A Graduation Gift

Cassandra had been busy running around for Vernon's case these days. This had left her exhausted and she assumed she had
lost a few pounds in the process.
However, her efforts did not pay off. The fact still remained that a lenient sentence would cost the confiscation of his property, or
a whopping penalty. This was the final conclusion and now Cassandra was in a dilemma.
It turned out that the amount of the penalty was far beyond what the Qin family could handle. In that case, sacrificing the
company was the only choice left.
Cassandra announced their decision to Edith and Cloris. Her sister went wild when she heard this decision.
"No way! We can't give up all our properties! This is not going to happen!" she screamed.
This news turned her face pale. A strand of her hair waggled as she shook her head to show her disagreement in this matter.
"That's the only solution we have. If we don't do this, we'll have to pay the penalty, which we are unable to afford. It is going to be
a huge amount of money."
Cassandra closed her eyes and tried hard to make Cloris understand the seriousness of this matter. If she continued screaming,
Cassandra might lose her temper.
"Can't you ask help from someone? You might know someone who is more powerful. Wait..why don't you talk to your father-in-
law? He could be of some help!" Edith pleaded.
Deep inside, even Edith did not think they should abandon all their properties, especially the company. It was the fundamental
foundation of the Qin family and losing it hurt her a great deal.
If the company got sold, then she and her daughter, Cloris, would have no source of revenue to live a good life. Even if Vernon
got a lenient sentence, he would still have to be in prison for at least a few years, which meant they would have to live a few
years without him. Edith had been a housewife for many years. She had lost the motivation to work a long time ago. In that
situation, she wondered who would be accountable to pay for their daily expense. 'The company could not be sold, ' thought
Edith.
"Yes! Mother is right! You can turn to Uncle Horace for help. He is your father-in-law, hence he is bound to help us. Anyway,
there's no way we will give up our properties. Even father would be sad when he gets to know about it. You have to remember
that this company is his life!"

Now Cloris nodded her head to show her agreement with Edith. There was no way she would go along with Cassandra's
proposal.
"Cassandra, please. Talk to your father-in-law. Or you can send Lionel to talk to him. Borrow some money from the Tang family
for the penalty and keep the our company safe. I'm sure your father will rise from the ashes. He has the ability. We can pay back
the money when your father succeeds again!"
Edith stared at Cassandra, expecting a positive reply from her.
Cassandra lowered her eyes silently when she realized what Edith and Cloris were expecting from her.
She comforted herself by telling herself that Cloris was still a young and naive girl who couldn't differentiate between right and
wrong.
However, she was bitterly disappointed at Edith who was being so unreasonable.
If Horace genuinely wanted to lend a hand to the Qin family, then he would have easily done that using his connections.
However, in reality, he chose to do nothing which made it evident he had no interest in helping.
He merely gave her some directions by telling her who she could talk to. In short, he kept himself as an outsider and didn't have
any interest in actually helping them.
Everything Horace did suggested that he decided to stay away from this mess. There was no way he would offer any further help
to the Qin family.
This wasn't realized by Cassandra until very recently. At one time, she had hoped that Horace might feel pity and lend help. But it
turned out she was being too naive.
Tang Group was preparing for an important project for the government. If Horace offended anyone or was found to have any
relationship with Vernon, then it would get Tang Group into trouble. She was certain this was the last thing Horace wanted at this
critical period.
Cassandra was not a fool. By now, she had figured out everything and knew that only god would help her. And there was no
more people she could go to for help.
She was kind enough and didn't want to reveal this cruel truth to Edith and Cloris. This would leave them shattered and
hopeless. With no choice, she started to nod her head.

"Okay, I'll talk to him. But I can't guarantee that he is going to help us."
Later, Cassandra left the house. She sat in the driver's seat with thoughts swirling on her mind. She had been running up and
down in G City for the last few days paying visits to almost all the people related to this case. However, her visits did not have
much impact.
Some people even implied that Vernon's sentence might be the result of the fight among some officers. They insinuated that
Vernon was the sacrificial lamb. Hence no matter what she did, it would all be in vain.
This stunning amount of penalty was too huge even for the Tang family. She had no idea who would lend her such a huge
amount.
Cassandra was completely lost now. Her heart ached so much from all the burden she carried. It felt like she was burning in the
hell.
She did not want to stay in the Qin family because she would have to watch Edith's and Cloris' frustration. That would make her
feel worse, so she decided to head back to Tang house for the time being.
On her way, she noticed the road was covered in snow. It took her two hours longer than usual to get home. And when she
finally arrived, she was exhausted from all the driving.
The first thing she noticed on entering was Ivy and Jill. They were chatting in the living room while Jill laughed heartily at
something which Ivy had said. Their relationship had deepened with time.
Cassandra wasn't surprised since she had witnessed such a scene before. Being left out was something she was used to by
now. The same happened between Edith and Cloris as well.
It wasn't that Edith didn't care for her. She did yet she just did not behave intimately as to her younger daughter. For Cassandra,
being doted by her mother was like a dream which would never come true.
Cassandra forced herself to smile and greeted Jill. Quickly, she turned around and walked upstairs because she wanted to take
a rest. However, a voice stopped her when she was in the corridor on the second floor.
"Cassandra, do you want to save your father?"
She stopped and turned around, looking at the woman with the slightly big belly.

