A Graduation Gift

There was fire in Rufus's eyes. He could not believe what was happening.

"You can't do that,"

Rufus said furiously as his grip on Cassandra's wrist tightened.

"Rufus, you're being ridiculous. I expected more from you. Right now, you are just acting like a spoiled brat! You show up when it pleases you and before I know it, you're gone without so much as a goodbye. Where were you when I needed you? Whenever I asked for an explanation, you never gave me one. Instead, you decided to keep your secrets and keep me in the dark. What the hell were you thinking?"

Cassandra glared at Rufus, mustering all the courage she had to finally speak her mind. Finally saying all these things felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

Rufus looked at her, dumbstruck as he slowly realized Cassandra's image of him: complicated and suspicious.

As it turned out, she saw Rufus as a jerk.

He came and went as he pleased without even considering how she must have felt. Because of him, her life became full of uncertainty. He never gave her a stable life or a promising future.

"Cassandra, I am doing this for your own good,"

Rufus said. There was hesitation in his voice, possibly brought about by Cassandra's face that was red with rage. She seemed absolutely fed up with the situation.

"For my own good? You want to do something for my own good? Let me give you a very good suggestion: Disappear from my life for good and leave me be!"

Cassandra shouted as she broke free from Rufus's grip, turned, and walked away.

She had had enough of the drama. She did not want to put up with Rufus's childish whims anymore. His actions did not make sense to her. There seemed to be a huge disconnection between the mature and independent image he portrayed in public and the childish and unreasonable way he acted when he was with her.

But Rufus was not about to let her get away so easily. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into his arms.

Cassandra struggled as Rufus slowly looked straight at her face. Staring straight into her eyes, he decided to tell her the truth.

"Fine, I will tell you what I am doing," he started.

his thoughts buzzing. Finally realizing the

mother told me that my father was dead. It was only a dozen years ago that I learned he was

narrated, looking deep into Cassandra's eyes. Cassandra stood

to do. My mother could not stop crying. I

the light was dim. Rufus's voice was the only thing that could be heard apart from the

left, I went to

his voice. It made Cassandra

he built and worked for, go down in shambles. I wanted him to know how it felt like to lose something he loved. I wanted him

had been tending to get

of his mistake. Life isn't all about

man who gave him life. No matter what Horace did, it did not change the

marry someone like Jill, bear a child like Lionel, and live a life of fortune and opportunity while my mother and I spent our days looking for shelter and struggling to make

said, gritting his teeth. Everytime he remembered his poor mother and Horace's absence, his hatred and anger towards

wouldn't have worked hard to bring you up all by herself. Also, she would not have told Horace about you," she explained.

seen Rufus this angry. Grabbing his arms, she realized that his whole body was stiff. Clearly, he was in pain

her efforts were useless. Rufus was

Well, I'm different. I live

Cassandra said got through to him.

isn't here, he is your only family. You shouldn't hate him. I'm sure he also had his own battles during that time. He was also trapped in his own circumstance. Besides, he already realized that he was wrong. He even made efforts to correct his mistake by making you part of the Tang family and allowing you to take over the

remained unmoved. Years of hatred had hardened him. In fact, it was almost a part

he? My mother was disowned by her own family because of him. She even renounced her father and changed her last name to her mother's maiden name. She wasted her youth raising me all by herself. For the first half of my life, I never had Horace there. Now that I'm all grown up and I'm doing better, he suddenly

of his mom and of his childhood filled Rufus with so much

not knowing what to

become. So, she thought that it would be best

to get involved. Now that you know about it, I hope you will do what is best by staying out of it. All I ask you to do is to wait for me. Be patient with me. When I

calmed himself down. Then, he looked

push through with

she looked

working on this plan for so many years. There