A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 113

The next morning, Cassandra was about to head to work after finishing her breakfast when Horace stopped her.

"Cassandra, how is the reconstruction project of the amusement park going?"

Horace asked. He sounded happy today. It was rare for him to be this enthusiastic about a project of Tang Group.

"I've already taken the case. We are about to start the design work soon,"

she replied as a smile spread across her face. The thought that she would design her favorite Ferris wheel herself made her feel very lucky.

This was something that she had wanted to do for such a long time. Now, she was determined to build a unique and beautiful Ferris wheel.

"You seem to have lost a lot of weight recently. I heard you cough a lot during breakfast. Please take care," Horace said.

Cassandra felt moved by his care.

Horace had been rather aloof ever since she requested for a divorce. He had not been treating her affably these days because of that. Sometimes he would totally ignore her during the meals; and the most he did was a nod when Cassandra greeted him in the hall. This was the first time he had started a conversation with her and asked about her work after that day.

'Maybe this is the first step to reducing the tension between us, ' thought Cassandra.

She went back to the dining table and sat down beside Horace to describe her new idea.

"I'm planning to focus on the Ferris wheel in the amusement park. It's large and will take up lots of space. What's more, there will be LED lights installed in it. It will beautifully light up the night sky. It is going to be the centerpiece to all the other parts of the new amusement park. Also, there's a small river inside the park that I am planning to widen so it will be another attraction. With the Ferris wheel beside the bridge..."

Cassandra could talk all day about her design. She was in her element. Her eyes brightened with excitement.

"Why don't you suspend the case and hand it over to someone else?"

Horace suddenly interrupted, still with a smile resting on his face.

"Wh... Why?"

Cassandra was bewildered. The amusement park was her main project. The government was going to create a huge landscape to increase the number of tourists in the city and the amusement park would be located in that area. This was why both Tang Group and the government were investing a lot of resources into the reconstruction.

Rufus frequently went on business trips to visit cities with similar projects to conduct surveys and gather insights. He wanted this to be perfect. Therefore he had barely come home lately.

Work aside, the project was very special to Cassandra. It was where she and Rufus went on their 'first date.' Although it was more for work, it was still a memory she held close to her heart.

Now, Horace wanted her to hand it over to someone else. Surely, she hesitated.

"Father, I've been following up this case and done a lot of work. I dedicated so much of myself to it. I believe that I'm the one who knows this project the most. No one else is more fit to handle this than me. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to change the person-in-charge before the start of the design work?"

Cassandra looked at Horace. His calm smile made her feel uneasy. She could not see through him. Still, she tried to persuade him.

"It's common to change the designer indeed. You hand it over to others in order to help regulate the amount of contribution everyone has in the project. And I will have other works for you of course,"

he explained. If Cassandra kept the amusement park project to herself, she might earn a bad reputation in the industry. People would interpret it as a way for her to hoard power and influence. This was not a good reputation to have for an architect.

"But...Rufus told me that I would be in charge of the project. This has also already been relayed to the members of the committee..."

Cassandra still struggled to convince Horace to change his mind. This was her dream and she desperately tried to fight for it.

"Rufus is the President but I am the Chairman. He will not object to me. I will personally call him about it," Horace replied.

He clearly was no longer pleased. His tone seemed to grow colder. He did not appreciate Cassandra—or anyone, for that matter—challenging his authority. The fact that this was not the first time Cassandra did this annoyed him.

Seeing Horace's expression, Cassandra realized that her argument was hopeless. There was no use trying to push it further now.

To feel better, she reminded herself that Horace meant well. He just did not want her to be too stressed. He was also protecting her reputation and simply doing his best to be a compassionate father-in-law.

She later realized, though, that there was no way to twist it. It was disappointing and she would not feel better about it.

Horace suddenly took out a key and put it on the table.

"You've sold your car and it is not convenient for you to keep commuting. Here, this car is yours now. As a manager of the Design Department of the Tang Group, you are not supposed to be seen taking a taxi to work. It gives our company a bad name,"

Horace said gently before sliding the key to Cassandra.

Cassandra had been taking a cab to work ever since she sold her car. Although she seldom used the Tang family car to get to work, taking the taxi had been her more usual choice.

She was careful not to give the wrong impression to The Tang family that she was taking advantage of their resources.

Vernon did not provide a lot of dowries when she married, just her Beetle and some cash.

The Qin Group was in trouble financially at that time. Those were the only things he could afford.

Cassandra drove that car since the first day she started working in the Tang Group. Her Beetle had an ordinary build. It was not the type to catch the other employees' attention. No one would imagine that it was owned by the daughter-in-law of the Chairman.

Still, because of Vernon's case, she was forced to sell it and left with no money and no personal vehicle.

No one in the Tang family cared that she had sold her car. She also did not make a huge fuss about it. Cassandra just went on and adjusted to her new life.

Horace's generous offer took her by surprise.

"I know you prefer to stay low-key. It's very practical, but it's the newest model and suits a woman like you,"

Horace told her gently.

"Father, I..."

Cassandra was speechless. She always assumed that Horace's silence and indifference to her predicament was his way of communicating that he did not want to be involved.

No one in the Tang family offered their sympathy. It almost felt as if she were not part of that family at all.

This actually made her feel sad and disappointed. Still, she knew she had to stay strong so she could take care of her family. But now, Horace got her a new car. He did care, after all.

"Take it. I know you've been living a hard life recently. You don't need to handle everything by yourself. You are too independent,"

Horace advised. Tears seemed to form in his eyes. In the morning sunlight, he looked rather amiable. Warmth filled Cassandra's heart looking at her father-in-law.

She realized how narrow-minded she must have been. Horace must have known everything she had been doing to help her family, but he did not want to hurt her pride.

What he said kept repeating inside her head: "I know you've been living a hard life recently." Cassandra felt a lump in her throat.

"Thank you, father,"

Cassandra said, feeling guilty for judging him so early. It was not that he did not care for her, he just showed it differently.

After Cassandra left, Jill, who had been eating breakfast in the background, wiped the area around her mouth with the corner of a napkin.

"Really? You got her a car? We have so many in the garage, why didn't you just get one from there?"

Jill said disdainfully. A part of her felt resentful that Horace did not consult his decision with her first.

"Oh, Jill. Sometimes you can be so dull. She's going through a lot. A new car would mean much for her. Besides, it did not cost me a lot and I could get what I want," he said.

Horace thought about his wife's terrible business acumen. It was evident that she was raised in privilege, ignorant about how to create her own wealth.

"Get you what you want? What can she possibly give you? Vernon is in jail and Edith is a simple housewife. Cloris successfully earned a scholarship and intends to go abroad for study so she's probably someone who could be useful. But her scholarship turned to be part of Vernon's penalty. So what on earth can Cassandra give you? Even her managerial position was a gift from you!"

Jill grew angrier as she spoke. The way she saw it, Cassandra brought nothing to the Tang family but troubles, despite of a few business cases she earned. In a way, she was a burden to the Tangs!

"Indeed, she does not have much. But right now, she has Vernon's company," Horace answered darkly.