"It seems that everyone knows what happened to my family," said Cassandra in an indifferent tone.
Now even Ivy knew her father, Vernon, was in trouble. This confirmed her doubt that everyone in the Tang family had been
informed about it. A sad smile crept on her face when she realized no one had stepped forward to help them.
"Cassandra, don't take yourself too seriously. I'm here to negotiate with you. We need to talk about something important," Ivy
murmured, looking mischievous.
Ivy had a beautiful face that looked even prettier when she smiled. But somehow in Cassandra's eyes that face contained no
beauty. If anything, it made her feel uncomfortable.
"A negotiation? What do you want to talk about?"
Now Cassandra looked alert. 'What does Ivy want to discuss? What does she want from me?' Cassandra wondered, looking
troubled.
Ivy walked towards Cassandra and stopped right in front of her. With a beautiful smile on the face, Ivy looked at the skinny
woman. Her pretty smiling face was like a deadly poison to Cassandra.
"Cassandra, you know it...you know what it is that I want."
After this, she passed Cassandra a smile that seemed akin to a witch's smile. Cassandra felt like Ivy was a witch who would
soon swallow her up.
Cassandra recalled the incident that took place a few days ago. Ivy, bravely, stormed into her office and offered that she would
like to replace Cassandra's position in the Tang family. Moreover, she promised she was willing to pay any price for it.
Ivy wanted to be Lionel's official wife at any cost. In order to do that, the very first step was to throw Cassandra away from the
Tang family.
When that happened, Cassandra had sounded firm and sure of herself.
"I want my parents' safety and I don't think you can help me get that. I am sorry, I can't afford this exchange," Cassandra had
replied and rejected Ivy's offer that day.
Suddenly, Cassandra felt like the sky was overcast and the wind was blowing hard. She narrowed her eyes and stared at this
pretty woman standing before her.

"Ivy, you knew that my father would be in trouble, right? You knew it!"
Cassandra asked, unable to hide her astonishment. Now she started to suspect that Ivy might have something to do with this
matter. The whistle blower was still John Doe. But if it was Ivy, it would make more sense. She had a motive to hurt Cassandra.
Ivy was threatening her to leave the Tang family and she did this by putting the Qin family in danger. This way she was certain
Cassandra would yield to her warnings. As a result, it would provide her with a perfect opportunity to marry Lionel.
"What did you just say, Cassandra? How am I supposed to know your father would be in trouble? He who is unjust is doomed to
destruction. I think your father deserves it. He made such a terrible mistake and it's just a matter of time for the truth to shake
out. I'd like to offer you a suggestion. Don't accuse me for your downfall. Rather than accusing me, you should focus on how you
will get out of this situation!"
Ivy reached out and stroked her belly. A gentle expression appeared on her face when she thought about her baby. She was like
any other mother-to-be. However, what she said felt like the sharp teeth of a serpent to Cassandra. Cassandra's heart prickled
as she listened to Ivy's hurtful words.
"I'm warning you, Ivy! If I ever discover that you have something to do with this then I'll never let you go!"
Cassandra looked at this hypocritical woman coldly and threatened her.
"Oh my god! I'm so afraid of you. You won't let me go? Oh, sure. I'm just a weak woman who is incapable of escaping from you,"
Ivy teased with a disdainful and cunning smile.
"Let me make it clear to you, Cassandra. You want to save your family, right? But I know you don't have the money it takes to do
it. It is going to be impossible for you to borrow it from others. Guess what, I have got the money. I have enough to pay for the
penalty. Now you go ahead and think about it carefully, Cassandra. Are you sure you don't want to accept my offer? If I were you,
I would think...really quickly...and say yes. The clock starts ticking now."
Cassandra glared at Ivy as she went on with her little speech. Her words had hit Cassandra right where it hurts. At the moment,
she was in a state where she couldn't even form a word.
Cassandra felt like Ivy's face was enlarged in front of her eyes which made her feel dizzy all of a sudden.
Seeing Cassandra's hesitancy, Ivy started laughing even louder.

"Don't hesitate now, Cassandra. You married Lionel to save your family. But as you can see, no one in the Tang family is willing
to help you. They are staying away from you and didn't even bother to offer any help. I'm sure you have realized your position in
this family. You are nothing but a poor beggar here! The Tang family would kick you out of this family when they realize how
useless you are! Face the reality please. It's better for you to leave before they show you the door!"
The serpent's bright red tongue hung out, forcing the princess to grant its request.
Its green eyes stared at the princess and its tongue twitched. It was restless and wanted a quick reply from the princess.
However, Cassandra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, there was no more hesitation
or anxiety in those clear eyes.
"You are the poor beggar, Ivy. Everything you have is Lionel's, right? You have nothing of your own. Everything is taken from the
Tang family, isn't it? Have you ever earned a cent by yourself? You have been using your baby to earn this position in the Tang
family. You are living such a pitiful life."