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

everything was going to be okay.

he sensed how scared Cassandra

I'll protect you, I'm here, ' Rufus

body more—he wanted to speak to