A Graduation Gift

"I haven't been feeling well recently. I rarely come out, let alone read the newspapers,"
Cassandra bashfully remarked. Being praised by Cloris was a rarity, so she did not know how to properly respond to the unusual
occurrence.
Edith stood up from her seat and went beside Cassandra, effectively disrupting her prior conversation. She prompted her
daughter to give her a tour of the place before she pulled Cassandra to a corner and said, "I briefly talked to Rufus just now. I
think I've changed my mind about him since even Cloris only spouted praises for him. We've both agreed to leave you both
alone, I hope you'll continue being happy with him!"
The meeting with Vernon had indeed been a therapeutic one for Edith. It was her fault that she had forced her docile daughter to
marry Lionel years ago, a big mistake that wasted a huge part of her youth; Edith simply did not want a repeat of history. So, as
long as Cassandra was happy, she would no longer try to manipulate her decisions.
Cassandra had found a man that she loved the same way he loved her, and Edith was content in recognizing that fact.
Her child was a good lady that was worthy of living her own life, after all. If Cassandra was confident with Rufus, then she was of
no position to refuse.
"Mom..."
The beginnings of sniffles broke Cassandra's steady voice as she was overtaken with emotion. She was rendered speechless,
and her mother's approval meant much more to her than anything she could have perpetually desired.
"I know, dear. I know what you're thinking right now. I've got no plans of breaking you two apart, I just wish for you to live a life full
of love."
Edith's mellow gaze seemed to embrace Cassandra's trembling form. She caressed a hand to her daughter's face as the first roll
of tears cascaded down her reddened cheeks. Mere phrases or sentences could not begin to describe the sheer glee Cassandra
was experiencing currently.
Cloris's phone ringing went unnoticed by the occupied pair but did capture Rufus's attention. She looked at the name on the
screen and conspicuously excused herself out the area in celerity.
She picked up the call and an anxious voice greeted her instantly, "Cloris, I just heard from the people who were monitoring
Cassandra's phone. They said that she's planning to give the USB with the newly revised bid document back today! You have to

quickly think of a plan to get it before anyone else does!"
Arthur's near imperceptible speech slurred slightly as he rushed to convey his concerns. The interference around Rufus's house
made it exceedingly hard to monitor all calls going through Cassandra's phone. His team had faced difficulty on decoding her
messages, but had thankfully acquired the important information they needed before it was too late.
"What? This soon? But, aren't there a few days left till the bidding starts?"
Cloris creased her brows in distress. Her plan had been to make up with Cassandra so she would gain an easier access to the
device she wanted to retrieve. Although, it might be futile with her damned sister giving away the files earlier than the
aforementioned date.
"She might've stayed up finishing it. Anyway, just think of something! We'll never have a chance like this again!"
Her caller demanded, apprehensive and indignant upon the image of the records falling to the Tang Group's hands. He was on
the brink of victory, his efforts finally paid off his intention to destroy the loathed business. He could not let go of his last chess
piece; he could not let them take a hold of the files.
No matter what, he would not lose to Cassandra again.
At the affirmation, Arthur ended the call, leaving Cloris at a loss as to what to do next. It had been her idea to steal the USB, and
if she had guessed it right, it would probably be in Cassandra's bag at the moment. However, the task would be a complicated
one to perform, what with the presence of the three people back in the unit.
Cloris looked down at the bag in her hand in consideration. It was an expensive and highly coveted item that Rufus bought for
her when he last went to their house.
She loved it and she lacked the will to even refuse such a grand gift despite her obvious hate for Cassandra. And so, it was with
a forlorn soul when she had replayed her tactics inside her mind—the only strategy she could come up with in a short span of
time.
Cloris clenched her fists around the strap, gritting her teeth as she tore the lining apart and grabbed a USB flash drive she
readied previously.
She took a deep breath and returned to the studio. With a frown marring her features, she directed her false perturbation at
Cassandra and said, "Sis, look! My bag is broken. How did this happen?! I've only used it for a few days!" She whined, extending

the ruined article for emphasis, "It shouldn't be this fragile since it's from a famous brand! I have several of their bags as well,
and all of them are in good quality. This is too unfair!"
Cassandra leaned over to inspect the wrecked hem and hummed in agreement while Rufus assessed the scene with a careful,
brooding stare that followed each of Cloris's exaggerated movements.
"My bag is the same as yours. It's a limited edition, so Rufus had bought two for us both. How did yours break?"
Confused, Cassandra opened her own bag and found that it was in perfect condition. Unbeknownst to her, Cloris had used it as
an opportunity to take a peek at the contents and immediately found the flash drive she planned to steal.
"Maybe Rufus bought you a real one and gave me the fake version!"
Her eyes lingered on the object before she forcefully pried her eyes away to flawlessly act in a childish manner.
Her conduct successfully beguiled Cassandra as she laughed in amusement to her tantrum.
"Silly! Don't worry, he would never do that. How about I ask him to return the bag for you and see what's wrong with it?"
Cassandra asked gently as if she were talking to a delicate little girl. Cloris ignored it and simply nodded in response, "Sis, how
about you let me borrow your bag for the meantime? I'll return it to you after mine's repaired!"
Cloris grinned before she forcefully snatched the bag from Cassandra's hand without waiting for her permission. In an instant,
she had turned it upside down, scattering its contents on a nearby table in a heap without any heed to everyone else's
bewilderment.
Rufus grew rigid, his anger and coldness increasing rapidly at her apparent boorish actions.