A Graduation Gift

Cassandra was frozen inside and out, as though a bucket of icy water had been poured right over her head and chilled her to the bone.

Cloris's cutting words were like daggers to her heart, the pain spreading all through her body.

Rufus had been standing aside trying not to interfere in the sisterly fight. But as he saw Cloris get more and more defensive, he decided to step in.

"What do you mean, Cloris? What did Cassandra do to make you hate her so badly?" he asked, astonished at how quickly their argument had escalated.

Rufus had sensed that Cloris had been skirting around the real issue and he was curious to know what she was hiding.

But this was neither the time nor the place for Cloris to dive into it. After all, she wasn't about to destroy her reputation in front of so many strangers.

"You have no right to know!"

Cloris rolled her eyes, dismissing Rufus's incredulous questions.

"Then, who does have the right to know?"

Rufus persisted, his eyes fixed upon Cloris's stone-cold face.

"It doesn't matter. Not you, anyways," Cloris retorted.

She pushed him aside, dashing towards the door to the restaurant. Arthur hurried to pay the bill and rushed out after her.

in the restaurant, Cassandra was still standing in the same spot. Her hands were clenched into

sister's insults. She felt like she might die

that things were only getting started, Joel tried to slowly remove himself from the situation

Lionel who got you

always seemed to find himself in

he tried to dodge around Rufus to get to the door. Tiny beads of sweat were forming on his forehead and his shirt was

my question before

so easily and he stepped in

it to someone else later. Thus, he needed to get things straightened before Joel would do something

might have done to offend you but would you please let me

design. But since he was long gone from

you've never done anything to offend

amused him that this man stood before him pretending to be innocent, one eye constantly darting

Joel knew exactly what Rufus was talking about. While he didn't offend Rufus directly, the same could not be said

to drip off from his forehead. His chest was constricted as he held his breath

he'd come to the restaurant had already left. She didn't want any part of whatever

you right back to prison without so much as blinking my eyes. Look into my

all too well that Joel was Ivy's younger brother and with Ivy seeing Clark recently,

go of his breath and, seeing his opening, shot past Rufus with a