A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 104

Cassandra could not believe what she heard. She was stunned by what Edith told her. For a moment, she was unable to move as she looked at her mother with wide eyes.

"An official who is also involved in the case wants your father to take the full responsibility for it. If your father declines, he will get a heavy sentence. This deeply distresses your father. This was why he wanted to kill himself..." Edith sobbed.

Edith lived a very comfortable and luxurious life earlier. But after everything had been happening in her family, she seemed to have aged considerably.

"Your father just woke up so the guard allowed me to talk to him. The first thing he told me was to be careful," she continued.

Cassandra frowned as she heard her mother's words.

She wondered, 'That official and father are under investigation together. It is certain that the official had something to do with the issue. How could he be able to maneuver himself out of the situation?'

She felt strangely uneasy. Something had always felt wrong about the situation, but she could not point her finger to what it was.

"Mom, dad is safe now. I am happy to know that dad is all right. Let's talk about the rest later. I will try to find someone who can help us deal with the case. Don't worry about the fine. I have already had that taken care of. Moreover, don't tell anyone what dad has told you," Cassandra emphasized.

Edith nodded and wiped her tears away.

"Cassandra, what about my tuition fee?" Cloris asked hurriedly.

As soon as Cloris heard that Cassandra was able to raise enough money for the fine, she immediately reminded her sister about her promise to help her with her studies abroad.

Glancing at Cloris, Cassandra's heart was harder than before.

Cloris was clearly accustomed to spending money like water. If she ran out of money, she would clearly lose herself.

Cloris used to be very lively, gentle and considerate. But when she realized that her father could no longer give her what she wanted, she became unkind and mean.

Maybe this was really what Cloris was like. Vernon's predicament finally exposed her for who she really was.

"For the time being, I can't give you the money. I need to pay off father's fine first, and we will talk about your tuition later," Cassandra replied coldly.

She stood firmly against her younger sister's whims.

'Cloris is spoiled terribly by our parents. She takes everyone's efforts for granted. She feels as if I should always give in to her whims. I will no longer do this, ' she thought.

Upon hearing this, Cloris stamped her feet in anger, turned, and ran away.

Cloris sullenly headed downstairs, her mind filling with grievances. Suddenly, she bumped into a man.

"Cloris? What are you doing here?"

That voice was oddly familiar. When she lifted her head, she found that it was Arthur.

"I... I came to see my sick friend," Cloris lied.

She didn't want to tell him that her father tried to commit suicide in the detention center because of commercial bribery. She wondered, 'Even if my father were saved, I still don't want others to know about this. How would I show my face if people found out about this?'

"How is your friend? Is there anything I can do to help? I know the Director of this hospital," Arthur asked gently.

He was as mannered and proper as before. His gentle smile would make anyone feel slightly comfortable.

Looking at Arthur, Cloris felt so happy that her heart thumped unsteadily.

"She is all right. There is nothing seriously wrong with her. She is getting better. How about you, Arthur? What are you doing in the hospital?" Cloris uttered.

Cloris tried to divert his attention away from this matter to keep him from digging for more details.

"Oh, my father is staying in hospital here. I came to see him," Arthur answered.

There was a knowing glint appearing in his eyes.

'I knew that Vernon was arrested. Moreover, his suicide attempt is already known to almost everyone in the industry. It wasn't a secret, ' Arthur thought to himself.

'Cloris, though, is a little girl trying to fool me without practical wisdom. She is clearly less smart than her older sister, Cassandra.

She is stupid but not useless. I will use her to get something I want.'

"I heard that the school provides opportunities for students to study abroad. Have you applied for that program yet?" Arthur asked deliberately.

Cloris, being proud and arrogant, was one that would surely grab this kind of opportunity because of its prestige.

"I applied for it but my application has not been approved yet," Cloris replied.

His concern reminded her own disappointment about the expenses involved.

'Even if the school sponsors my tuition fee, the living expenses will still be too much for me to bear on my own. I can hardly imagine what it would be like to live a plain life.

It's not something I'm used to. I was raised in luxury. Recently, though, I have had to become more mindful of my expenses. I have not been able to shop. This is making me very unhappy, ' she thought.