A Graduation Gift

The night unveiled a dirty story. Lionel and Ivy were planning something.
"I can't believe that you actually went to H City,"
Ivy said, feigning indifference. But as Lionel watched her reactions, a fleeting hint of jealousy and her shortness of breath
betrayed her.
"What about it? Are you jealous? I only went there to get a scoop on Rufus, so that I can kick him out of the Tang Group more
easily," responded Lionel.
The whole night, he appeared a little absent-minded. Every time he replayed the humiliating scenes of Rufus forcing him to kneel
before Cassandra and kicking him out afterward, Lionel's anger against his brother kept on boiling.
At heart, he swore that he would have Rufus paid the price!
"So, did you find anything?"
Ivy's question was tongue-in-cheek. She didn't take Lionel's words seriously.
In response to her teasing, he simply sneered, turned over in bed, and snuggled closer to her.
Wearing a sensuous shade of red lipstick, Ivy whispered into his ears, "Lionel. I'll soon get the evidence."
It was very late. The darkness was gathering outside, just like Lionel's moods. It was time to hit the sack, hoping that tomorrow
would be a better day. For the fretful day it had been, Lionel had feared he would turn and toss for the better part of the night. But
by some stroke of luck, he went out like a light and slept quite peacefully.
Early in the morning as the first rays of sunlight lit the horizon, Lionel convinced himself that the bright day would banish his
melancholy and he would lift up his head again.
The eminent landmark of G City, the Tang Group towers, with its classy blue finish sparkled in the morning light.
In good time, Cassandra arrived at the offices and headed straight to her own department. The few staff members who had
made it earlier welcomed her with congratulatory messages for her feat in sealing the multi-million dollar deal for the company.
"Manager Qin, that was incredible! I can't believe you made the deal, quick and easy. Someone is going to get a promotion,"
enthused one colleague.

"Yeah, I've always believed Manager Qin's credentials. With charisma, brains and go-getting attitude, Manager Qin deserves the
position," chipped in another.
"We feel privileged working under you. You have a lot for us to learn. Together we will make a difference to out company." added
yet another.
...
The compliments were endless, overwhelming. By now, a small crowd had formed around her, among which were some
unfamiliar faces. For a moment, she just stood there, not sure how to react. It began to feel awkward.
Thank goodness, someone intervened. "Ladies and gentlemen, why is everyone standing here?" a calm female voice called out.
"I suppose, it's time for work, right?"
That sudden interruption was timely. When Cassandra turned around she was relieved to see it was Stella who had came to her
rescue.
"Hi, Stella,"
Cassandra cheerily greeted as the crowd dispersed with disappointment.
Excited to see Stella in the company, Cassandra walked over for a hug.
Smiling, they headed to Cassandra's office.
"Ignore them, Cassandra. They're just trying to flatter you."
Stella was above flattery. But she knew this case was a tricky one. No one in the company had expected Cassandra, just new in
the department, would be able to mend the case.
"I know,"
Cassandra said without emotion.
"You know what? The president is going to hold a victory banquet tonight. I've also heard that the chairman would come. I'm so
proud of you, Cassandra," Stella complimented sincerely.
Thinking about the crowd she had just dismissed, she knew Cassandra would be on everyone's lips for quite sometime.

To Cassandra, mention of the victory banquet came as a surprise. Why hadn't Rufus mentioned it to her? Cassandra was
confused.
"Could we go shopping for some dresses for the party after work? What do you think? Who knows, we might meet our Mr. Right
at the bash. We need to dress up." Stella indulged herself in fantasies, chattering on, without giving Cassandra a chance to
respond.
"To be honest, I don't have an idea. I'm not so good with that when it comes to formal events. Personally, I'd wish to dress more
casually."
That was true. On any day, Cassandra would prefer a casual style. Being an experimental designer, she rarely dressed formal
attire. Minimalist T-shirts with jeans were her favorite, but to break monotony, occasional ladies chino pants with a flannel shirt or
a cardigan sweater did her justice. Only lately had she started wearing suits to work, once in a while.
To ease the apprehension, Stella patted Cassandra on the back and assured, "It's alright, dear. You have an experienced
colleague to hold your hand as you learn the ropes. I've got your back for the night. There's one particular store that I know of.
They have quite a collection of dresses and I'd suggest we check with them after work.
Anyway, we should get down to work now. See you later," with a broad smile, she finished and ran quickly to the door. 'That's yet
another oddity, ' Cassandra noted.
When Cassandra opened her mouth to say something, Stella was already gone. 'What was the hurry, that she couldn't even wait
for an answer?' as Cassandra reflected, she furrowed her eyebrows, shook her head and looked around the room. Everything
about Stella began to feel pretty creepy.
In the president's office, which sat on the top floor, Rufus, dressed in a handmade black suit, was standing in front of the french
window. However, in spite of the stunning view outside, he cast a rather forlorn look. No one could tell what he was thinking.
"Boss, I got some news,"
A man with a ponytail came in unannounced and reported in a husky voice.
It was Victor, Rufus' most trusted confidant. Their friendship had lasted for many years, through many business deals and
personal matters. Victor came in handy both at work and off. Eventually, Victor was recruited to the Tang Group, where now he
was working as Rufus' personal assistant.
"Go ahead,"

talking with his back facing Victor, Rufus said with his face still despondent.
"You're right. Someone wants to get Miss Qin into trouble,"
Victor declared staidly, almost like a robot that was devoid of emotion, filling in a very mechanical report.
"Okay, I got it."
Rufus replied, smiling. Confident, he already got a plan. He ran his long fingers around the glass window in a rhythmic way.
"So what about tonight's victory banquet?"
Victor asked seeking for Rufus's instruction.
"It will be held according to schedule. Why don't we make it a present for Lionel and Ivy?" he added.
Then, Rufus turned around and burst into a wicked laughter.
As the saying goes, courtesy requires a return of visits received. Rufus liked to treat others the way they treated him. Since
Lionel and Ivy wanted to play games, he would love to give them a taste of their own medicine.
In a high-end fashion studio
Stella urged, "This is it. Cassandra, you have a good shape. This dress will look perfect on you."
When Cassandra hesitated, Stella picked up a long strapless white dress and asked her to try it on.
But Cassandra frowned. It was a low cut dress that would expose a little too much cleavage. That was not Cassandra's sense of
fashion, not to mention her marital status. Even with the problems she had been through, she still leaned somewhat on the
conservative side. Besides, Horace and Jill would be at the banquet too. It would be more appropriate to carry herself with
decorum.
"Why are you hesitant, Cassandra? Go to the dressing room and try it on. We haven't done our hair yet. You'd better hurry up."
Seeing how much Cassandra was reluctant, she handed her the dress and nudged her anxiously.
At long last, Cassandra was literally pushed into the dressing room. Feeling embarrassed, she played along, to avoid
unnecessary drama.

A few minutes later, she emerged from the dressing room. The floor-length gown looked stunning on her.
She was perfect, combining the dress, her minimalist make-up, and her shoulder-length hair. She could easily steal the show
tonight.
"Is it bad?"
she asked when she realized all eyes around were fixed on her.
The question brought Stella back to attention. Blinking, she came over and put a hairpin on Cassandra.
"You know what, Cassandra? You're gonna rock tonight, girl," she praised.
Then holding hands, she led Cassandra to the full-length mirror.
Perfectly, the dress accentuated Cassandra's curvy shape.
"Well...I'm not sure. Don't you think it's a little...sexy?" she asked softly.
Through all the compliments, Cassandra still felt worried. What if she dressed like this and saw Rufus on the banquet...
Wait, what? What was she doing? Why was she thinking about Rufus?