They Mocked the Wrong Man

Chapter 005

Rose Hotel.

"What—what are you planning to do?!"

Inside the hotel room, Wendy pressed both hands protectively against her chest, staring at the man before her with obvious wariness and alarm.

"We had an agreement! You promised not to touch me inappropriately during our marriage!"

"Wendy, I brought you here to heal your face."

Cliff crouched down to her eye level, his voice gentle and reassuring as he tried to calm her obvious panic.

As he spoke, he reached out slowly, his movements deliberate and non-threatening, attempting to lift the edge of her black veil.

"No! Don't!"

Wendy immediately panicked, jerking away and trying to evade his touch.

But she wasn't fast enough.

The black gauze fluttered to the floor.

That scarred face—the landscape of damage she'd hidden for three years—was once again exposed before Cliff's eyes.

"Don't... don't look at me! I'm ugly..."

Wendy immediately raised her hands to cover her face, her shame so overwhelming she wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole.

Throughout her adult life, she'd cultivated an image of herself as a decisive, powerful CEO—ruthless in business, commanding in boardrooms, someone who never showed weakness.

But she was still a woman. What woman didn't care about her appearance? What woman could simply ignore her own reflection?

This disfigured face was her deepest wound, the vulnerability she couldn't armor against.

During countless sleepless nights, Wendy had stared at her reflection in the mirror and wept until she had no tears left, mourning the person she used to be.

"You just want to mock me, don't you?" she said bitterly, her voice breaking. "Well, fine! Go ahead—look all you want! Are you satisfied now?"

In Wendy's mind, Cliff must be seeking revenge for the humiliation he'd endured from her relatives at the hospital. This was his petty retaliation—forcing her to expose her greatest shame, using her vulnerability to hurt her.

Watching Wendy stand there with tears streaming down her scarred cheeks, still trying desperately to maintain some semblance of dignity and strength, Cliff could no longer contain the overwhelming protectiveness surging through his chest.

He stepped forward suddenly and pulled her trembling body into a fierce embrace.

"Wendy, no matter what you look like, in my eyes you will always be the most beautiful woman in the world!"

His voice resonated with absolute conviction.

"I, Cliff, swear that I will spend my entire life treating you well! From this day forward, even if the sky itself falls, I'll be the one holding it up for you!"

Feeling the warmth of his solid chest, the strength of his arms around her, Wendy's body gave a small shudder. Her mind went blank, all her anxious thoughts scattered by the force of his declaration.

If only she'd met him sooner, she thought distantly. Perhaps everything would have been different...

Sensing that Wendy's emotions had stabilized somewhat, Cliff gently released her and guided her to sit on the bed, helping her recline comfortably.

Then he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small container of medicinal ointment he'd prepared earlier. With movements of exquisite care, he began applying the pale cream to Wendy's scarred face.

"What is this?" Wendy asked, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. Her eyebrows trembled slightly, and even her voice betrayed her underlying anxiety.

Cliff retrieved clean gauze and began carefully wrapping it around Wendy's face, covering the applied ointment.

"This is a specialized healing ointment—my own formulation," he explained, his voice remaining gentle and reassuring. "Wendy, trust me. In just two hours, I guarantee your face will be completely restored."

That tender voice finally dissolved the last traces of her apprehension, leaving her feeling strangely peaceful despite the bizarre situation.

Two hours later.

"Cliff, can I... can I really remove the bandages now?"

Standing before the hotel room's full-length mirror, Wendy's voice trembled with such intense nervousness that her words came out shaky and uncertain.

Throughout the past two hours, she'd distinctly felt a burning sensation across her face—sometimes intensely painful, sometimes just an uncomfortable tingling that made her want to scratch. The discomfort had been nearly unbearable at points.

If Cliff hadn't remained at her side the entire time, holding her hand and talking to distract her from the pain, speaking words of encouragement and reassurance, she probably would have panicked and torn the bandages off long ago.

The most important thing—the detail that had anchored her through the ordeal—was that their hands had remained clasped together throughout, his grip steady and strong.

"Yes, you can remove them now."

Cliff's movements were gentle and careful as he slowly unwound the gauze from Wendy's face.

The moment she opened her eyes and caught sight of her reflection, Wendy froze completely, standing motionless as though she'd been turned to stone.

The woman staring back at her from the mirror possessed a face of near-perfect beauty.

Flawless porcelain skin, a healthy rosy complexion, delicate features arranged in harmonious symmetry—she looked like a celestial being who'd descended from heaven itself.

"This... this is my face?"

Wendy raised trembling fingers to touch her own cheeks, still unable to believe what she was seeing. The skin felt smooth and soft beneath her fingertips, completely unblemished.

Ever since the disfigurement three years ago, she'd lived in a constant state of humiliation and mockery. She'd endured endless cruel comments, pitying stares, and contemptuous whispers. Countless nights she'd jolted awake from nightmares, her face wet with tears.

But now—now that three-year nightmare had simply... vanished. It no longer existed.

