A Graduation Gift

Edith trotted to her daughters hurriedly and stopped right between, her eyes darting sternly between the two of them silently.

"Okay! The two of you need to sit down and work things out! Sit down, now! I am not allowing any of you to leave this house until we get to the bottom of this!"

She had just gotten the whole story and was shocked to find the truth of what was happening between her daughters. Her expression clearly stated that she had realized she had been a bad mother and that none of them had bothered to talk to her about it.

Cloris had had a problem with Cassandra ever since she came back from abroad, and Edith used to think Cloris hated Cassandra because of her relationship with Rufus, but only now did she understand the case. She had never imagined that the sisters had gotten into such a mess.

Cloris sighed, giving a disgruntled, sharp look in Cassandra's direction.

"Mother, I have nothing to say. It happened so long ago and I had no evidence whatsoever. It's not like she would simply admit it," she said with an impatient snort. One could sense how she just wanted to get this over with.

Seeing the halfhearted look on Cloris's face, Edith glowered at her.

"I said sit down! Don't you dare leave!" she spoke in a low voice through her teeth.

Edith seldom talked to Cloris in this way, so the shock was evident on her face. Reluctantly, Cloris sat down on the sofa.

"Cassandra, sit down. You too, Rufus, but don't say anything. This is strictly a family matter, and I want both my daughters to give me an explanation for this mess!"

Edith wore a tough look. Frankly, she couldn't believe she didn't try to figure out the reason for the tension between them earlier.

Under their mother's strict order, Cassandra and Cloris sat down, but as far away from each other as possible. Edith sat in the middle. She looked from one to the other, her eyebrows pressed together.

"Cloris, you go first! Tell me what exactly happened that night, spare no detail."

She decided to listen to Cloris's side of the story first.

Cloris hesitated for a while and cast a glance at Rufus. What she was about to say required courage and could cause a glitch in her reputation. She couldn't utter a single word in his presence.

Rufus immediately got what was on her mind.

"I'm gonna go for a smoke," he said, trying to sound casual.

He then left the room without any hesitation.

the beginning to the end, occasionally glaring at Cassandra furiously. Although, it

was her after what he said, even though he

with her eyes fixed on Cassandra, as if she could swallow her alive.

you see him again later?"

why Arthur was involved

police. Why would I take the

as if it was the stupidest question Cassandra could have asked.

station to give your statement as a

The whole matter was suddenly as clear to her as water. This had

She felt like she had missed out on an important detail, but she remembered the rest of

protect me, he refused to take me to the station..." Cloris said rightfully, defending Arthur.

trouble and ruin his

about to start fighting again. To control the situation,

have an acquaintance at the police station too, and I can ask him to look into it. But Cloris, what were you thinking when you decided not to tell

at Cloris with tender affection, thinking about how she herself had been a bad mother to them. Her

you? Truth of the matter is that she also

The resentment she had carried within herself could be heard clearly

you even know about the effort she made to take hold of the entire company by herself when you went to study abroad? She had to scrimp and save to pay your bills. She even sold her car. She did

earnestly, patting the table gently as she tried to make a point. Cloris was spoiled since her childhood days but it surprised her

about your classmates. Most of the students from middle-class families were working to support themselves and then take

Her fingers were long and thin. They looked delicate and bore no callouses.

Did you ever give a thought about who is

voice started to shake at this point. She recalled the things Cassandra had been through these past months and continued going through even now. It broke her heart to learn how much Cloris hated Cassandra despite the sacrifices

especially now after learning the reason of the

by her own parents resolutely and left to grow up all alone in a small town. That was the reason she evolved into an introverted person when

only because we are your family? Nobody else will tolerate that and be all nice and rosy to you. I know you and Arthur have already broken up once. If he really

had just learned about their breakup a few days ago. She hadn't paid much attention to it at the time although she did feel unpleasant about it. But things were different now. After hearing what Cloris had said about that

elder daughter well enough, but Arthur, not long enough. It was hard to understand a man, especially a businessman.

to me, Mother!" Cloris shouted.

her mother's words but she