The psychologist spoke in a roundabout way, trying to tell Garrison not to worry about Winifred’s memories. Those memories weren’t important to the current Winifred. Instead of dwelling on them, the most important thing was her physical health. As long as she wasn’t sick or in physical pain, whether she remembered or not didn’t matter.
One should finish what they started step by step. For now, since Winifred had no major health problems, they could proceed with the cosmetic surgery slowly.
For someone like Winifred, who needed extensive facial reconstruction, recovery would take more than six months. The post-surgery adjustments would take years.
Besides cosmetic surgery and recovery after it, restoring her to full health was also time-consuming and laborious.
Winifred was already struggling at the initial stage; the future would be even more challenging.
Garrison nodded, indicating he understood and waved them away.
Winifred was groggy from the aftereffects of anesthesia. Her body was highly sensitive to it, so the doctors had used minimal amounts during surgery, testing it locally bit by bit. Thankfully, the surgery was completed without major issues.
After twenty days, Winifred removed the bandages from her face. Her face was still swollen and far from looking good; it even seemed uglier than when she had scars.
Instinctively, Winifred reached to touch her face, but Garrison stopped her. “Don’t touch it; it’s still healing.”
“I want to see my face.”
“Not yet…”
“Is it ugly?” Fear flashed in Winifred’s eyes, spreading across her face. She trembled with fear.
“No, it’s in the recovery phase. It will take at least three months to see the full effect. We’ve seen the cosmetic templates many times; that will be your face in the future. It will be beautiful, just as good as before.” His last sentence was meant to comfort her.
A nurse nearby added, “Yes, Miss Dawson. Your face is swollen right now, so you can’t see the results yet. We recommend avoiding mirrors during this period. Once the swelling is gone, you’ll be amazed by your face. Looking at yourself now might affect your emotions negatively, and maintaining a positive mindset is crucial for successful recovery.”
Winifred pressed her lips together. She had intended to look into Garrison’s eyes to see herself reflected there but now lost the courage. She couldn’t even meet his gaze and felt like a cowardly turtle hiding in its shell.
“If my surgery fails… will you still like me?”
Garrison didn’t answer directly but asked instead, “Let me ask you this: if I were disfigured and became ugly, would you stop liking me?”
Winifred shook her head frantically. “Of course not; I wouldn’t stop liking you just because you’re disfigured.”
“Neither would I!” Garrison said sternly for once. “If you wouldn’t stop liking me because I’m disfigured, why do you think I would stop liking you if your surgery fails? Or do you think I’m that shallow?”
Winifred was stunned into silence, tears welling up in her eyes.
Garrison’s heart softened instantly as he gently hugged her. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to yell at you. I just wanted you to understand.”
He wanted Winifred to put herself in his shoes and understand his feelings and desires.
“Garrison… I’m sor…” Winifred couldn’t even finish a sentence as she started sobbing.
“Don’t cry; your face is healing…”
With this reminder from Garrison, Winifred managed to hold back her tears. She felt remorseful and didn’t know how to explain herself to Garrison. She felt awful for thinking he only loved her for her looks.
She thought back on her scarred face and illnesses before the surgery. He did not even mind seeing her like that. What made her think he would mind the way she looked now?
He had told her countless times that he loved her for who she was. How could she not believe him?
This time she finally learned her lesson.
The cosmetic surgeon personally monitored Winifred’s recovery progress. He had performed countless surgeries with no failures so far. Winifred’s surgery was very successful; her recovery was progressing well, although her features wouldn’t be as perfect as they used to be.
Winifred’s natural features without that unfortunate scar could even make her an unparalleled beauty in the entertainment industry today.
That scar could have been gradually removed through surgery too. The surgeon had once advised Garrison against extensive cosmetic surgery because natural features were hard to come by.
But Garrison had his own ideas, and Winifred agreed to extensive reconstruction to transform herself completely.
The cosmetic surgeon looked at Winifred’s face and formulated a detailed recovery plan in his mind. He needed to discuss it thoroughly with Garrison.
He knew that while it was Winifred’s face being operated on, Garrison made all the decisions. Nothing could be done without his consent.
Garrison stayed with Winifred at the cosmetic hospital for over six months. During this time, Winifred’s episodes became less frequent, and she gradually got used to hospital life.
During the day, Garrison accompanied her on walks downstairs; at night, he sat by her bed reading stories or books aloud and even discussed recent trending news with her so she could stay updated on current events.
The nurses were very kind and often assured her that she was recovering well. These words helped Winifred regain some confidence.
While Winifred improved steadily, Garrison faced increasing challenges. His energy was limited; spending so much time with Winifred left him little for work or family matters.
Work problems began cropping up: a land deal fell through when another company outbid them; one or two partners terminated contracts in favor of others; potential collaborations fell apart due to repeated delays that made him seem unreliable.
He took work calls non-stop in the hospital corridors with furrowed brows and irritation etched on his face. However, regardless of how trouble the situation was, he always returned to Winifred’s room composed and cheerful, so as not to worry her.
Sensitive and thoughtful as she was though. Winifred couldn’t help but notice everything. She heard him suppressing his anger during phone calls just outside their room.