“Would you do something for me?” Garrison asked, his voice deep and slightly raspy, carrying a hint of allure.
“As long as it’s something I can do, I will definitely do it.”
Garrison had been contemplating how to ask Winifred to undergo plastic surgery. It was a difficult topic to broach, and he had been mulling it over for many days.
Winifred had been hospitalized for half a month and then rested at home for another half month. Garrison had hired a nutritionist to help her recuperate.
Winifred was shy around strangers, so Garrison had stayed home for over a month, even setting up a temporary office in the house. He worked there while Winifred kept him company.
It was more accurate to say she found a place to sleep. She took her prescribed medication daily, which made her drowsy. Unable to resist the sleepiness, she would doze off in the chair, often waking up startled as if she had tripped in a dream, only to fall back asleep.
Garrison focused on his work but would glance at Winifred during breaks. Seeing her curled up in the small chair, sliding down with her neck at an awkward angle, he knew she would wake up with a sore neck.
He decided to buy a small bed and place it in the study so Winifred could sleep more comfortably.
Now, Winifred’s health had improved significantly. Although still thin and pale, her eyes were no longer as dull, and her lips had regained some color. She looked much more spirited.
In this condition, she should be able to undergo plastic surgery.
Undergoing such extensive surgery wasn’t easy. It required following the doctor’s pre-surgery regimen, including physical conditioning and psychological counseling, to avoid complications during and after the procedure.
Winifred sat quietly on the small bed, waiting for Garrison to speak. When he didn’t say anything for a while, she grew curious and leaned closer. “Gari, what are you thinking about? Do you need my help with something?”
Garrison snapped back to reality, nearly choking on his own saliva. “What did you call me?” He was taken aback by the way Winifred called him.
“I called you Gari. Do you like this nickname?”
Garrison liked this term of endearment; it made him feel closer to Winifred.
“Why did you suddenly give me this name?”
“Is it not okay? I think calling you Gari feels more intimate… Am I allowed to call you that?”
“Of course, you can call me whatever you like; I really like it. Keep calling me that.”
Winifred felt happy but didn’t forget the main issue and continued asking her previous question.
“Have you encountered any difficulties recently? Is there something I can help you with?”
Almost forgetting the main issue due to her calling him “Gari,” Garrison decided not to beat around the bush anymore about the plastic surgery.
“I haven’t encountered any difficulties recently; there’s nothing I need your help with. But there’s something I want to discuss with you. Do you want to remove that scar on your face?”
At the mention of her scar, Winifred instinctively touched her face. She had always been afraid to face her current appearance. Garrison knew how much it bothered her and had removed all mirrors from the room. But just feeling it with her hand was enough for her to know how unsightly it was.
She cared about the scar mainly because she feared Garrison would find her ugly.
Now that Garrison mentioned removing the scar, Winifred wondered if he suddenly found her unattractive.
Her eyes flickered intensely before she lowered her head in dejection and withdrew her hand from Garrison’s grasp.
What happened?
Winifred had been fine just moments ago; why was she suddenly unhappy? Quick-witted as he was, Garrison immediately understood what Winifred was thinking. As she pulled her hand away, he grabbed it firmly.
“I never thought less of you because of that scar on your face. I’m asking if you want to remove it because I care about your opinion. Winifred, I can sense that you’re self-conscious about your appearance. If changing your looks can help you regain confidence, I hope you’ll consider removing the scar or even undergoing plastic surgery.”
“Plastic surgery? You mean changing my entire face?” Winifred was very resistant to the idea but didn’t want to refuse Garrison’s well-intentioned suggestion.
“Plastic surgery isn’t scary. Changing your face doesn’t mean you’re no longer Winifred. You can change your life and start anew.”
Winifred instinctively bit her lower lip.
She already felt like a burden to Garrison. If plastic surgery could help her change herself and stop being a burden to others, she was willing.
“I…” Winifred wanted to say she agreed but couldn’t get the words out.
Understandably so; undergoing such extensive surgery meant enduring many cuts on her body. Being someone who feared pain greatly, it was normal for her not to accept it immediately. She needed time and a compelling reason to undergo plastic surgery.
Garrison thought of something. “Haven’t you always wanted to know how you got those injuries?”
“How did they happen?”
“It was because of an enemy. That person not only harmed your family but also kidnapped you. All those wounds were inflicted by him.”
Winifred’s breath hitched. She had always wondered how she got those injuries; Garrison’s explanation made perfect sense.
She had an enemy. More accurately, the Gentry family had an enemy who harmed not only her parents but also her.
“Who is it?” She grabbed Garrison’s hand tightly; due to extreme emotion, her hands trembled and her entire back tensed up.
“You’re still too weak now; you’re not strong enough yet. I can’t tell you his name at this moment because he’s very powerful-so powerful that even I can’t deal with him right now. If he finds out you’re here with me, he’ll definitely find a way to take you away. For your safety’s sake, I can only suggest you get plastic surgery.” The person he referred to was Leland; he wanted to use this opportunity to tell her about Leland but couldn’t risk revealing his name yet due to medical advice against shocking Winifred too much.
For now, Garrison didn’t want Winifred recalling anything related to Leland.
Feeling like all strength had left her body, Winifred slumped down entirely. If even someone as capable as Garrison couldn’t handle this person, it meant he was extremely dangerous.
Knowing how weak she was herself and not wanting to cause more trouble for Garrison made even thinking about revenge impossible for Winifred.