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

this, Rufus! Wake up!' Cassandra shouted

car. However, they were

Rufus's number

Rufus just lay there,

up! Please!

the car. She was starting to get worried as Rufus had already stayed in an oxygen-deprived space for too long and

came up with another idea—she used her keys to try to break the window

window started to show

she took a deep breath and landed a clenched fist

hand inside 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 to drag

was short and slim—she

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

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

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

her cheeks and into her mouth; she fought through the bitter taste in her mouth;

starting to lose hope. She was crying, scared

those things to you, I'm so sorry! Open your eyes

her heart that

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

with

as she continued to breathe

Rufus's chest heaved. Cassandra froze.

chest and blow air into his mouth. She

kept sinking 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

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

so as he couldn't feel his

chest and blowing air into his mouth. Rufus could tell that it was

Are you saving me?'

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 crying endlessly.

out 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

heart beat quickened when he sensed how scared Cassandra

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

wanted to speak to