A Graduation Gift

Chapter 262 The Forgotten Past

It was a warm spring day. The sunlight shone on two little girls playing on the vast green fields of the Qin Residence courtyard. The little ladies had a white rabbit with red eyes frolicking about. They were absolutely thrilled at the furry creature.

"Look at her, Cassandra! My dad gave her to me. She's so cute! She even understands what I say!"

Little Courtney proudly boasted to her friend while stroking the rabbit's soft fur.

Little Cassandra also reached out to feel the creature's soft fur. It was so smooth and warm. It hopped around them playfully.

"What are you doing? Why didn't any of you tell me you were playing here?"

Another girl's voice sounded from a distance. The two girls raised their heads and saw that it was Little Cloris.

She was wearing a white lace dress, with a cute pink hairpin on her hair, making her look like a little princess.

Courtney immediately became nervous upon laying eyes on Cloris. She had a lot of food and toys that Cloris often took away from her. This rabbit was a present from her father, and she didn't want Cloris to take it away.

Courtney bent over and covered the rabbit with her arms protectively, while defiantly staring at Cloris.

As Cloris approached, her eyes darted to the rabbit in Courtney's arms. Her eyes lit up as she went closer.

"Oh my God! A bunny! It's so cute! Can I join you?"

After she spoke, her hand shot out to scoop the rabbit from Courtney without waiting for her permission. Courtney swiftly ducked to avoid her.

"My dad gave it to me. Don't take it!"

Courtney emphasized that her father gave her the rabbit over and over again. She was so worried that Cloris would take the rabbit away like she did with her other toys.

"I just want to hold it in my arms! I want to play with it!"

Cloris didn't give up so easily. Instead, she walked forward closer and closer, fully intending to rob Courtney of the fluffy creature.

Courtney turned around and ran to the nearby corner, looking back at Cloris every once in a while warily.

She would never give the rabbit to Cloris! If she did, Cloris would consider it her own. She would lose her rabbit then!

The rabbit was a present from her father. No one could ever take it away!

Seeing Courtney run away, Cloris vented her anger on the nearby Cassandra. From NôvelDrama.Org.

"Take the bunny for me! I want to play with it!"

Cloris pointed at the distant Courtney and ordered Cassandra angrily.

"It's hers. We can't just take it without her permission."

Cassandra frowned at Cloris's demand and firmly refused. She was upset when Cloris tried to order her around. As the younger sister, Cloris wasn't supposed to throw out commands like that.

As a matter of fact, Cassandra was only a year older than Cloris, but she was the more sensible one. However, Cloris had a way with words. She never misbehaved in front of their parents. That was why Vernon and Edith preferred their younger daughter. Despite being popular with her parents, she never got along well with Cassandra and her peers, which was exactly what was happening now.

"Pfft! You're both bullies! I'm going to tell Mother about it!"

Cloris immediately turned around and ran into the house. After she disappeared, Courtney slowly returned by Cassandra's side.

"Cassandra, will she really tell our parents we bullied her? But we didn't!"

Courtney worriedly said. If Cloris told her parents about it, her mother would definitely tell her to hand over the rabbit to Cloris. She didn't want that to happen at all. She didn't want to play with Cloris.

"I don't think she really will. Don't worry, let's just find another place to play."

Cassandra stroked Courtney's hair in comfort, and took her to the other side of the field.

They followed around the hopping rabbit happily. Cloris came along the cobblestone path as well. The two girls were too steeped in playing with the little creature to notice Cloris approaching slowly. She was secretly hiding a stone in her hand.

The rabbit kept hopping forward. Cassandra and Courtney laughed heartily while chasing after the elusive little thing. Suddenly a white figure rushed out from behind. She raised her arm, stone in hand, and threw it at the rabbit.

"You damn little thing!"

The stone found its mark square on the rabbit's head. The poor thing stumbled on the ground since the stone hit its head mid-hop. It lay on the grass with its legs twitching.

Cloris was unsatisfied with the result. She retrieved another stone, got closer and hit the rabbit again and again with an angry face.

"I don't like you! Damn you!" screamed Cloris.

The rabbit started to bleed profusely and its white hair soon turned crimson.

The terrible scene stunned both Cassandra and Courtney. Their eyes were wide with terror. The rabbit who had been happily hopping around was now lying in its own pool of blood, motionless. It was all too much for the two little girls!

