A Graduation Gift

The heavy cloud cast a gloomy shadow on the ground. The wind started blowing in the cold weather. A few crows could be
heard crying in sorrow. It seemed like they were cursing the freezing winter.
Cassandra had just walked out from the office. In the corridor, the wind squeezed its way through the window.
This was an old building which was going to become obsolete soon. People had been moving out hence only a few rooms were
occupied.
Not far from where she was, there stood a new building. It was constructed by Vernon's own company.
This thought sounded hilarious to her. Her father sent himself to the detention house that was built by himself. The idea of him
living caged in something built with his own money was ironical.
Last night, she didn't manage to get a good sleep. And today early in the morning, she had to play smart with the foxy officials.
This indeed drained all the energy out of her.
Feeling a bit dizzy, she headed to the washroom at the end of the corridor. Quickly, she scooped some water and splashed it on
her face. Deep down she hoped this would relax her mind.
The piercing coldness was indeed effective. Raising her head, she squinted her eyes and tried to see herself in the rusting
mirror. In a low voice, she said to herself, "You can do it."
The old washroom wasn't equipped with light. In the dimness, Cassandra felt frightened.
Walking briskly out, she wanted to reach the place where sunlight could touch her face. All of a sudden, she was pulled back by
a strong pair of hands.
The strong hands pulled her into the darkness, away from sunlight. Under his control, she found it hard to move.
As she was about to shout for help, his hand pressed against her lips. With her mouth covered, her scream turned into broken
whimper.
The fear for darkness and the pain from the grip made her eyes wide open. Yet the dimness made it hard for her to recognize the
attacker's face.
So far, she only knew that the man was tall and strong. She felt him breathing fast. Without any mercy, he pressed Cassandra
against the ice-old cement wall.

The corridor was invaded by yet another gust of wind which messed up her tidy hair. Though her vision was a bit clouded by her
hair, she knew the man was drawing closer to her as he felt his rapid breath against her face.
"Why are you always with Rufus?" the man asked with fury.
Gnashing his teeth to squeeze while he spat these words out, Lionel looked like a demon to her.
Cassandra's heart sank into a state of hopelessness.
She instantly deduced where his fury came from. It was certain that Lionel must have heard that Rufus had accompanied her.
His self-esteem must have been shattered. And now he decided to explode his intense emotions on her.
The shabby building was empty, and she was aware she couldn't match up with his strength. 'I am doomed!' she thought.
Shaking her head violently, Cassandra attempted to shake his hand off her face. But he was strong beyond her imagination and
she couldn't manage to escape from his control.
After some time, she was accustomed to the darkness and the distinct features of the man began to become clear.
She could even see his eyes ablaze with wrath and fire.
"Cassandra! You are my wife and only my wife! No one else is allowed to touch you! Do you get it?" the man roared.
Lionel was like a trapped beast and he used his strength to the fullest which caused Cassandra's eyes to well up with tears. The
pain was excruciating.
Unable to move, she resorted to biting. As soon as she opened her mouth, her intention was noticed by Lionel. He instantly
released his hand.
Cassandra's thin lips were now swollen and red. Her face was burning with acute pain. 'He is acting like a lunatic today. How
could he be so brutal!' Cassandra thought, feeling aghast.
Even Lionel himself didn't know what had caused him to act like an animal. When he noticed that Cassandra and Rufus were
both not at home, he suspected that they could be together.
Driving as fast as he could, he reached Qin family before the dawn, and realized she wasn't there—the figure he had been
expecting to see didn't appear in his sight.

After getting the information about Cassandra from her family, he found his way to this place. When he saw Rufus's car in the
carpark, he was so enraged that the blood in his blood vessels seemed to flow in the opposite direction.
Jealousy engulfed him, making him wild and crazy. In this insane state, Lionel found Cassandra in the worn-out building. Before
he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her with force and trapped her.
"Lionel Tang, what's wrong with you? I am not your fucking wife!"
This was the first time the little woman really cursed in front of him. Right now, she was exhausted thinking about her father's
matter. It had drained her both physically and mentally. As if to make thing worse, she was now trapped by Lionel who did this
solely based on his selfishness. Under the circumstance, it was only fair for her to be mad at him.
Getting a hold of Cassandra's jaw, he lifted her head up so that she could see the seriousness in his eyes.
"Cassandra, if you continue to use that excuse, I will make sure you have no more excuse in the future!" the angry man retorted.
He lowered his head swiftly to seal Cassandra's lips, which were already swelling with pain. As his face came closer,
Cassandra's eyes widened in disbelief and horror.
Abruptly, a hurricane flashed by, and Lionel was thrown away and fell to the ground.
Everything that had just happened took place in a blink of an eye. Just a few seconds ago, Cassandra was still trying to break
free from his grasp. But right now, the weight against her body was gone.
After he regained his senses, Lionel stood up from the ground with blood seeping from the corner of his lips.
With a grim face, he wiped the blood away with the back of his hand and gazed at the man who had thrown him a punch.
Rufus was standing beside Cassandra with his head raised up. He stepped forward to shield Cassandra and had a faint smile on
his face.
He was even colder than the freezing winter. If Lionel could be described as a demon who would oppress her, then Rufus would
be the Satan from the hell. There was something more wicked and sinister in his expression.
It was snowing and the wind was growling as it blew the snow into the corridor. The chill sent goosebumps onto Cassandra's
body.

