A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 56

The Tang family was like a cage, despite all the opulence around. To Cassandra, it was a coop from which she longed for an escape.

For four years, since she got married to Lionel, her dreams had began to die a slow, painful death. Patiently, she prayed and hoped for a turn-around in her marriage. But all the time, Lionel gave her the cold shoulder, moving away from her with each passing day, until there was an irreconcilable rift between them. How she now wished for an escape from this unfulfilling, oppressive marriage! But what were her chances of ever falling in love with a man again?

Right now, only under the soft moonlight and the gentle night wind could Cassandra tell the strange old man what she had buried deep in her heart all this time. She just needed someone to talk to, and this man was the perfect chance to let out the struggles bottled up in her heart. She couldn't talk to her parents or her sister about her problems, let alone they too were in a hard place at the moment, and were emotionally and financially drained.

"Adding to them yet another burden would break them down completely. That's not something I'd do to my parents. For all the sacrifices they've made for me. They deserve better. Right now, I should be the one supporting them,"

Cassandra said with a blank look on her face. She gazed into the distance, eyes unreadable. It seemed that her mind had flown back to the summer of the year when she just graduated from high school. The argument between her parents, the tears of her mother, and her disappointment. They all came rushing back to her in an instant.

For the sake of the Qin family, she accepted the arranged marriage with Lionel. It was forced on her by the family. Putting up resistance, she had cried, cursed and even tried to escape this horrible fate. But in the end, she just couldn't see her mother suffer. She had compromised and agreed to this nightmare of a marriage.

"I also realize that there are things in life that I just can't change. So I think that I should be content with what I have right now and focus on the good side of my life. But..."

Cassandra trailed off. She had agreed to this marriage for the sake of her family, that was true. But it didn't mean that she would give up on her dreams. That was why she was determined to finish her studies in Rome, and graduated with first class honors.

"But fate again played a cruel joke on me, letting me meet a person that I shouldn't have met. And one thing led to another..."

she said, thinking back to the cruise before she returned home. When she lifted up her head, she locked eyes with Rufus, and felt something in her heart stir.

Under the influence of alcohol, in the heat of the moment, the two of them got tangled with each other, and shared a passionate night together. The night was unforgettable. Whenever Cassandra thought of the fateful night, she had a bittersweet feeling in her heart. On one hand, she was happy that she could spend a night with the man she liked; but on the other hand, knowing that Rufus and Lionel were brothers, she felt bad that they could never be together for real.

That fling would end in Rome, so she had thought. Little had she expected that she'd see Rufus again. What was more, she even found out that he was her brother-in-law. Now, their relationship was complicated. She had no idea where the two of them stood. She liked Rufus, and this was something she couldn't lie to herself about. But she also knew that they would never have a future together, as long as she was married to his half brother.

The Qin family put their hope on her. They really depended on her. Besides, Horace was also fond of her, and believed in her potentials. All these expectations put so much pressure on her. Cassandra just wanted to leave all this behind and fly away from here.

When she woke up in the hospital and saw Rufus, she almost couldn't tell whether it was the reality or just a dream. Was she losing her mind? Her head was in a spin!

Ever since she came back from abroad, she had come to the hospital a few times. Accidents just kept happening to her. And every time it happened, Rufus was always there to save her.

No, Rufus was everywhere. The more she wanted to keep her distance from this man, the more she seemed to be attached to him. It looked like their lives were tangled together in some mysterious, inseparable ways, that she could never escape.

An inner hunch told her to get away from that man if she didn't want get into trouble, but she just couldn't fool herself. Her heart, body and soul always betrayed her. Every part of her wanted that man. A strong, irresistible desire for him, his love and all that he was.

Whenever he came close to her, she just lost control over herself. The charm and appeal of his presence became necessary like the very air she breathed.

When Cassandra was carried away in her reverie, the old man studied her. There was a deep frown on her face, and clearly her mind was somewhere else. It seemed that she had a lot on her plate.

"If I were half as brave as your son, I would have left here already. I want to break free from this cage that I am in right now and live a free life. But sadly, I am not that brave,"

Cassandra said, sounding so dejected. She just had too many things to consider. If she left her family behind, they'd suffer for her decision; but if she stayed, she'd continue suffering in silence. Either way, it was a real dilemma.

"I envy him for the fact that he lives whichever way he wants. A carefree life and..."

Cassandra couldn't finish her sentence. Overwhelmed, her blank eyes, looking into the distance turned teary. In shame, she looked down, obviously feeling defeated and powerless. She wiped away her tears using the back of her left hand, before raising her head slightly to look back at the old man. She tried to conceal her misery with a smile, but it only ended up as a grimace.

"I believe that you also had your impulsive moments when you were at your son's age. And I bet that you also had quarrels with your family. Maybe your son is at that stage where he just wants to do whatever suits his fancy and is just simply having the time of his life right now,"

seeing the rueful reaction on his face, Cassandra assured the old man. He seemed lost in his thoughts. In pain and at a loss. Not to trouble him more, Cassandra held back.

She learned that he too, in his youth fought against the arranged marriage his family had wanted for him. Marriage, he knew was one of those things that parents could not force on their kids. Especially, he knew it was futile for parents to imagine they could choose spouses for their sons and daughters. Love was not something to be forced on anyone. And the old man knew only too well from his own marital problems. It was not until his late 40s that he broke free from the arranged marriage. Only then did he marry the woman of his dreams.

Unfortunately, the whole thing had held the old man from having kids earlier. When he got a son at long last, in his later life, the whole family doted on the kid. Wholly a brat, they unknowingly turned the kid into.

From a young age, his son was bright and showed promise in many things. The only problem was that he wasn't willing to take over the family's business. He shirked responsibility.

Well, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. At least, by reasoning in Cassandra's line, the old man saw a younger version of himself in his son.

Someday, everything will make perfect sense. In fact the old man wondered why he had not realized that earlier. It would have saved him from unnecessary stress.

Let nature take its course. It just wasn't worth it, trying to force the family business on the kid.

Looking back at Cassandra with a smile on his face, he couldn't help but admire her wisdom. She also had a way with words.

The old man glanced down and saw her wristband. The hospital used wristbands for patient identification. The name on hers took him by surprise.

As if he hadn't read it well, he leaned closer. It was clearly written out in bold font.

The flicker of surprise in his eyes escaped Cassandra's notice.

"I feel a lot better after talking to you. Thank you. You are really an amazing and kind girl,"

The old man appreciated and nodded with approval.

Then he added,"And you don't need to be miserable, just because it seems impossible to escape the oppressive coop now, that is your marriage. There are many positive things around you that you can choose to focus on, instead of dwelling on the negatives. As well, you are young, beautiful and intelligent. All that you need is the courage and patience to pursue your dreams. Maybe one day, the cage will open for you to leave and follow your heart."

Touched by his words, Cassandra smiled, tilting her head to look at him. Her eyes sparkled under the meticulously balanced hospital lighting.