A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 263

Cassandra took a few steps back, clutching the clothes on her chest.

The sudden memory sent a shiver down her spine. Everything made sense now. All the questions she had no answer to were finally clicking into place.

Now she knew why her father didn't like her from her childhood, and why he seemed so distant. He must have thought wrongly of her all along.

She had been sent to the small town because her family was afraid that she would hurt her sister again.

She had deliberately forgotten it, but today, there was no escape from the onslaught of memories that came back to her.

Cassandra stood shaking; next to her, her mother Edith was paled.

"Children can say whatever they like. Don't take their words seriously," Edith said, her voice cracking despite its low tone.

She still wanted to defend Cloris, but Cloris burst out, "I won't apologize. That accident happened years ago! It's not my fault that Courtney chose not to let it go. It has nothing to do with me!"

With those words, Cloris stormed out, bumping into Cassandra on the way. Cassandra lost her balance from the sudden impact and fell to the ground, her eyes absent.

Cloris pushed the door open and rushed out, leaving Cassandra and Edith behind.

"Cassandra, why didn't you stop Cloris?"

Edith stood up and anxiously ran after her younger daughter, while Cassandra lay on the floor unmoving, a bitter smile plastered across her face.

Whitney sighed at the scene that unfolded and walked up to Cassandra. She took her arm and helped her stand on her feet, leading her like a child to sit down on the sofa.

"Cassandra, what's the matter with you? Are you okay?"

Whitney looked at Cassandra in bafflement. She didn't know that Cassandra had lost recollection of that memory.

At her question, Cassandra snapped back to reality. "I'm all right, Auntie. I just need to rest for a minute. I'll go find Cloris and talk to her."

Her legs felt like lead and could not move; her entire body was cold and heavy with the things she had found out today. She had no idea where to begin or how to face all this.

"Well then, I'll go back first. I have to take care of Courtney," Whitney said, taking her leave from the room.

Cassandra was left alone with the noise of her thoughts.

So much had changed in just a day. Cassandra felt lost and helpless.

She had solved the riddle, but it was like a trap door opened from under her, plunging her into a deep cellar.

For years, she had a lingering feeling at the back of her mind that she had done something wrong. She had to live swallowing the unfair treatment she had received. She couldn't even retaliate. But it turned out that none of it was her fault. She sat on the sofa, her shoulders slumped, wondering whether this was all a sick, cruel joke.

Rufus arrived at the villa, only to find Cassandra nowhere in sight. Frowning, he reached for his phone and called her.

"Where are you? You shouldn't have gone out. You're still unwell,"

he complained. Rufus came back as early as he could, looking forward to spending some time with her. But he came back to an empty, silent house.