THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR

Chapter 9: The unexpected visitor

From the window of the hospital ward, Enzo watched his wife panic in fear. He wanted to go in and talk to her, but the thought of her attacking him or fainting in the process held him back.

He didn't want to cause her more pain, he just wanted to make things right if she would only give him a chance. Suddenly, an idea came to him and his face lit up. He rushed out of the hospital, eager to put his plan into action.

He found his car, and after he had fastened his seatbelt, he drove out of the hospital parking lot and headed for the nearest supermarket he could find.

...….

As she watched him drive away, a devilish smile played across her lips. "This is the perfect opportunity to carry out my plan," she thought, "and I won't let it fail." She turned and walked into the hospital.

She approached the receptionist with a smile, saying, "Please, may I speak with Kira? She's the lady who gave birth to a premature baby via C-section." She was careful to sound as detailed and convincing as possible, not wanting to raise any suspicion from the receptionist, who looked at her awkwardly.

"Who are you to her?" the receptionist asked, after a few minutes of studying the woman. It was clear that she wasn't convinced by her story.

Aubrey's mind raced as she tried to come up with a lie to satisfy the receptionist's curiosity. "Why didn't I think of this question and come up with a good lie?" she thought to herself, panic starting to set in.

"Hello?" a voice broke into her thoughts, and she looked up to see the receptionist still staring at her.

"I'm her best friend," Aubrey blurted out before she could stop herself. "Haven't you heard her talk about me before?" she added, surprised by her own quick thinking.

"Am I supposed to ask every patient if they have a best friend?" the receptionist replied rudely. Aubrey glared at her, her anger rising.

"What's your name?" the receptionist asked, clearly growing impatient.

"My name is Aubrey," she said, biting her tongue before she could say what she really wanted to. She watched as the receptionist nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"I'll put a call in to her and ask if she knows you," the receptionist said with a smile that Aubrey found fake and irritating.

The receptionist reached for the phone, but Aubrey was quicker, stopping her before she could dial. "No, no need to call her. She might not remember me, I'm an old friend. I'm just concerned about her health," Aubrey lied.

"But if you don't want me to speak to her, then I'll just take my leave," Aubrey said sadly, pouting. She wanted the receptionist to take pity on her and let her in, and she hoped her plan would work.

Aubrey started to walk away, hoping to make her plan more convincing. But the receptionist was quicker, and stopped her before she could leave.

"It's not that I don't want you to speak to your friend," the receptionist explained calmly. "I'm just following the hospital guidelines."

"I understand, and I won't force you to do something that goes against the hospital rules," Aubrey said, trying to look as pitiful as possible. Then, an idea popped into her head, and she couldn't help but consider it.

"Can I use the bathroom before I leave?" she asked, ready to execute her plan.

"Of course," the receptionist replied softly, completely unaware of what Aubrey had in mind.

.....

Enzo stood in the feminine hygiene aisle of the supermarket, unsure of what to buy for his wife. "It's a shame I don't know what she likes and dislikes," he groaned to himself.

He tried to remember if he had ever asked her about her likes and dislikes, but nothing came to mind. How could he have been so neglectful of her needs and preferences? He felt like a failure as a husband.

Frustrated, he let out a scream that drew the attention of a few nearby customers, who stared at him like he was some kind of psycho.

"What's the matter?" one of them asked, their voice tinged with concern.

"Haven't you ever seen a frustrated person before?" he says to them, not caring about the awkward stare on their faces.

"Are you shopping for your wife or girlfriend?" a voice asked from behind him. He turned to see a middle-aged woman, her face curious and concerned.

He nodded slowly, acknowledging the woman who had spoken to him. "I want to buy a gift for my wife," he explained, "but I don't know what she likes." His voice was calmer now, but frustration was still evident on his face.

She smiled kindly and said, "I can help you pick out a gift for your wife, and I promise she will love it. Every woman loves the things I'm about to show you." She was pleased to see Enzo's face light up with hope and relief.

"I can see you're excited now," she said, and Enzo followed her like a loyal puppy.

As they walked around the supermarket, a pink teddy bear caught the woman's eye. She picked it up and handed it to Enzo. "Your wife will love this," she said with a smile. Enzo took the bear and placed it in the basket he was holding, a smile spreading across his face.

She walked around the supermarket for a while and then stopped in front of the jewelry section. "She would love a box of jewelry," she said, looking at Enzo. "Pick the set you think is the most beautiful for her." Enzo looked at all the jewelry sets for a while, before finally choosing the one that caught his eye the most.

"Now we need to get her some snacks, and finally a beautiful gown and a pair of shoes," the woman said, looking at Enzo with a smile. He was grateful for her help, but still felt ashamed that he didn't know anything about his wife's likes and dislikes.

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind and headed to the gown section. "At least I can do something good for her now," he thought to himself. He picked out a few gowns that he found breathtaking, and then three pairs of silver shoes to match.

Once he was done, he nodded at the woman to let her know. She seemed pleased with his choices, and Enzo felt a sense of accomplishment.

"Thank you so much for helping me pick out gifts for my wife," he said, genuinely grateful.

"You're welcome," the woman replied, accepting the check he offered her with a smile.

Enzo walked to the cashier to pay for the items, and the woman walked with him to see him out

As he walked to his car, a smile spread across his face as he thought about how happy his wife would be to receive the gifts.

"Maybe she'll finally trust me and forgive me for my mistakes," he thought. "Maybe things can finally go back to the way they were before."

As soon as he was seated in his car, ready to head home, his phone rang with an unknown number. He was about to ignore it, but he hesitated and picked it up, bracing himself for the worst. "Hello?" he said grumpily.

"Is this Mr. Enzo?" the caller asked in a terrified tone. Enzo could tell something was wrong by the sound of their voice.

"Ye-yes," he stammered, feeling his heart start to pound in his chest.

"We believe your wife has been kidnapped," the caller said, dropping a bombshell on Enzo. "She's not in her ward anymore."