Rufus had hardly entered the room when Amanda suddenly threw herself against his chest, too
impatient to wait.
"You're finally here, Rufus!" she exclaimed while hugging Rufus tightly, her eyes closed and mouth
curled into a happy smile.
Her face was scarlet all over.
"What's wrong with you? Are you okay? Hold on, I'm calling a doctor for you!" Rufus added his
eyebrows furrowed in concern.
He managed to grab Amanda's arms and pushed away a bit.
He noticed that there was something wrong with her, but couldn't find out exactly what.
As far as he observed, Amanda was standing right in front of him, alive and kicking, which was weird
that she didn't feel very well at the same time.
"Rufus, my heart is hurting…it's broken…" Amanda murmured.
Her eyes started to tear up as she looked at him pleadingly.
Her heart was in pain as if a sword stabbed it, when she saw how Cassandra and Rufus looked at each
other's eyes so lovingly moments ago.
"Stop this, Amanda. I love Cassandra and she loves me. We'll get married soon," Rufus patiently
explained.
The finality in his voice only added more pain to Amanda's wounded heart. She gasped to catch her
breath.
"Why not me, Rufus? I don't see what's so special about her! It should've been me!"
Amanda refused to back down and accept his explanation. Tears were streaming down her cheeks at
this point.
"She's so special to me, Amanda. You're a great girl, but I love her now and I just can't see a life
without her. Don't you understand?"
Rufus knew that he needed to end this now, and if he showed the slightest note of hesitation, it would
only make matters worse. Amanda had to accept the truth, that Rufus had no spare love for any other
woman, only Cassandra.
"Rufus, I can't bring myself to listen to you right now. You know I'm ailing right now. Can't you at least
pretend to make me feel better?"
Amanda raised her head a little to look into Rufus's eyes. Her mouth forced a sad smile.
"No, Amanda. This ends now. I won't lie to you even if you're sick,"
Rufus responded harshly. Deep in his heart, he was reluctant to admit the truth to her now, since she
wasn't all that well; however his mind told him that he'd better end her expectations for her to move
forward.
At that same moment, along the corridor, Cassandra was walking towards the room where Rufus and
Amanda were in, which was at the end of the hallway. The soft carpet on the floor absorbed the sounds
of her footsteps.
She passed one room after another.
After a few minutes, the room was finally in front of her. She could hear a conversation on the other
side.
Two people were talking, one was Rufus and the other was apparently Amanda.
"Rufus, why are you doing this? You're hurting me! I hate you!" Amanda screamed.
She was wracked with sobs as she said the words, which was enough for Cassandra to shiver.
"I'm sorry, Amanda. I'm sure you'll find someone better in the future."
Rufus had no idea how to calm a girl, especially if she was wailing right in front of him.
"It really hurt me seeing you so close together. It's killing me softly. How could you be so evil? What's
wrong with loving me?" Amanda choked.
Cassandra stood incredibly still as their voice came through the crack of the slightly ajar door.
Rufus stood with his back to the door, and from where Cassandra was standing, he was apparently
holding Amanda tightly in his arms.
She felt desperation flood within her and almost consume her.
Everything in front of her was suddenly a blur, and all she could hear was a constant ringing in her
ears. Their words were a distant echo.
"Listen, Cassandra and I are already together. Nothing can change that. She's my girlfriend and I need
to take care of her! That's what a boyfriend does. Since she's with me, I won't let her down!" Rufus tried
hard to talk Amanda out of her obsession with him.
She looked like a helpless, unruly child to him now.
"Then what about me? Don't I mean anything at all to you?" Amanda asked desperately.
She looked deep into his eyes, her eyes bloodshot from the tears, waiting with bated breath for his
reply.
Rufus's eyebrows knitted as he thought hard about what to say so she would stop.
"Being with you was the best moments I ever had."
First loves were both happy and regrettable for everyone.
It was bittersweet, accompanying him through the difficult trainings at the Dark Night Group.
Like most young people, their relationship burned bright, but didn't last long. Rufus hoped that what he
said could bring closure to Amanda. So whenever she thought of her first love in the future, it wouldn't
hurt as much.
Cassandra held her breath outside. What Rufus said stunned her. She retreated a few steps slowly,
then turned around and ran away.
Did Rufus say that the time he spent with Amanda was the best of his life? Amanda must've been
perfect in Rufus's eyes.
Indeed, she had everything in the world—her status, identity, talent, and she was even as pretty as a
fairy that could only be found in fairy tales.
Of couse, a woman like this would be perfect in everyone's eyes as well.
'Since that was his true feeling, I must be merely just a responsibility that he needed taking care of, '
Cassandra thought.
This was the last thing Cassandra wanted. It was preposterous of him to think that she couldn't live
without him. Cassandra held her chin high, but was unable to smile for the moment.
