A Graduation Gift

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Lionel was convinced that Cassandra had indeed changed. She was a different woman
than before.
She was now calmer, more sensible and tactful.
"You have changed so much, Cassandra,"
Lionel muttered, looking at her in blank amazement.
"People change. That's natural. I wish you'd catch up and mature as well,"
Cassandra said, putting much weight on her words. Lionel's unwillingness to give her up tired her out.
"Cassandra, I love you, I really do. Ivy plotted against you and put you in a bad light. I thought you pushed her downstairs. Had I
known the truth, I would not have made the impulsive decision to divorce you,"
Lionel explained. Cassandra, though, did not care for the past anymore. Going back to it did not interest her.
"It's all over, Lionel. It's time to forget the past and look forward. Now, you have a heavy burden upon you. You should consider
my suggestion,"
Cassandra said with finality and then turned to leave. The coffee on the table was still steaming hot when they arrived. And by
the time Cassandra left, it was warm and untouched.
Lionel thought about Cassandra's words carefully as he watched the coffee turn cold, little by little.
What he did not realize was that someone was watching him. He followed him in the dark and secretly took pictures of him and
Cassandra using his mobile phone.
It was a sick habit of the people in this city. They liked to spread gossip about each other. Deception and fraud were part of their
culture and no one really knew when the light would come.
Ivy squinted at the video and pictures Joel sent her as a sinister smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
"So Lionel is still unwilling to give up Cassandra?"

Ivy smiled disdainfully. She could not believe that he actually indulged himself with the fantasy that Cassandra would come back
and marry him again.
"I think so. My friend followed him all the way but Cassandra refused him,"
Leo said as he looked at Cassandra's image lustfully. Greed filled his eyes as he looked at her with desire.
Cassandra's stunning face made Joel swallow.
"Can you get more of the drugs you used before?"
Ivy asked suddenly, confusing him.
"What drugs?"
Joel didn't know what Ivy was talking about. He was puzzled.
"Don't pretend! Didn't you drug Cassandra before?"
Ivy glared at her brother. Lines of displeasure marred her attractive face.
"Oh yes! My friend has it.
He knows the source," Joel replied.
"Get some for me. I need it. It will be of great help,"
Ivy said, wearing an expression that marked impending chaos. Her eyes were cold and looming.
'Oh, Cassandra, ' she gnashed the teeth in anger, 'You appear everywhere I go. I'll make sure you'll prove useful to me once
again.'
"Ivy, well...I also need your help,"
Joel said biting his lip. He looked at Ivy and hesitated. He was not sure if he wanted to say it or not.
"If you have something to say, say it. No one else will hear you here,"
Ivy said, starting to feel a bit ratty. She anticipated that he was going to ask her for money again.

"Here is the thing. My friend and I met some girls, and I want to invite them to have a party here. Could you lend me the villa for
some days?"
Joel asked while carefully observing Ivy's facial expressions.
"What do you want to do?"
Ivy knew her brother like the back of her hand. Surely, he didn't just want to throw a party.
"My friend told others that his family was rich. So...we need the villa to keep the front,"
Joel said as he threw his arm around his sister's shoulder and put on a mischievous, delinquent smile.
"What a fair-weather friend he is. Can you do something grown-up right now?"
Ivy frowned in dissatisfaction, but Joel was acting like it was no big deal.
"Come on, Ivy. You have fifty million! This means big bucks for both of us! Why are you being so stingy? My friend is working for
you now. Don't underestimate him. He keeps tabs on everything!"
Joel had neither smarts nor skills, but he was loyal to his friends.
"Stop that. I know. Okay, fine. Just be careful not to cause trouble here. And get the drugs for me as soon as possible,"
Ivy said impatiently as she pushed him away and proceeded to go upstairs. Joel happily pranced around and took out his phone
to make a call.
"Adrian! Guess what? My sister agreed!"
Joel said, unable to hide his excitement at the thought of those pretty female college students. He smiled radiantly.
"Really? Bravo, Joel!"
Adrian replied, also eager for action. He was the one who sweet-talked the two girls and gained their trust. He couldn't wait to
take them to the villa and have sex with them.
"By the way, do you still have the aphrodisiac you gave me last time? The extremely potent one. I need it urgently now. Give me
some more,"

Joel said, remembering what his sister asked for.
"No problem. It's of good efficacy. Last time I got some for a woman. Haha,"
Adrian remembered the one he gave Amanda. She must have been very satisfied with its performance because she never got
back to him with a complaint.
"Good. Get some for me. Don't forget, okay?"
Joel reminded Adrian again.
"But I don't think we need to drug those girls. I dare say they will obey us willingly,"
Adrian mistakenly thought that his friend was planning to drug the girls and told him it was unnecessary.
"What are you talking about? It's not for me. It's for someone else! Someone else needs the drugs. Don't worry. You will be fully
paid,"
Joel didn't disclose who needed it. Besides, he had to rely on his sister for the next half of his life.
"Okay. I will get the girls. Tidy up your house and get everything ready. You know what I mean,"
Adrian grinned wickedly. Joel hung up the phone in agreement.
The thought of getting laid with a sweet girl filled him with so much excitement.
Adrian had a very handsome face. This made flirting so much easier for him.
Cassandra took the medicine to Edith and watched her take it.
Even after Edith was discharged from the hospital, her mental condition never returned to how it was before. Also, she always
suffered from headaches. Everytime she said she wasn't feeling well, Cassandra's heart would be wrung to the very core.
Clark's intentions were obvious. He must have found out about Cassandra's relationship with Rufus and wanted to use her to
control him.
Unexpectedly, her love became the sharp knife that stabbed her family.

"Cassandra, I haven't seen Clark recently. Is he busy with his work? Do you still keep in touch with him?"
Despite her discomfort, Edith kept thinking about Clark and Cassandra's marriage. A lump came into Cassandra's throat.
"Mom, he's been very busy with his work so he can't come to visit you frequently. I'm with you every day, though. Don't worry,"
she replied.
Cassandra shot a glance at the servant who was busy cleaning outside the door and felt stressed out.
The servant was given by Clark. In Cassandra's eyes, it was very likely that she was Clark's spy. Even if Clark didn't live here, he
knew everything that was going on in this house.
What a scheming and merciless man he was!
"Don't focus too much on me. Spend time with Clark. Make sure you communicate. You're not young anymore and I'm in poor
health. You know, I might die at any time. I want to attend your wedding before I go,"
Edith said sadly. Sorrow began to well up as she burst into convulsive sobs.
Edith's emotional instability worried Cassandra. When she left the hospital, the doctor specially told Cassandra that she must
have a good rest to avoid violent mood swings. Because of this, Cassandra did her best not to mention Clark to her in hopes that
this would help her recover from her illness.
However, Edith became even moodier after she fell sick. She was always worried about Cassandra's marriage and often cried,
so her illness aggravated.
"Mom, don't worry about me. Marriage is made in heaven. Nothing forcibly done is going to be agreeable. I can't just marry some
random guy on the street,"
Cassandra joked to amuse Edith. In response, Edith just stared at her.
"Don't talk nonsense. I like Clark, not some guy on the street. I want him to be my son-in-law," she said.
Edith liked Clark so much that she persisted in convincing Cassandra that he was good for her.
In Edith's mind, Clark was a gentle and considerate man who took good care of her. She trusted him and treated him as if he
were her own son.

Cassandra sighed inwardly. If Edith found out that Clark wasn't who he really was, and that he was a very hypocritical jerk, would
she be able to take it?