“It’s okay if you can’t remember.”
Winifred frowned and voiced the question that had been bothering her, “Garrison, do you not want me to regain my memory?”
“No… I just think it’s better to let things take their natural course. There are good memories and bad ones. I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle the bad ones. If you want to know about our past, I can tell you bit by bit,” Garrison said as he turned on the faucet, rinsed the soap off his hands, and shook them dry. His hands were much more attractive than Winifred’s.
Winifred looked downcast. “But I have no recollection of anything you’ve told me. Isn’t it said that hearing familiar things should trigger a reaction in the brain? I really have no reaction at all.”
Of course, there wouldn’t be any reaction. Many things Garrison told her were fabricated. They hadn’t spent much time together, and they weren’t really a couple or engaged.
One lie led to another, and sometimes he even had to deceive himself. The stories he made up trapped him the most.
Would Winifred blame him when she fully regained her memory and realized he had lied to her during her amnesia?
Probably not, since he had helped her so much and lied for her own good.
Garrison comforted himself with this thought.
Winifred noticed that Garrison seemed less cheerful. After staying home for a week, he sent her back to the hospital for more treatments to erase her scars.
With each treatment, her scars faded more. Winifred was pleased with the results but still wasn’t used to seeing her face.
Three years of plastic surgery, constant adjustments from head to toe-Winifred had undergone 994 cuts.
She had completely transformed into another person with a different appearance. Under Garrison’s care, she had become much more confident and could now take care of herself.
Over the years, her face had been adjusted several times and now looked perfect and natural. The scars on her body had faded thanks to expensive treatments, except for a few deep ones that remained pink but were still satisfactory to Winifred.
With a new appearance came a new life. Apart from some fragmented memories, she couldn’t recall much from the past. Three and a half years had passed. She had long since let go of the past and decided to move forward.
However, she couldn’t understand why Garrison still kept her confined despite her transformation. She had undergone so many surgeries and spent over a year in the hospital so she could live freely and enjoy life. Yet she still couldn’t go out.
Why was Garrison always watching over her?
She didn’t want to stay in Bankshire; she wanted to go with Garrison to other places like Peachshire Town or Chiwood, or even travel abroad. She wanted to see him at work and meet his parents and visit places she once lived.
She wanted to reconnect with her past and remember something.
But Garrison denied all her requests.
Winifred was unhappy and sulked for the first time in a way that couldn’t be easily soothed.
“I’ve changed so much, yet you still won’t let me go out. What was all this for? Or do you just see me as a plaything, a caged bird? That’s very disrespectful.”
Garrison hurriedly explained, “It’s chaotic outside. I don’t let you go out alone because I’m afraid you’ll encounter danger. If you want to go somewhere, I’ll make time to accompany you.”
“But there will always be times when you’re unavailable.”
“Then let the bodyguards accompany you; that way I’ll feel at ease.”
“What are you worried about? Does danger outside mean I can never go out alone? How is that different from being a frog in a well? Look at all those people outside; they go to work every day, shop, and have fun. Do they encounter danger? You’re overreacting, treating me like a child. I don’t want to be useless anymore. Three or four years is enough; I want to work and live like a normal person again. You’ve taken such good care of me these years; do you want me to become depressed again?”
Winifred had been earnestly undergoing treatment for both physical injuries and mental health issues. Following medical advice and taking medication had paid off; at least now she could speak up against Garrison confidently and assertively.
Garrison said, “I never thought of it that way.”