A Graduation Gift novel Chapter 184

Rufus might have been physically close to Amanda, but now to her, he felt so distant—he was there but he wasn't really there.

She gazed at Rufus's handsome face, feeling something break inside her.

It was clear to everyone now, not just Horace, that Rufus was avoiding Amanda.

Since he was a member of the Tang family, the very least he could do was be polite to Amanda who was a guest of Horace's.

However, Rufus could care less. He knew very well that Amanda was only here to make herself look good to his family. It was quite obvious that almost everyone else too knew.

In fact, Rufus had changed over the years and he'd stopped loving her a long time ago.

Suddenly, Rufus's phone buzzed—it was a message from Cassandra.

"I'm already at the Garden Villa. I'm okay. Don't worry about me," the message read.

Rufus's face broke into a smile of relief, something Amanda didn't miss.

It needed not be mentioned that Rufus lit up at the sight of Cassandra's message. And as for Amanda? She had bent over backwards trying to get a smile out of Rufus but to no avail.

Amanda scanned the table carefully looking at each person on the table as she racked her mind for ideas. Horace was growing old so he was obviously just interested in the benefits that came with her. Jill obviously knew nothing about music but she insisted on getting involved. Horace probably set her to this so Amanda could grow to like the family. And as for Lionel and Ivy…

Amanda had been secretly watching them and she realized that there was no love at all between the two.

She heard that Ivy had been having an affair with Lionel for years. Ivy tried to set Cassandra up by falling down the stairs on purpose and hurting her baby. She set this up so that Cassandra would get kicked out, making an opening for her to take Cassandra's place. But her plan failed miserably—even though Cassandra ended up divorcing Lionel, Lionel still didn't ask her to marry him. While she was living in the Tang house, she and Lionel weren't together legally. She must have been massively bitter.

Amanda watched them all closely before coming to a decision in her mind. She put on the fakest smile she could and said to Ivy, "Miss Luo, I heard that you majored in administration management in college. My office is short of hands now. May I have the honor to invite you to work in my company?"

Amanda made the offer to Ivy.

That was just too shocked for Ivy to comprehend what Amanda had said to her in a short time. She had been depending on Lionel since she graduated and never worked before. She had lived an extravagant life thanks to Lionel and probably she'd already forgotten all the skills she learned in college. Why did Amanda offer her a job? That was just too amazing!

Lionel had gotten so drunk the other night that he accidentally spilled his true feelings for Cassandra— that was how Ivy confirmed that he really didn't love her anymore so she wanted to have a plan for herself.

Her dream of marrying Lionel seemed to be impossible and she was in an awkward position with the rest of his family—they were too polite to ask her to leave. She was virtually Lionel's wife but she in herself knew that wasn't true and she wasn't that valuable in this family.

Horace was seemingly getting on Amanda's good side which Amanda didn't seem to mind. She was obviously well-liked among the Tang family so Ivy would be dense to decline Amanda's offer.

Lionel, meanwhile, couldn't help but chuckle to himself—he had been with Ivy for quite a while now and he knew for a fact that all Ivy knew were clothes, make-up, and gossip. There was no way she would survive working an office job.

Lionel was just about to refuse Amanda's offer for Ivy but Ivy beat him to it.

"Of course. Thank you, Miss Ke, for thinking of me. I've always wanted to find a way to apply all that I've learned from my degree,"

Ivy said in a sweet voice, bowing her head slightly. She had no other choice but to work for Amanda. It was just what she really needed.

Lionel was at a loss for words.

Horace was happy to see Amanda get along with Ivy and even make a job offer to her.

It is said that a woman always get her way when chasing a man. Now that he knew Amanda still had feelings for Rufus, he would do whatever he could to help Amanda and Rufus get together.

They did have history after all. Amanda, who was no ordinary woman, was in love with Rufus; and Rufus would be an idiot to reject her.

