A perplexed look washed over Cassandra's expression as she stared at Rufus's expectant face.
"I just got my period two days ago. I thought you knew that?"
She huffed out a short, breathy chuckle at his ignorance, a small smile sliding across her lips in
adoration.
Rufus paused as he contemplated what Cassandra had told him before. At the recollection, he visibly
deflated and pouted in disappointment; his desire to have a child with his beloved remained as a pipe
dream once again.
His shoulders drooped while he trudged towards her slowly. As he tucked his head on the crook of her
neck, he sighed and pulled her into a tight embrace, "Cassandra, we've been together for so long, why
aren't you pregnant yet? Should we find time to go to the hospital and have a check-up?"
Rufus murmured in resignation. The bitterness swelled in his heart at the thought of Cassandra not
being able to bear his child.
"There's no hurry, we aren't even married yet."
A forced smile attempted to comfort her sorrowful spouse and concealed the throbbing pain Cassandra
fostered inside. She did not want Rufus knowing that she had lost their offspring. It would wreck him,
and she was not sure if she would ever be ready to see his grieving and broken gaze upon learning the
truth. She willingly took the role of a liar as she spouted insincere words of reassurances whenever he
brought up the topic.
"We can get married anytime you want!"
Rufus straightened and beamed; it had been his long wish to be wed to her, after all. He would even go
as far as asking for her hand right at this moment, if he had not been consistently rejected in the past.
"No, we have to receive my mother's blessing before getting married,"
Cassandra objected softly, worrying about Edith's severe attitude towards him. She had never liked
Rufus as an individual, and more so as Cassandra's significant other. Cassandra could not begin to
imagine what bigger fuss her mother would likely cause over Rufus being her marriage partner.
"Don't worry, she will surely approve of us!"
Rufus said sweetly, a sly smirk accentuating the vagueness of his statement that did little to hide the
secret he seemed to be itching to tell her.
"How do you know?"
Cassandra raised an eyebrow as she appraised him, playing along with his little game. His behavior
confused her and made her raise suspicions of him deliberately acting just to throw her off.
He had been at the receiving end of Edith's rudeness the other day, so how could he be so certain that
she would give them her blessing without any drawbacks?
Rufus grinned and added, sensing her bafflement, "Cassandra, Auntie and Cloris are at the studio at
present. I wanted to ask them to come to our house, but they intended to leave soon so I hurried back
to pick you up instead."
Cassandra's mouth fell open in disbelief at the news, her eyes shining with unabashed joy. She
believed him without a doubt; she had full faith and trust on Rufus, knowing that he was not one to lie to
her.
"My mother and Cloris came? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
Excitement clouded her mind and filled her with unrestrained jitters. It was an unforeseen event, but
meanwhile it was also a welcomed surprise, especially since they even took the trouble to come to her
studio.
"Then, let's go! Your family's in a very good mood today and has even shown quite some interest in the
studio. What's more, they've become really friendly to me, so I think I must've gained your mother's
approval for our relationship!"
Rufus gushed as he began to head out the door in hurried steps. Cassandra listened attentively and
nodded, hoping that what he was saying was true.
"Is that so? Then, we should go quickly!"
She picked up her bag on the counter as she overtook Rufus in haste. She was afraid that if she were
to arrive late, her waiting guests would be gone.
Contrary to her concerns, she was greeted with the view of Edith and Cloris lounging on stray chairs as
soon as they arrived at their destination.
The studio was still unfurnished; the workers were still in the process of putting up wallpapers of her
own picking. Despite the lack of decorations, the visitors were leisurely surveying the room with absent
curiosity as they anticipated the couple's entrance.
"Mom! Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I wasn't even prepared!"
Annoyance stained her otherwise tender tone, her complaint a mere facade to the clear elation
brimming in her sanguine eyes. She could tell that her mother was in high spirits due to the relaxed
look she sported as she acknowledged their presence. If all went well, Edith must have already settled
on accepting Cassandra's bond with Rufus.
"I visited your father with Cloris and he told me about your studio. He was really happy about it, so
Cloris suggested to take me here for a visit. According to the reports Cloris saw, there'll be some
activities for the benefit of the public here, right?"
Edith said in delight, her hands clasped in front of her in enthusiasm. She went to visit Vernon before
coming to the place, which had helped her overcome her worries. It was a blessing for Rufus, seeing
as her hostility had disappeared with the emergence of her sudden positive outlook of the situation.
Cassandra almost teared up in happiness at her mother's statement. She cast a grateful smile at
Cloris, fully aware of her participation in persuading their parent. Her sister did not look away like what
she had initially presumed and even mirrored her expression with one of her own.
"Sis, I read from the reports that you're the first person to build a studio like this in G City! They all said
a lot of good things about you."
Warmth flooded through Cassandra upon hearing Cloris use her past nickname of endearment. She
was taken aback at the action, and could not deny the butterflies fluttering inside her stomach at the
unexpected affectionate gesture.
If this meant that Cloris had thought things through and decided to make up with her, then Cassandra
would be more than glad to start over.
Perhaps, it would have been a touching event to the eyes of others, but Rufus was no fool. He had
been silent throughout their whole discussion as he observed Cloris through sneaking glances, full of
skepticism.
The woman was an enigma, a distasteful one that acted like a thorn in his cherished one's side. She
swiftly changed between acting like a good, lovely sister and stabbing her sister the second she went
unsuspected from watch.
She did not deserve any of the trust her sister was willing to give her, and so Rufus kept her at the
forefront of his mind just in case she would threaten to hurt Cassandra again.
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