From the text she received, she could tell that this man was not the type to let things go easily; he wouldn’t easily let her off. He frequently mentioned that night, reinforcing her memory, as if he didn’t want to simply let the matter slide.
This man’s personality was terrible, exactly the type that Winifred Dawson least wanted to deal with-overbearing, domineering, rude… He seemed to possess every imaginable character flaw.
That night too, no matter how much she cried and pleaded, the man did not relent; instead, he bullied her even more because of her tears.
Winifred Dawson felt both fear and disgust towards this man, whom she had only met once. It seemed like all the intense emotions of the past few years had erupted in that moment.
Yet, she couldn’t explode; she could only continue to suppress herself.
Who was this man, really?
In truth, his identity had nothing to do with her, but this type of man was like gum baked in the sun stuck in hair strands-once stuck, it was hard to remove.
That night at the hotel, the way the man dressed, and how easily he had managed to track her down, clearly indicated he was no ordinary man.
Winifred Dawson was at a loss, and just then, her phone rang again.
“A man can least tolerate betrayal, Miss Dawson. Do you think this counts as betraying Garrison Reeves? If Garrison Reeves learns that you shared a bed and had relations with another man the night before last, do you think he would still want you?”
Winifred Dawson began to bite her lip again, and the wound on her lip deepened. Unwittingly, she bit too deeply and gasped in pain.
Just then, there was a noise from the kitchen, and Garrison Reeves emerged.
The highly tense Winifred Dawson was like a hedgehog; her usually limp spines suddenly became sharp, and she shrank back, cautiously turning her head.
Her face still showed signs of shock, and it was very pale, her lips bitten red.
“Why have the wounds on your lips worsened?” Garrison Reeves noticed the state of her lips.
Winifred Dawson instinctively hid her phone and touched her lips, “Maybe it’s a bit of inflammation, it’ll be better in a few days.”
“You should stop biting them; it’s a habit you need to break.”
The wounds weren’t originally caused by her biting. Looking at the wound, she couldn’t help but remember that man, and she wanted to cover up the wound, biting it subconsciously, making it hurt even more.
Some wounds, even if healed, cannot cover up what happened.
Winifred Dawson realized that the man had struck at her heart; she had slept with another man, she had concealed the incident, she had deceived Garrison Reeves.
The things a man can least tolerate, she had committed them all. Had she betrayed Garrison Reeves?
But she didn’t know how to speak up, fear tearing at her soul like giant hands, making her feel less and less like herself.
Garrison Reeves slowly approached Winifred Dawson, “Did you get startled when I came out just now? I saw you shake a bit, and your face seemed paler.”
“Yes… I was startled.”
“Getting scared even at home, how come you’re so timid?”
He shouldn’t always compare the current Winifred Dawson with her past self. The Winifred Dawson of the past had not experienced anything, like a greenhouse plant enjoying only the best of everything, even if she learned nothing, someone else would pave the way for her, hence she had nothing to fear.
But the current Winifred Dawson, having fallen from heaven to hell overnight, became destitute, weathered by hardships, her entire being tattered, exuding a sense of being shattered, as if she might break at the slightest touch.
Afraid of both possessing and losing, she lived cautiously. During the five years she had disappeared, no one knew what had happened to her. Caution seemed to be etched into her bones, and even after so many years, she still occasionally shuddered with fear.
People say that if you do nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from the knock at midnight, but Winifred Dawson couldn’t explain why she was frightened, fortunately, Garrison Reeves didn’t ask further.
Garrison Reeves approached her, and just as he was about to get close, she suddenly stood up.
Garrison Reeves frowned, somewhat puzzled, and looked at Winifred Dawson.
Fearing he might ask something she couldn’t answer, Winifred said, “Garrison.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Could you kiss me?” Over the years, the most intimate thing they had shared was a kiss, but it had never gone beyond a simple touch. Garrison Reeves gave her a great sense of security.
Winifred Dawson wished to be closer to Garrison Reeves, more like a couple, but each time they moved deeper, she couldn’t help but panic. Garrison Reeves understood her emotions well and never pressured her in that regard.
Winifred thought it would be better, perhaps more ceremonial, if such beautiful things happened on their wedding day, but little did she know…
Now, she wanted Garrison Reeves to kiss her, as if by doing so, she could erase the scent of another man from her lips.
Garrison Reeves, not understanding her thoughts, smiled and flicked her forehead gently, “You’re injured and still not behaving?”
Touching her lips, Winifred blinked her dry eyes and asked, “Do you despise me?”
It was a silly question, and after she asked it, she was stunned. Why would she think Garrison Reeves despised her? If he really had, he wouldn’t have taken her in, covered in dirt and wounds, and spent four years helping her with surgeries and health treatments, giving her a new identity.
If he really despised her, he wouldn’t have treated her so well, nor would he have introduced her to his parents at the Reeves family home, always standing by her side to protect her.
“I would despise anyone but you. Don’t worry unnecessarily.”
Winifred realized her mistake and nodded, “I was overthinking.”
“That’s right, don’t worry. Rest well, and when spring comes, I’ll marry you, and then… don’t refuse me,” Garrison Reeves said with a corner of his lips raised, his voice slightly hoarse.
“Okay.”
After stroking her hair, Garrison lowered his hand, “Don’t go out today, just rest at home. I’ve already put the lunch in the thermal box; you can just take it out and eat later.”
“Aren’t you going to be at home?” Winifred Dawson felt an unusual fear whenever Garrison Reeves was out of her sight, her mind bursting with dangerous fears, worried that some incidents might happen without her knowing, like that man suddenly confronting Garrison Reeves.
Garrison sighed, “I have to go to the office today to handle some things from the past few days; it might be busy.”
Winifred wanted to bite her lip again but restrained herself, her face twisted with inner turmoil.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” Garrison Reeves had noticed Winifred’s unease for a while and wanted to ask but didn’t know how to begin. He vaguely felt that something unknown to him had happened to her, and he didn’t want to intrude too much, fearing that she might find him bothersome.
“Garrison Reeves, if I were hiding something from you, would you be angry?”