{"id":4543,"date":"2024-12-22T10:01:30","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T10:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scenicwhispers.com\/?p=4543"},"modified":"2024-12-22T10:01:33","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T10:01:33","slug":"i-returned-early-to-surprise-my-husband-only-to-find-him-burying-a-large-black-egg-in-our-garden-its-mystery-brought-us-closer-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scenicwhispers.com\/archives\/4543","title":{"rendered":"I Returned Early to Surprise My Husband Only to Find Him Burying a Large Black Egg in Our Garden \u2013 Its Mystery Brought Us Closer"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I came home early from my business trip to surprise my husband. But instead of a warm welcome, I found him in the garden, drenched in sweat and burying a large black egg. He wouldn\u2019t tell me the truth, so I dug deeper myself. What I found sent my heart racing.\n

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I hadn\u2019t slept in days. The Chicago business conference had dragged on, each presentation blending into the next until I couldn\u2019t take it anymore. Three years of marriage, and lately, Ben and I had been like ships passing in the night, him with his investment banking and me with my consulting work. When my last meeting finished early, I decided to surprise him with an early return.\n

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\"A\n\n

A smiling woman holding a cup of coffee\n\n\n

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\u201cYou\u2019re really skipping the closing ceremony?\u201d my colleague Linda asked, watching me pack my laptop. \u201cThe VP\u2019s giving the keynote. Could be good for your promotion.\u201d\n\n

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I zipped my bag with finality. \u201cFor once, my marriage comes first. Ben and I haven\u2019t had a real conversation in weeks.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cRegina, putting love before career?\u201d she smiled. \u201cMust be serious.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cIt is.\u201d I checked my phone, calculating times. \u201cIf I leave now, I can catch the 6 p.m. flight and surprise my hubby.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A cheerful woman holding her phone\n\n\n

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\u201cGo get your man,\u201d Linda winked. \u201cBut text me when you land. These surprise returns don\u2019t always go as planned.\u201d\n\n

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If only she knew how right she\u2019d be.\n\n

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The setting sun cast long shadows across our front lawn as I wearily pulled into the driveway after a long, exhausting flight. My hands trembled slightly as I killed the engine. The house stood quiet, warm lights glowing behind drawn curtains.\n\n

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Something felt off the moment I stepped inside. The house was eerily quiet. Through the kitchen window, I could see dirty dishes in the sink \u2014 so unlike my usually meticulous husband.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A startled woman in the kitchen\n\n\n

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\u201cBen?\u201d I called softly, letting myself in. No answer.\n\n

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The house felt different somehow. Mail was scattered across the coffee table, including several official-looking envelopes marked \u201cURGENT.\u201d\n\n

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A half-empty cup of coffee with a lipstick-like ring of dried coffee around its rim sat beside Ben\u2019s laptop.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A cup of coffee near a laptop on a table\n\n\n

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Assuming he was holed up in his office as usual, I decided to check on my garden first. The tomatoes should have ripened by now, and tending to them would help me unwind after the flight.\n\n

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But as I approached the garden doors and stepped into the backyard, I FROZE.\n\n

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Ben stood in the middle of our vegetable garden, between the tomato plants he\u2019d been so proud of just weeks ago. His shirt was stained dark with sweat and his sleeves rolled up as he dug into the earth like a man possessed.\n\n

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But it wasn\u2019t his frantic movements that made my blood run cold. It was the LARGE, OBSIDIAN-BLACK EGG sitting beside him.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A man holding a large black egg\n\n\n

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The thing was enormous, at least two feet tall, its surface gleaming like polished glass under the evening light. As I watched, frozen, Ben kept glancing at it between shovel loads, his movements growing more desperate.\n\n

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\u201cJust a little deeper,\u201d I heard him mutter. \u201cHas to be deep enough to bury this thing.\u201d\n\n

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My hand flew to my mouth.\u00a0Was this really happening?\u00a0I blinked hard, convinced I was hallucinating from travel exhaustion. But the scene remained unchanged \u2014 my husband, digging what looked like a grave for some alien artifact in our backyard.\n\n

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\u201cBen?\u201d I called out softly, careful not to startle him.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A woman gaping in shock\n\n\n