Lionel looked at Rufus and then pointed an accusatory finger at Cassandra. He let out a maniac laugh that reverberated in the
isolated corridor.
"Rufus! Finally you admit that you are having an affair with her. You two have been in a relationship for a long time. Am I right?"
he spat out.
His laugh was filled with disappointment and his voice had signs of desperation.
His wife had an affair with his brother and that seemed like the most disgusting thing on this planet.
"You better watch your mouth or else you might have to bear the consequence!"
Rufus warned Lionel before he turned his focus back to Cassandra. Now Rufus's devilish expression turned into tenderness. In
his softest voice, he said, "Let's go. I have contacted the person in charge in G City."
Cassandra nodded and was ready to leave the place with Rufus.
"Cassandra! If you go with him today, don't ever expect Tang family to support you. Don't expect a single cent from us!"
Lionel shouted in despair, hoping his threat would stop Cassandra from going with Rufus.
This, of course, had no impact on Cassandra. Moreover, all it did was arouse Cassandra's anger once again. Unable to withhold
her burning fury, she pushed Rufus's protective arms and walked towards Lionel. With her voice raised, she screamed, "Lionel
Tang, I married you only because I had no choice! But now I can't stand to be confined to this loveless relation. Now I will do as I
please! You can threaten me all you want but I won't give in. Back then I was desperate but I am no longer the girl who blindly
followed her father's arrangements. It was four years ago and now I have completely changed. I am capable of managing my
father's issue. I don't need you or the Tang family to step in for me!"
After she uttered these words with pride, she turned around and walked away swiftly. Lionel watched her receding figure in a
daze.
Quickly she got on and sat inside Rufus's car. Keeping her head low and her eyes closed, she pinched at the skin in between her
eyes to clear her mind.
"Have some sleep now. I'll drive you back,"

Rufus said with concern evident in his voice. He was fully aware that she must be exhausted by now. There was no way for him
to hide his overwhelming concern and love for this woman.
"I'm fine. I just need some time to think. I have to know whether what I'm doing is worth it or not," Cassandra replied with
uncertainty in her words.
Was her sacrifice worth it? It was supposed that her marriage to Lionel would be able to make Qin family prosper. But
unexpectedly, that only lasted for a brief period.
Just now in the office, that official had laid everything out so blatantly.
He clearly stated that if all the properties were confiscated, then Vernon could be released from jail a few years earlier. 'As of
now, that's probably the best solution, ' Cassandra decided, feeling gloomy.
She sighed deeply in her heart. It was easy for the officer to utter these words. But for her father, the company was his entire life.
It contained his sweat and tears. If his company's assets were confiscated, he would lose all his hope.
Moreover, if everything was sold, then the house of Qin family would also be gone too. 'Where will my mother and sister live?
How can they support themselves?' she asked herself with frustration.
Even though Qin family had been having a tough time, they still maintained their lavish lifestyle. She could sense that from the
time she last visited her parents. The living standard was way higher than that of a middle class family.
'If father loses everything, how can Cloris and mother manage to live? They have been wealthy for so long, after all. Can they get
used to poverty?' Her mind was now jumbled with these questions.
With all the different thoughts swirling in her mind, her brain was in a total turmoil. Resting her head on the seat with her eyes
closed, she tried to come up with a solution.
Rufus knew what Cassandra was going through. He could tell her mind was filled with questions that needed solution. The
weight of the entire family had landed on her slim shoulders. She had already sacrificed everything she had for Qin family and
now this new burden had befallen her. As if to make it worse, her career as an architect was also in danger now.
There was simply too much burden for her to carry. It was much heavier than what a girl of her age could bear. She was like a
camel with heavy weight, trudging in the desolate desert with an unknow destination.

If it was possible, Rufus would be willing to help her carry this burden. He wished to help her during this tough time. He hoped
himself to be the stars above, so that when she was lost in the sand storm, she could still find the right path. He hoped himself to
be the Noah's Ark, so that when her entire world collapsed, she could board the boat and survive.
When these thoughts passed through his mind, the little woman's breathing became soft and steady. With a quick glance he
realized she was asleep.
Rufus stopped his car at the side of the road, walked out, and lit himself a cigarette. Fixing his gaze on the Sleeping Beauty, he
had an inexplicable feeling rising in his heart.
It seemed like he could stand there and watch her forever. It was a sight he wished to behold. While sleeping, she looked
peaceful. Her burden wasn't visible and it made him happy.