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.
*
“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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