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.

the significance

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

Cassandra stood still and listened to him

child overnight, from being a straight-A student. I started to miss all of my classes. Everyone worried about me and didn't know what to do. My mother could not stop crying. I blamed her for giving birth to me. I told

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

have her treated. But before I left, I went to see Horace in front of the Tang Group. That

was coldness in his voice. It

what happened. I founded the TY Group to prove myself. Then, I hid my identity, came back to Horace, and took over the Tang Group. I wanted Horace to see everything 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 to know that his biggest mistake in his life was leaving my mother and me,"

realization of the anger that Rufus had been tending to get

don't need to punish yourself because of his mistake. Life isn't all about hatred and revenge. Does that make you happy? Living in anger?"

to Horace, his biological father, the man who gave him life. No matter

reason why my mom suffered almost all her life. The day my mother fell ill was the day he stopped being my father. It was so unfair. How could he marry someone like Jill, bear a child like Lionel, and live

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

that she would not want you to do such things. Otherwise, she wouldn't have worked hard to bring you up all by herself. Also, she would not have

that his whole body was stiff. Clearly,

efforts were useless. Rufus was so overwhelmed with anger.

her tragedy. Well, I'm different. I live to bring him what his absence has brought

Nothing that Cassandra said got

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 Tang Group. Rufus, let it go. Please

Years of hatred had hardened him. In fact, it was almost a part of him. They were not something he could easily discard.

kind of father is 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 steps up and wants to be my father? What the hell is that? He allowed my mother to die. Why does he deserve anything better?"

filled Rufus with so much

not knowing what

was afraid that the more she tried to calm him down, the angrier he would become. So, she thought that it would be best if

I did not want you 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 finish with all of this, let's go away. Let's leave this wretched place together, find a home

deep breath and calmed himself down. Then, he looked at Cassandra

want you to push

as she looked into Rufus's eyes.

I have been working on this plan for so many