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He whirled around, shovel clattering against something metal in the hole. His face, usually so composed, was pale with panic. A streak of dirt ran across his cheek, and I noticed his hands were shaking.\n\n

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\u201cREGINA?\u201d He shrieked, his voice trembling and loud. \u201cWHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cI came home early to surprise you.\u201d I took a step closer, gravel crunching under my feet. The egg seemed to pulse in the lamplight, drawing my eyes. \u201cThough I think I\u2019m the one who\u2019s surprised. What is THAT thing?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s NOTHING.\u201d His words came too fast, too sharp. He moved to stand between me and the egg. \u201cReggie, just go inside, honey. You shouldn\u2019t be here.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A startled man holding a big black egg\n\n\n

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\u201cNothing? Ben, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s \u2018NOTHING.\u2019 What is it? What\u2019s going on?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cI\u2019ll explain later. Please go inside.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cLater?\u201d I gestured at the hole he\u2019d been digging. \u201cYou\u2019re burying something that looks like it came from a sci-fi movie in our garden at sunset, and you want me to wait for an explanation?\u201d\n\n

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Ben ran his fingers through his hair, leaving streaks of dirt across his forehead. His eyes darted between me and the street as if expecting someone.\n\n

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\u201cPlease, Regina. Trust me on this. I\u2019m just doing what needs to be done. I\u2019m handling it.\u201d\n\n

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\"An\n\n

An anxious man holding his head\n\n\n

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\u201cHandling what exactly?\u201d My voice rose. \u201cBecause from where I\u2019m standing, my husband is either having some kind of breakdown or\u2014\u201d\n\n

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\u201cI said I\u2019m handling it!\u201d The force in his voice made me step back. In three years of marriage, I\u2019d never heard him shout.\n\n

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\u201cFine.\u201d I turned toward the house, tears stinging my eyes. \u201cHandle it yourself. Just like you\u2019ve been handling everything else lately.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cReggie, wait\u2014\u201d He reached for me, but I pulled away.\n\n

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\u201cDon\u2019t. Just\u2026 don\u2019t.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A furious woman\n\n\n

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Sleep evaded me that night. Ben never came to bed, and the couch creaked periodically with his restless movements. Around 3 a.m., I heard the back door open and close. Through the bedroom window, I watched him check on the place where he\u2019d buried the mysterious egg, pacing around it like a sentry.\n\n

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What\u2019s wrong with him? What is he hiding from me?\n\n

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Morning came too quickly. I waited until Ben\u2019s car disappeared down the street before grabbing the garden shovel. My hands trembled as I approached the freshly turned earth. I HAD TO DIG UP THAT THING!\n\n

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\u201cWhat are you hiding, Ben?\u201d I whispered, pushing the shovel into the soft dirt.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A woman holding a shovel\n\n\n

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It took 20 minutes of digging before I hit something solid. The egg was surprisingly light when I unearthed it, though my arms shook with the effort.\n\n

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Up close, its surface felt wrong \u2014 not like shell, but like\u2026 plastic? I twisted it slightly, and to my shock, it separated in the middle like some oversized Easter egg.\n\n

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Empty. Completely empty except for more layers of black plastic.\n\n

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\u201cRegina?\u201d Someone called out from behind.\n\n

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I jumped, nearly dropping the egg. Our elderly neighbor, Mr. Chen, peered over the fence, his eyes fixed on the object in my hands.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A shocked woman holding a big black egg\n\n\n

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\u201cI saw someone in your garden late last night,\u201d he said slowly. \u201cEverything okay?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cFine,\u201d I said quickly, hiding the egg behind me. \u201cJust\u2026 gardening.\u201d\n\n

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His expression said he didn\u2019t believe me, but he nodded politely and disappeared. I waited until I heard his door close before examining the egg more closely. The craftsmanship was impressive, but it was definitely artificial.\u00a0What had Ben gotten himself into?\n\n

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My mind raced through possibilities. This wasn\u2019t just about a buried object. It was about Ben\u2019s bizarre behavior and the way he was terrified when he saw me home early.\n\n

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Something bigger was happening. Something that made my usually steady-handed husband dig like a madman in our backyard.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A puzzled woman holding a big glossy black egg\n\n\n

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With trembling fingers, I wrapped the egg in an old blanket and tucked it behind the lawn equipment in our garage. It was out of sight, but not out of mind.\n\n

