A Graduation Gift

Cassandra's heart ached as she listened to her mother weep over the phone. She suddenly forgot all about her nagging from a while ago and spoke with utmost care, "Mom, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't worry you. I promise you, all the gossip and news about my affair will be gone within a year. I won't continue with Rufus in such a state for long."

She thought of the agreement she had made with Rufus, according to which after giving birth to his baby, she would be set free.

For the rest of her life, she could be with her own family. She could live a simple life, like she had always wanted, and never fool herself in the name of love again.

"What? Are you planning to marry him? Can Rufus marry you under Tang family's pressure?"

Edith's skeptical tone was enough to convey she had misinterpreted Cassandra's words.

Cassandra didn't know how she would explain the situation to her. Although Rufus was Horace's son, he wasn't going to heed in any kinds of arrangements Horace made for him, unlike Lionel—who was incapable of making his own choices and a total coward. Rufus had always been firm about wanting to marry her. It was she who didn't want it.

"Mom, just stop asking. All I can tell you is I have a plan. I'll make sure everything settles soon. Don't worry."

Hearing Cassandra give a vague reply, Edith started nagging her again. The conversation finally ended when Cassandra promised to visit her by the end of the month.

After hanging up, she heaved a deep sigh of relief. All kinds of feelings persisted in her mind, regarding Edith and Cloris.

But she continued to feel uneasy like she was before the phone call, about what Whitney had said to her. She felt like there was something she had forgotten but couldn't even point her finger at what it was.

"You don't look quite like yourself today. Is there something bothering you?" Rufus asked Cassandra, back in the villa.

Cassandra stood chopping vegetables in Garden Villa's cozy and homely kitchen. One hand that held the knife, went up and down rhythmically, like a machine; while the other looked absolutely still, somehow was just holding the onions instead of pushing them forward.

Rufus noticed her looking far off and cold as he came into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Something was clearly wrong with her.

It's just something

her out of her musings, and she went back to cooking swiftly. Quickly, she finished

permeate the kitchen. Rufus inhaled deeply, already satiated at how

breaking up even once, and seemed a

thought of Cassandra turning docile occurred to him, Rufus

the kind of clothes girls wore for Yoga. The material stuck to her skin, accentuating the

trees, and blue for the clear sky. It was decorated with pink cherry blossoms which gave it a gentle,

walked toward her and scooped her into his

Do you need

helper is not going to be as dedicated to the meals as

took no time for her to reject Rufus's offer. She didn't even want a helper on an hourly basis, much less a domestic helper, who would

safe distance from him

the gossip about them, and that Rufus would fall into a conflict with the

all lengths to avoid anything that could potentially pose harm to Rufus. How could she allow a domestic helper in the house, who would

simply

want me to taste the food you

to brim with contentment and warmth. This

was thinking otherwise. Still, she didn't try to explain the real reason and instead presented

wrong. I just feel safer when I cook myself. Moreover, who can cook a more nutritious meal than

spoke in an indifferent tone, and didn't respond warmly to Rufus's attempts at intimacy. She then freed herself from his embrace and

his grip from her body, stepping back. An inexplicable pain rose in his