Chapter 1834

Still, as long as she could see the smiles on the faces of patients and their families, it all felt worth it.
But when Karina went to the director’s office, it was empty.
The quiet room seemed to carry traces of Wilfred’s presence, leaving her momentarily dazed. “Where could he have gone?” she wondered.
Just then, someone passing by said, “Are you looking for Dr. Wilfred? I just saw him change clothes and leave. He might have gone home. It’s already past office hours.”
Karina glanced outside at the darkening sky and nodded in realization. But something still didn’t sit right.
Not to mention, Wilfred always let her know when he was leaving work. Most days, he would even drive her home. If he wanted to go back on his own today, wouldn’t he at least say something?
Shaking her head, she gave her cheeks a hard slap-hard enough to make them sting. “What are you even thinking, Karina? Who are you to him, anyway? He doesn’t owe you an explanation for leaving.” Talking herself down helped ease her feelings a bit.
Determined not to dwell on it, Karina focused on tidying up her disrupted office. But as she walked to the window, she found herself mumbling, “Maybe I won’t head home right away. There’s that flower shop near Wilfred’s place…” She hadn’t replaced the red dianthus plant that Harley had ruined last time, and now seemed like the perfect opportunity to pick one up.
Of course, Karina knew this was just an excuse. What she really wanted was to see him.
Wilfred’s uncharacteristic departure, coupled with his strange behavior earlier, had been weighing on her mind. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
“I’ll just go check on him,” she decided, trying to justify her thoughts.
Once the decision was made, she didn’t hesitate. Karina hailed a cab and made her way to Wilfred’s neighborhood.
*
When she rang the doorbell, it was the housekeeper who answered.
Karina had been waiting in the chilly breeze for a while, so she couldn’t help but ask, “Mrs. Santos, what took so long?”
The housekeeper glanced back inside and lowered her voice. “Miss Norman, why are you here at this hour? I think it’s better if you come back another time.” “Why?” Karina asked, instantly worried. “Is something wrong with Wilfred?”
“No, no,” Mrs. Santos replied quickly, trying to reassure her. “It’s just… I don’t think he’s in the mood to see anyone right now.”
Her attempt to calm Karina only made her more anxious. Since when did Wilfred hide away and refuse to see people? Could he have been injured again? Unable to shake her concern, Karina pressed Mrs. Santos for answers.
At first, the housekeeper hesitated, clearly uneasy. As a helper, it wasn’t her place to gossip about her employer. But seeing how worried
Karina was, she finally gave in with a
heavy sigh.
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“Mr. Wilfred occasionally has days where he’s… not himself. On those days, he prefers to be alone. You wouldn’t know about it since he doesn’t let people see that side of him.”
Mrs. Santos paused before
continuing, her tone tinged with regret. “I don’t know all the details. I’m just here to take care of the house. But I can tell you this-Mr. Wilfred didn’t have an easy life before. He’s been through a lot.”
She sighed again, the weight of her words hanging in the air.
Her explanation was restrained, but it was enough to make Karina’s chest tighten.
Mrs. Santos knew more than she let on. Over her time working for Wilfred, she had noticed things-like the way he sometimes sleepwalked or muttered in his sleep.
She had accidentally witnessed one
of his nightmares once, where he
woke up drenched in sweat,
shouting words like “kill” and “escape.” After waking, he would sit in silence for hours, lost in his thoughts.
Listening to this, Karina’s worry deepened. “Where is he now?” she asked urgently.
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