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\u201cThink, Regina, think,\u201d I muttered, pacing the concrete floor. \u201cMaybe this was some elaborate joke? A midlife crisis? Or something far more sinister?\u201d\n\n

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I dragged myself to the car, hoping work might distract me from this madness.\n\n

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The radio clicked on automatically as I started the engine. The news anchor\u2019s voice cut through my fog of exhaustion, making my blood run cold:\n\n

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\u201cBreaking news: Local authorities have uncovered a massive counterfeit operation targeting antique collectors. The scammers sold fake antiques, including unique black egg-shaped plastic containers, to unsuspecting buyers. Total losses are estimated in the millions\u2026\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A shocked woman driving a car\n\n\n

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My coffee cup slipped from my fingers, splashing across the dashboard. The pieces started falling into place. That evening, I placed the egg on our kitchen table and waited. When Ben walked in, his briefcase hit the floor with a thud.\n\n

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\u201cReggie, I-I can explain\u2014\u201d\n\n

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\u201cHow much did you pay for this thing?\u201d I cut him off.\n\n

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He sank into a chair, his shoulders slumped. \u201cFifteen thousand.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cJesus, Ben.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A nervous man\n\n\n

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\u201cI wanted to surprise you.\u201d His voice cracked. \u201cThis guy at work, he said he knew someone selling rare artifacts. Said the egg was some ancient fertility symbol that would triple in value within a year.\u201d\n\n

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He pressed his palms against his eyes. \u201cI used our savings. I was going to sell it and take you on that European trip you\u2019ve always wanted.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cThe trip we\u2019ve been saving for? That we\u2019ve talked about for years?\u201d My voice quavered. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you just tell me?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cBecause I\u2019m an idiot who got scammed like some naive teenager. I was so ashamed.\u201d He looked up, eyes red-rimmed. \u201cThings have been so tight lately, with your mom\u2019s medical bills and the house repairs. I just wanted to fix everything.\u201d\n\n

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\"An\n\n

An upset man sitting on the couch\n\n\n

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\u201cBy gambling our savings on some stranger\u2019s promise?\u201d\n\n

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\u201cI know, I know.\u201d He slumped forward. \u201cWhen I realized it was fake, I couldn\u2019t face you. Couldn\u2019t admit I\u2019d thrown away our money on a plastic egg.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cWe\u2019ll figure this out,\u201d I said, moving around the table to take his hand. \u201cBut no more secrets, okay? We\u2019re supposed to be partners.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cI filed a police report this morning,\u201d Ben added. \u201cThey said we\u2019re not the only ones. Apparently, this guy\u2019s been targeting young professionals and antique collectors, playing on their financial stress.\u201d\n\n

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\"An\n\n

An anxious man sitting on the couch\n\n\n

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I squeezed his fingers. \u201cI don\u2019t need expensive trips or ancient artifacts. I just need my husband to talk to me, even when things get hard. Especially when things get hard.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cWhat should we do with it?\u201d Ben gestured at the egg, still gleaming mockingly in the kitchen light.\n\n

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I studied it for a moment. \u201cMaybe we\u2019ll plant it in the garden for real. Right next to those tomatoes you\u2019ve been trying to grow.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A smiling woman holding a big black egg\n\n\n

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\u201cAs a reminder of what not to do?\u201d A ghost of a smile crossed his face.\n\n

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\u201cAs a reminder that the only thing we need to grow is our trust in each other.\u201d I leaned against him. \u201cAnd maybe as a conversation piece. \u2018Hey, want to hear about the time my husband buried a fake artifact in our backyard?!\u2019\u201d\n\n

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Ben\u2019s laugh was shaky but real. \u201cI love you, Reggie. Even when I\u2019m an idiot.\u201d\n\n

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\u201cLucky for you, I love idiots.\u201d I kissed his forehead. \u201cNow, let\u2019s figure out how to get our money back. Together this time.\u201d\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A man laughing\n\n\n

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Here\u2019s another\u00a0story: I saved a little girl from danger and when I escorted her to her grandmother\u2019s mansion, my heart stopped cold. On the wall hung an old photo of a man who looked just like me.\n\n

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This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.\n\n

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The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided \u201cas is,\u201d and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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