Overwhelmed by the realization, Wendy could no longer control her emotions. She threw herself into Cliff's arms and sobbed openly, all the pain and suffering of the past three years pouring out in great, heaving cries.

"Wendy, these past three years, you've endured so much suffering."

Cliff held her tightly, his voice filled with solemn promise.

"But I swear to you—I won't let you suffer even the slightest harm from this point forward!"

"Really?"

Wendy lifted her tear-stained face from Cliff's chest, looking up at him with red, swollen eyes.

"How can you promise something like that?"

Looking at her vulnerable, pitiable expression, Cliff simply smiled. He reached into his jacket and withdrew a single bullet casing, pressing it carefully into her palm.

"This bullet was extracted from a comrade who took a shot meant for me. He died saving my life. I've carried it with me for years—it's my most precious possession."

He closed her fingers gently around the metal.

"Now, I'm giving it to you. From this moment on, you are the most precious thing in my life!"

Hearing Cliff's declaration, Wendy felt her heart flutter with an emotion she barely recognized—something warm and hopeful that had been absent for so long.

She bit her lip, carefully tucking the bullet into her pocket with an expression of reverence.

"Cliff, how is your medical skill so advanced?" Wendy asked curiously.

"All you need to know is that I was a military medic. That should be sufficient."

Cliff smiled but offered no further explanation, keeping his past carefully guarded.

The truth was far more complex. He had once been Draconia's legendary warrior, commanding three thousand soldiers of the Celestial Army with unmatched strategic brilliance and combat prowess.

During one particularly dangerous mission, his closest friend and comrade, Jason Lee, had thrown himself in front of a sniper's bullet meant for Cliff. By the time medical help arrived, it was too late. Jason had died in Cliff's arms, and that loss had carved a permanent scar across Cliff's soul.

The tragedy had driven Cliff to seek out the Needle King of Cathay, becoming his disciple and dedicating himself to mastering the healing arts. After years of intensive study, his medical abilities had reached extraordinary heights.

This return to River City served two purposes: repaying his debt to Wendy, and delivering Jason Lee's ashes to his surviving family members—a final duty that had weighed on Cliff's conscience for three long years.

Sensing that Cliff preferred not to elaborate, Wendy tactfully didn't press for more details.

"Wait a minute!"

Suddenly, Wendy seemed to remember something crucial. She sat bolt upright, her eyes widening with realization.

"If you could heal my face—which everyone said was impossible—then Grandfather's improvement at the hospital must have actually been your doing too!"

Her voice rose with indignation.

"That Chris really is a fraud!"

Realizing she'd wrongly accused Cliff and allowed her family to humiliate him unfairly, Wendy became frantic with urgency. She desperately wanted to return to the hospital immediately and expose Chris's deception in front of everyone.

She glanced at her phone and noticed a message notification.

"Cliff, my parents want me to meet them at Royal Grand Hotel. Come with me!"

Cliff was about to follow when his own phone suddenly rang—an unfamiliar number displayed on the screen.

"Hello? Who's calling?"

"Is this Mr. Cliff?"

A woman's voice came through the line, soft and melodious.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Autumn Lee. I'm the CEO of Venture Group, and I'm also Jason Lee's younger sister."

She paused briefly.

"I understand you have some of my brother's possessions to return to our family. Would it be possible to meet in person?"

"Jason's sister?" Cliff's expression became contemplative, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Where would you like to meet?"

"Royal Grand Hotel, third floor. Rain-Listening Pavilion."

The two of them arrived at Royal Grand Hotel within twenty minutes.

Although her face had been completely restored, Wendy still habitually wore her black veil. She worried that the dramatic transformation might be too shocking for her parents to process immediately—better to reveal the change gradually, at the right moment.

When Cliff followed Wendy into one of the ground-floor private dining rooms, he discovered the space was already crowded with people.

In addition to Wendy's parents, both Wanda Sutton and Cheney Wainright were present, occupying seats at the large round table.

The moment Quinn Sutton caught sight of Cliff's figure entering behind his daughter, his initially pleasant expression instantly darkened like storm clouds rolling in.

"Wendy!" he snapped, his voice sharp with displeasure. "Why did you bring him here? This is completely inappropriate!"

"Dad, it's just adding one more set of chopsticks to the table," Cheney interjected with false magnanimity, though his tone dripped with condescension. "It's not that big of a deal. Don't make things difficult for Wendy."

He paused, then added with barely concealed mockery:

"I suppose certain people heard that Royal Grand Hotel serves exceptional cuisine and desperately begged to tag along for a free meal."

"That won't be necessary."

Seeing a server beginning to prepare additional table settings, Cliff immediately declined.

"Actually, Autumn Lee, the CEO of Venture Group, has also invited me to dine here this evening. I need to head up to Rain-Listening Pavilion to meet with her."

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone in the private room first froze in stunned silence.

Then, almost simultaneously, they erupted into uproarious laughter.

The sound was so loud and mocking it seemed likely to shake the chandeliers from the ceiling.