Chapter 602
Benjamin dragged Wendy by the hand straight into the elevator, taking her all the way up to the presidential suite at the top floor of the hotel.
When they had left earlier, the suite looked perfectly ordinary. But now, when they returned, it had been transformed.
“Go in and see for yourself,” Benjamin urged.
Wendy stepped in cautiously, her every move careful as though she might ruin the atmosphere.
Candles lined the floor in two neat rows, leading toward the center of the room where they formed a large heart. Inside the heart lay a massive bouquet of roses, surrounded by balloons and sparkling fairy lights.
It was breathtakingly romantic, the kind of scene most girls only dreamed about, the sort you usually saw in television dramas. Never had Wendy thought she would experience it herself.
She followed the candlelit trail through the glass doors and onto the terrace, where the view was even more stunning. Tiny lights twinkled like fireflies, the table was decorated with candles and fresh flowers, and soft music floated through the air.
The entire setting was like something out of a fairytale. Dressed the way she was tonight, Wendy almost felt like she had stepped into another world, like she had somehow become a princess.
But thinking back on her childhood, her heart ached. Since she was young, she had been mocked for her weight, left insecure and lonely, never once pursued by any boy. The only attention she ever got was when people teased her.
And now, for the first time in her life, a man had done all of this–something so beautiful and romantic–just for her. From the ballroom to this suite, her heart was caught between disbelief and overwhelming emotion.
She almost wondered if she was dreaming.
“Do you like it?”
19:05 Mon, Sep 8
Benjamin’s voice came from behind her.
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Wendy turned slowly, candlelight flickering across her tear–streaked cheeks.
“Why are you crying? Do you not like what I’ve done?” he asked quickly, worried.
She shook her head, forcing a smile through her tears. “It’s not that. I just… I can’t believe this is real. Am I dreaming?”
“No,” he said softly, stepping closer. His eyes glowed with warmth. “This is real.”
“Then why?” Her voice trembled. “Why would you do this? Why make me think you’re chasing me? I thought you hated me.”
The old words he’d once thrown at her still cut deep.
“Hated you? When did I ever say that?” Benjamin frowned, clearly not remembering.
“You told me yourself. You said I wasn’t your type, that even if someone gave me to you, you wouldn’t want me.”
Wendy’s gaze dropped, her voice low. Just saying it again made her chest ache.
Benjamin wanted to smack himself. Why had he ever said that? It was probably the one thing he truly regretted in his life.
He leaned closer, almost desperate. “That? You’re still hung up on that? I was joking, Wendy. Just a stupid joke.”
“You’re always joking. Always saying cruel things like they don’t matter. How am I supposed to know when you’re serious? I’ve told you before–we’re not from the same world. We shouldn’t even have crossed paths. I don’t deserve someone like you.”
Her voice was steady, but her heart was fragile. She had always known her background, had always been painfully aware she wasn’t meant to aim for a man like him. Their story had started by accident, a drunken mistake, nothing more.
“Come here.”
He caught her wrist and guided her toward a swing chair on the terrace. They sat
19:05 Mon, Sep 8
side by side.
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“If what I said before hurt you, then I take it all back. I’m sorry.” His tone was quiet, uncharacteristically sincere.
He studied her profile in the warm glow of the lights and smiled faintly. “But you don’t need to feel inferior. To me, you’re the best. You’re the most special. You’re priceless. I like you. I mean it.”
It was the first time Benjamin had ever confessed like this. For a man who had always lived carefree and unruly, this was monumental. Even Sebastian’s advice couldn’t have prepared him for how hard this moment hit.
Wendy’s chest tightened, her eyes flicking to his. “But… there are so many girls better than me. Why would you like someone like me… a fat girl?”
“You idiot.” Benjamin laughed softly. “You think I look down on you? I liked you because of that. You were soft, warm, real. That’s what gave me a sense of safety.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re insane.”
“I don’t care. Fat or thin, I like you. Because you’re you.”
Her heart twisted, overwhelmed.
Benjamin leaned in, voice dropping low. “Do you remember the days you spent in Goat Horn Village?”
Her breath caught. Goat Horn Village… her grandmother’s village. After her parents‘ divorce, her mother had taken her and her brother back there. Wendy had spent her entire childhood growing up in that village.
“Do you remember a sickly little boy? The one who hardly spoke? He was bullied by the local kids, pelted with stones, too weak to fight back. They all laughed at him and called him Goof.”
Wendy froze. Her eyes widened. “Wait… you mean… you’re Goof?”
Benjamin nodded. Back then, he had been sent to the countryside because of his autism. That was when he had met her–Fat Wendy, the only girl who had befriended him.
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The two outcasts had clung to each other, finding comfort in their shared loneliness.
All this time, Wendy had never understood why Benjamin was so stubbornly attached to her. Now she knew.
“Unbelievable… it was you,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” Benjamin said with a smile. “Don’t you think Goof and Fat Wendy make a perfect match?”
Her laughter bubbled up, shaky and wet, before it melted into tears.
That was when he pulled a velvet box from his pocket. Dropping to one knee before her, he flipped it open. Inside gleamed a diamond ring, brilliant under the lights.
“Wendy,” he said, his eyes steady and filled with emotion. “Will you accept Goof’s proposal? Will you marry Goof, and give me a whole brood of little Goofs?”