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.

what had happened that night from the beginning to the end, occasionally glaring at Cassandra furiously.

her after what he said, even

on Cassandra, as if she could swallow her

see him again later?"

was involved here at all. It

was taken away by the police. Why would

the

have had to go to the police station

clear to her

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

me, he refused to take me to the station..." Cloris said

get him in trouble and ruin his reputation in front of

and Cassandra were about to start fighting again. To control the situation, Edith banged

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

mother to them. Her own daughter didn't come to her for help even when she was at the verge of

is that she also is your daughter and I didn't have any evidence to prove I was right," Cloris

carried within herself could be heard

went to study abroad? She had to scrimp and save to pay your bills. She

spoke earnestly, patting the table gently as she tried to make a point. Cloris was spoiled since her childhood days but it surprised her that she still couldn't distinguish between good and bad.

working to support themselves and then take a look at your

spoke. Her fingers were long and

you recall doing any menial work with your own hands? All you cared about was getting manicures! Did you ever give a thought about who is providing you with these privileges

and continued going through even now. It broke her

She loved and cherished them equally, especially now after learning the reason of the dispute between them. Until now, she had simply been regretting sending Cassandra to a small town at such a young age.

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

willful since you were a baby. It's Cassandra who has been endlessly making concessions for you. Your father and I indulged your tantrums all the time. But has it ever occurred to you that that's only because we are your family? Nobody else will tolerate that and be all nice and

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

certain Cassandra would never hire anyone to hurt her sister. She knew her elder daughter well enough, but Arthur, not long enough. It was hard to understand a man, especially a

that to me,

mother's words but she refused