"Mommy!"

Courtney howled in fear. Tears started streaming down her cheeks.

Cloris seemed like she wanted to hit the rabbit one more time, but Cassandra ran towards her, took the stone, and shoved her away.

She was taller and more powerful than Cloris. So Cloris lost her balance and fell down on the ground. She sat up and felt hurt. Then she started to cry as well.

The cries of the children alarmed Whitney and Edith who were in the house. They rushed out to them in the courtyard. Both were shocked to see the macabre scene.

Courtney was wailing in terror. Cloris was on the ground, crying her heart out. There was blood on her hand. She tried wiping it away on her white dress, which was stained now all over. It looked terrible.

Cassandra, on the other hand, was standing nervously, bloody stone in hand. A bloody rabbit was lying on the ground beside her. It was already dead.

"Cassandra! What have you done?"

Edith sputtered as she ran towards them. She held Cloris in her arms and checked for any injuries. Her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw blood on Cloris.

"Are you hurt, sweetheart? Did your sister hurt you?"

In Edith's eyes, Cassandra must've hit Cloris with the stone. Why else was there blood on her dress?

Cassandra was just staring at the distance, dumbfounded. She was unable to move or think clearly. She just stood there, bloody stone in hand.

Whitney held Courtney in her arms and comforted her softly. Her heart broke seeing her daughter crying so much.

Edith didn't even bother checking if Cassandra was hurt as well. Cloris held her mother and sobbed against her chest.

Edith carried Cloris and took her inside the house before Cassandra came to and asked her in a low voice, "Mother…"

Her voice was weak. She didn't understand why her mother didn't even care if she was hurt. She felt so hurt. She was scared too!

Suddenly, Cloris, who had been crying in her mother's arms, began to scream.

"Mommy! Keep her away! She'll hit me! She'll hit me with the stone! Just like what she did to the bunny!"

Cloris screamed horribly and even made a show of kicking her feet in the air as if she was trying to escape something terrible.

Edith was shocked at Cloris's sudden outburst.

"Don't come near! Don't move! Stay there!"

Edith turned around and ordered Cassandra. Her face was a mask of terror, looking at Cassandra like she was a monster who would really hit Cloris with the stone.

Cassandra was bewildered when she saw her mother look at her like that. There was fear and worry plain on her face. Edith stared at her with wide eyes.

Cassandra originally was going to follow her mother into the villa, but she stopped, watching Edith go inside the house holding Cloris in her arms.

Whitney also took Courtney away and left the Qin residence, leaving Cassandra alone in the courtyard with a dead rabbit by her feet.

Night came and the nocturnal breeze washed over Cassandra's face. She shivered from the cold.

It was getting darker. Cassandra was still alone in the courtyard. She dared not go inside the villa, for fear that Edith might look at her like she did a while ago—like she was some kind of monster.

Cassandra carried the corpse of the rabbit to the nearby tree. She dug a hole and buried it.

She then sat beside the little makeshift tomb for a long time. Finally, unable to ward off the drowsiness, she lay down and fell asleep.

She had a nightmare that night. Edith was looking at her with the expression she had when they found the girls.

"Stay there! Don't come any closer!"

A tear trickled down her smooth cheek.

"Mother…"

the girl in the dream whispered, a disappointed and sorrowful look on her face.

After Edith and Cloris went into the house, Edith took care of Cloris. She bathed her in warm water and even changed her clothes. Later, they had dinner and then Edith tucked her into bed. After Edith had finished everything, she finally realized that Cassandra was still at the courtyard.

So she went outside immediately in search of Cassandra. When she did find her, the little girl was asleep under the tree with a burning fever. She was muttering something as she dreamt.

Edith got scared. She took Cassandra to the hospital. On the other hand, when Vernon got home, the first thing he saw was Cloris's bloody white dress. He was scared out of his mind.

His fear turned into rage when he learned what had happened. The maid told him everything.

"Cassandra is such a weird child! I can't guarantee that everything will be fine with Cloris if she continues to stay with Cassandra! I've made my decision. I'm sending her away. I don't ever want to see her anymore!"

Cassandra's fever lasted for three days. After she left the hospital, she was immediately exiled to a small town by her parents. She watched her parents abandon her, with the granny standing right beside her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, she had calmed down as if nothing had happened.

Since then, the terrible memory was locked away deep in her mind.