She moved like she was on autopilot until she reached the hotel exit. Walking out to let the fresh air hit
her, Cassandra woke up from her daze and took a deep breath.
'Is that really the kind of man that you deserve for the rest of your life, Cassandra? Can't you see that
he's alternating between two women?' she asked herself in her thoughts.
'Are you sure that he can give you want you want? Do you even trust him?''
Her thoughts were disturbed by the crisp and cold voice of a woman.
"I've never expected Rufus would play piano in front of everyone tonight! What a pleasant surprise!"
Cassandra swiftly turned around and saw that Michelle standing beside her. She had no idea why she
was there or if she was waiting for her.
"It's been years since Rufus touched the keys of the piano. He learned how to play when he and
Amanda were lovers. She was his teacher."
Michelle turned her head in a sidelong glance to see how Cassandra would react while she herself was
apparently lost in her memories with her arms folded across her chest.
"They broke up because of Amanda's father, and I bet the both of them are regretting that they should
have fought hard for themselves. I guess that the older you are, the more you miss the youthful days.
Being the first love is like being on top of a unclimbable hill that not everyone can reach, right?"
Michelle was now fully fixated on Cassandra, waiting for her expected reaction.
However, Cassandra was emotionless. Her eyes were empty and tranquil.
She then cracked a faint smile that seemed to be isolated from her eyes.
All the pieces suddenly fit. Amanda was Rufus's first love and she even taught him how to play the
piano. What happened between them these days all made sense now.
Cassandra realized that she never really got to know Rufus, which made her feel so defeated.
"Right, first love is the best thing that could happen to anyone. It's engraved on people's hearts; no
matter how deeply you love later in your life, it can never compare with the first love. It'll haunt you
forever."
Hurt bad, Cassandra felt a head-splitting migraine as she took a deep breath. The air was cold and
brought fresh air to her lungs. She got a grip on her emotions since she didn't want Michelle to see her
cry.
"Michelle, I think you're right. I'll take your advice. I've come to realize that Rufus and I are truly
different, and I'll leave him before things get way out of hand."
She would bring him lots of troubles. Rufus had to clear the rumors around her, endure the Tang
Family's abuse, and bear all the bad things that had nothing to do with him.
She didn't want him to take the risks, since he wasn't even supposed to be placed in such an awkward
position in the first place.
"Are you serious?" Michelle fished.
There was a subtle delight in her voice. Thanks to her efforts, Cassandra believed that Amanda and
Rufus weren't over each other yet.
"Yes, I am serious. I am a complete mess now. His future is bright and promising, and I shouldn't be
holding him back like this."
She would let him go so he could fly high. That was the ultimate sacrifice she could make because she
loved him that much.
"Cassandra, I don't think Rufus would let you go that easily. You know how stubborn he can be,"
Michelle said, uncertain.
Her eyes glittered in the darkness, wondering if Cassandra had truly made up her mind.
"Well, If he's stubborn, I'm even more. You'll see, Michelle. If only he didn't have the car accident, I
wouldn't have stayed with him," Cassandra said, full of conviction.
If there hadn't been an accident, and if he hadn't pretended to be serious, she would have left him for
good.
"Are you sure? How about you? Can you move on?"
Michelle wanted to cover all the bases, since she was going abroad for an international competition as
one of the judges. She were to be out of town for a couple of days, and feared that Cassandra and
Rufus would get together again.
"No, Michelle. This time, I'm sure. We'll break up, and maybe he will hate me for the rest of his life..."
Cassandra started formulating her plan. She knew that Rufus would lose it every time he saw her with
another man.
Since she decided to break up with him, her heart was set in stone.
"I hope you take what you said to heart. I wish you can find the man who you truly deserve," Michelle
said quickly.
After their talk, she waved her hand and Jasper pulled over in front of them.
She opened the door and climbed inside. The car started to move away slowly.
Cassandra watched the car until it was a tiny speck in the horizon. She felt like her heart hitched a ride
with the car. She felt so empty.
"Why didn't you wait inside? It's freezing out here."
A warm coat was put over Cassandra's shoulders and she was immediately buried in a familiar scent.
It was him. It looked like he was done with Amanda and now it was her turn.
Cassandra wondered how it felt like to go between two women at the same time, and if he was proud
of himself.
"Come on! Let's go home!"
Rufus wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her to the car, but to his surprise, Cassandra
wouldn't budge.
"What's up? Something wrong?" he asked.
His eyebrows furrowed and he looked at her with concern in his eyes. Cassandra thought that he was
handsome even when he looked stressed.
"No, it's nothing. I just got an idea for a case. I need to get to the office right away, so I can put it in
writing before I forget," she replied with a faint smile.
She looked into his eyes intently, which reminded him of a delicate flower.
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