Rufus kept to himself the entire meal. The conversation never lulled, though as everyone seemed to be in a light mood.

Amanda was well aware that Rufus wasn't very interested in talking to her right now and she knew that it was all because of Cassandra. However, she maintained her happy demeanor and forced herself to chat with everyone. Everyone else seemed to be having a good time.

Amanda intended to leave right away after dinner, but Horace had another plan in mind—he wanted to make sure that Rufus and Amanda left together.

"Rufus, I'm nursing a horrible headache, would you please be so kind as to see Miss Ke out for me?"

Horace disguised his order as a suggestion; but in reality, Rufus really had no other choice but to oblige. As the master of house, if he was unable to see any guest off, his firstborn son would have to do it.

"You didn't have to bother, Mr. Luo, but thank you!"

Amanda said before Rufus could refuse.

Rufus stood up with the same stoic expression he'd been wearing the whole night to walk Amanda across the court to the gate.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Amanda stopped.

"Rufus, I know you're still angry at me and I know you don't want to talk to me. But I just want to tell you that I love you and I always have, even after all these years. I've never looked at another man because you're the only man I see."

As she spoke, she turned around to look at Rufus. Tears were welling up in her beautiful eyes and she looked nothing short of delicate.

"I don't care,"

Rufus said coldly.

He had turned Amanda down so many times now and she refused to listen. She still wouldn't let go of him so Rufus had no other choice but to set it straight even if it meant being harsh. He needed to do that so she could just move on.

"How could you do this to me? We used to be happy with one another and you loved me, didn't you? You loved me, I felt it. I know it in my heart, you loved me! You may have Cassandra but you'll realize soon that I'm just the better woman. I'll prove it to you. Rufus, you won't be happy with anyone else but me,"

Amanda fixed her gaze on his face and wore a sad smile. She was no longer the confident woman she usually was—whenever it came to Rufus, she just crumpled up like a pathetic woman.

If only she could back to the past when they were young and Rufus loved her dearly, she would. The Rufus then wouldn't hurt her the way he was doing now.

But Rufus had already changed, and things happened, he had fallen in love with another woman. Their time together had long passed.

"I'll walk you out,"

Rufus said as if he didn't hear a word Amanda just said. He walked towards the gate, stopped, and looked back at Amanda as if he was just waiting for her.

Amanda felt her heart was broken into pieces now. How could Rufus be so cruel to her? Indeed, he was a cool man in the past. He would never treat her like how he did today.

The light cast a shadow over Rufus's sharp and angled face. His eyes were dark and emotionless.

Amanda remained where she stood—under the pear tree. From afar, she gazed at Rufus as she swore under her breath, 'I'll prove it to you, Rufus. You'll be mine again someday. We'll be together again.

I'll make you fall in love with me again!'

By the time Cassandra arrived home, she still felt a bit light-headed. She took a very quick shower and went straight to bed.

That night, she had a dream.

She had a dream about Rufus.

Suddenly, she woke up.

When she woke up, Cassandra thought she was still dreaming because a pair of arms had been enveloped around her and a heavy breathing filled her ears.

Rufus sensed she'd woken up so he whispered in her ear, "What woke you up? Do you need some loving?"

His face broke into a huge smile before he kissed Cassandra on the lips fervently.

He arrived later than Cassandra did. She'd already been sleeping by the time he got in the room so he slid next to her in the bed and wrapped her in his arms.

But when she woke again around dawn, he was nowhere to be seen.

Cassandra felt a bit disappointed. She just wanted to be with him day in and day out without any interruption.

She held a difficult position with the Tang family so if she and Rufus were married, it would take a while before they could adjust.

Cassandra lifted her head to peek through the window and glimpse the two Chinese parasol trees brought by Rufus. A light smile played on her lips as she murmured quietly to herself, 'These trees grow together, share the sunlight with one another, and stand through the storm together until the end.

Rufus, I hope we'll share our lives the same way they do. I don't ever want to be apart from you.'