Despite hating someone deeply, she could act as if she loved him dearly and couldn’t live without him. Her acting skills surpassed those of any actor in the entertainment industry.
A person willing to do anything to achieve their goals is not someone you should get involved with.
Winifred Dawson was a habitual liar, so Henry still suspected she might be pretending again, trying to deceive everyone like before.
Henry asked, “What’s wrong with her?”
“Didn’t you hear the doctor? It’s a stress reaction after just waking up. She’ll be fine in a while,” Wesley replied.
“Do you think she’s faking it?” Henry scrutinized Winifred Dawson’s current state with a probing look.
Wesley shared his thoughts, “It doesn’t seem like she’s faking it.”
“She used to deceive everyone with self-inflicted injuries, pretending to be crazy and pitiable. It’s like the story of ‘The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf.’ When the shepherd boy lied about the wolf coming, people believed him at first, but after many false alarms, no one believed him when the real wolf came.”
Winifred Dawson was like that shepherd boy. Even if she wasn’t lying now, Henry saw her as full of deceit.
“She used to lie to target Mr. Burns with a purpose. Now that Mr. Burns is gone, does she need to act? Who is she acting for? Us? Who are we to her?” Wesley’s words left Henry speechless.
Wesley softened his tone, “We’re not important. Although I don’t particularly like her either, a mother losing her child must be quite painful.”
“Painful? Then why were we abandoned back then?” Henry retorted instinctively. Thinking of the past, his face darkened ominously.
Wesley was silent for a moment before gently ruffling Henry’s curly hair. “Don’t overthink it.”
“I don’t want to think about it either, but think about it: Winifred Dawson came to the hospital this morning wanting to terminate her pregnancy. The paperwork was done and she was ready for surgery. Now that an accident caused her to lose the child, isn’t this exactly what she wanted? And now she’s suddenly breaking down-who is she putting on this show for? I find her very hypocritical and not worthy of sympathy.”
Henry had long held a grudge against Winifred Dawson because of Leland Burns. His disdain for her wasn’t new and unlikely to change.
Wesley wouldn’t force Henry to change his mind either. Henry was independent and outspoken about whom he liked or disliked. Such straightforwardness made him easier to deal with compared to those who were two-faced.
“Maybe only when you truly lose something do you understand its value.”
Henry gave Wesley a strange look. “What’s up with you today? Why do I feel like you’re defending Winifred Dawson?”
Wesley patted his head.
“Don’t touch my head.”
Wesley withdrew his hand. “I’m not defending her; I’m just stating facts. Besides, Mr. Burns still cares about her; she can’t have any mishaps now. Who knows what might happen in the future? You shouldn’t show too much hostility towards him-keep it moderate.”
Wesley’s words reminded Henry of something. He muttered, “Why does he insist on her? Is he planning to hang himself on this tree?”
As the doctor said, Winifred Dawson’s stress reaction was temporary and would subside after some time. During this period, neither Henry nor Wesley approached her.
From the moment Winifred Dawson woke up, Henry had been observing her closely. He noticed that her intense reaction began upon seeing him. To avoid triggering another episode, he decided to stay as far away as possible. Wesley was right; since Leland Burns hadn’t completely let go of Winifred Dawson yet, if something happened to her now, he might blame Henry.
Mrs. Protich stayed by Winifred Dawson’s side carefully, bringing water for her to drink. After drinking some water, Winifred Dawson’s emotions improved and she seemed normal again.
Mrs. Protich didn’t dare mention the child now; any gentle comfort would only cause more pain for Winifred Dawson. It was better to pretend nothing had happened.
“Miss Dawson, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?”
Winifred Dawson had only eaten breakfast that day; it was almost six in the evening now and her stomach was empty. Having just undergone surgery and being physically weak already, she didn’t feel hungry or have an appetite.
But she knew she had to eat something now; her health wasn’t good to begin with. The doctor had clearly told her in the morning that she was severely malnourished and needed proper nutrition post-surgery to avoid long-term complications.
Thinking back to when she was pregnant and couldn’t keep anything down, now that the child was gone… maybe she wouldn’t vomit anymore.
“Miss Dawson…” Mrs. Protich called again, thinking Winifred hadn’t heard her as she seemed lost in thought.
“Mrs. Protich,” Winifred’s voice was weak, “I want some buns.”
Mrs. Protich made delicious buns, especially crystal buns with thin skin and juicy filling that even someone who rarely ate buns like Winifred could enjoy.
“But I don’t have time to go home and make them.” If she left Winifred alone, who would take care of her? Making buns wasn’t quick; it involved kneading dough and preparing fillings-a big task that took at least one or two hours plus travel time back and forth.
Without hiring a nurse because Winifred didn’t like being cared for by strangers and felt uncomfortable around them.
Winifred still had an IV drip; too much fluid would make her need the bathroom frequently. If Mrs. Protich left for three hours or more during this time, who would take Winifred to the bathroom? Certainly not Henry or Wesley.
Winifred said, “Isn’t there a bun shop at the entrance? Just buy some from there.”
Mrs. Protich felt relieved hearing this; buying nearby would only take half an hour at most.
“I’ll go get them now then; do you want anything else besides buns?”
Winifred shook her head.
Before leaving, Mrs. Protich asked if Winifred needed the bathroom but received another shake of the head as an answer before heading downstairs with her phone and wallet-leaving Henry and Wesley in charge wouldn’t cause any issues.
Winifred said she wanted buns just to send Mrs. Protich away so she could talk privately with Henry.
Henry didn’t know Winifred’s intentions; now that Mrs. Protich had left and only three of them remained in the quiet room, he felt uneasy.
“Should we leave? She seems fine now,” Henry whispered to Wesley.
Wesley shook his head: “Let’s wait until Mrs. Protich returns.”