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.

only way he'd let Cassandra leave him

Rufus! Don't do this, Rufus!

quickly made a call then continued to look for a way to break inside the car. However, they were in a deserted area and

to her. She dialed Rufus's number and hoped that the

just lay there,

wake up! Please!

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

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

show some cracks, but her hands were already red

took a deep breath and landed a

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

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

resuscitate him—she tried pumping his chest hard

heart that Rufus would open his eyes

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,

hope. She

fault, 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 leave you anymore, please don't leave me

that

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

Stay with

to

Rufus's chest heaved. Cassandra

air into his mouth. She had more hope now.

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

darkness but he could hear a familiar voice. Cassandra! It was Cassandra's

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

do so as

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

you saving me?' Rufus thought to

could also taste the bitterness of the tears that ran in Cassandra's mouth. He

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 just couldn't make himself move. He felt disconnected from his body as

quickened when he

you, I'm here, ' Rufus consoled Cassandra in his mind.

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