Pending Secret

John and Charlotte lived a happy married life. Theirs was a simple story, but extraordinary! Unfortunately, their love story was cut short because John suddenly passed away. The cause of his death was owing to an incurable disease.

On his death bed, John requested Charlotte for a perusal he gave her on their wedding night. As worse as it may sound, Charlotte discovered a lurking truth hidden from her for years. She was shocked and couldn't believe that John had kept this secret for long. But what was the cause that led him to keep this from her for this long?

Charlotte Came Out Of Her Closet

Charlotte is a widower now and retired. Previously, she used to work as a nurse. She lived a happy life, thanks to her husband and three children. Of course, there were issues back home, but they didn't affect hers much since she lived a fulfilling life.

One fine day, Charlotte went out with her friends, and she met the love of her life. From then, her humdrum life changed. She wasn't an extrovert, but her friends insisted she go out and eventually meet someone. She never bothered listening to them, but that way, she did allow herself to enjoy and have some fun.

Love At First Sight

When the duo met for the first time, it was almost five-decade back. They were at a local bar, and strangely, love happened at first sight. But Charlotte didn't make the first move. It was John who approached her.

In fact, for Charlotte, approaching someone new was scary! Thanks to John's friends who pushed him forward to talk to this girl. John, however, considered this special and loved Charlotte's shy expressions. He saw that smile and knew instantly that she was the one for him. They were attracted to each other in no time and decided to enter a marital bond.

Life Worth Cherishing

John found a job, which caused him to travel far and wide, and that too for longer days. But he ensured there was no negligence towards his wife. He took good care of her and their children. The world simply knew that John was committed and highly dedicated to his family.

Not that he made a lot of money, but the family members knew how to be beside each other through thick and thin. Most importantly, they knew how to face tough times with a smile. And with his family being complete, he was quite a happy man! Yet, there was no overlooking the flaws that the lovey-dovey story had.

Odd Behavior Emanated Now And Then

While everything was going smoothly, Charlotte found John's behavior odd in a few situations. He often suspected a few aspects about him and how he behaved, which made Charlotte wonder about him. Often Charlotte connected to John's staying away for days to never wanting to speak about it or, for that matter, his uncanny attitude to this hide and seek game.

There was no denying that the couple loved each other a lot. But something in John prevented him from confiding in his wife. Charlotte, too became aware of something that John hid, but she couldn't muster up the courage to unravel the secrets. She tried a few other means to find out but in vain.

The All-Sacrificing Wife

Charlotte was not jealous. She gave her all to make her husband feel nice and satiated. Deep within her heart, she knew how much she loved him. And it was nothing out of the odds to expect those dark secrets to be revealed by him.

John often went out without informing Charlotte. When she inquired about him before he left, he simply replied that there were meetings lined up. One fine day, she could contain her patience no more and simply followed John. But would she be able to digest the truth? Finally, that mystery would be solved now.

The Mysterious Drawer

The secretive John had a drawer in his bedroom that Charlotte knew about but wasn't allowed to look inside. Charlotte was often curious about it but never insisted on doing so. It wasn't that she didn't try opening the drawer, but there was no way she could crack the mystery.

At one point, she even concluded that there were probably no secrets. And maybe, she was plain worried a bit too much! Also, she was aware of how much she loved her husband. There were children, a closely knitted family, and a future to look forward to. So it made sense to focus on these things and not waste time over baseless thoughts.

Love That Knew No Bounds

Charlotte as a woman, wasn't suspicious about her husband. She knew her husband was honest, and nothing mattered more than the love they shared for each other. But some things often made her wonder if she was on the right track or not.

It wouldn't be wrong to say that she was often fearful about finding the actual truth if any existed! For her, their love was 'death do apart' type, and the thought of parting with him was too much for her. She asserted this typical thought that she had to be perfect to be with him, regardless of whether he did the same.

The Moment Came

Even if John didn't reveal a few things about him, he was sure he loved his dear wife. And it would be akin to a crime not to let her know his dark and murky side. For some reason, he rightfully believed that allowing his wife to know would only lessen the load off his chest.

A time came when he decided to sort out matters and reveal the truth to his wife. But strange enough, he was diagnosed with a peculiar disease. Health problems often go away by themselves or if they are treated from the start. But he went to the doctor to find out the ugly truth- he could make it only for a brief time.

Rarest Of The Rare Symptoms

At first, the doctor was clueless about what went wrong with John. His health went for a toss and had to be restored. But the symptoms were so rare that they had almost given up completely. No medicines that they administered produced any positive results.

The team of doctors working hard to find out the actual case sat at length to discuss the origin of the illness that he was suffering from. Since they knew nothing would help, they requested John to enjoy the last few days of his life and live fully. John or his family did not expect this.

Coming Close At The Last Moments

As the family's primary breadwinner, John knew the finances would crumble. His last few days turned hectic, scary, and extremely anxiety-ridden for the entire family. He looked confused about how to manage things after him, and Charlotte stayed busy contacting the emergency services.

Finally, a point came when John's health deteriorated markedly. His condition became so critical that the doctor had to operate on him and get him back in a stabilized form. This was when the doctors before John's family had only a few more days to live. Even the children weren't spared from the truth.

Mother's Strength At Its Best

Charlotte had to be the strongest. She was utterly broken, yet put a brave face before the world, particularly her children. So when she came by the news, their two sons were called to the hospital. It was time they bid a final goodbye to their father.

The boys were young and had dreams to look forward to. Naturally, they were devastated. Little did they expect their father would leave untimely. They wished to be with their daddy dearest till he breathed his last. The family went into a nostalgic mode and remembered all those good times they had spent with each other.

Exclusive Time

Charlotte's two kids bade a tearful goodbye to their dad. Then John was accompanied by his wife, who just wanted to be with him for those last few moments. She wished to part blissfully with the only man that she had ever loved in her lifetimes.

Indeed, at this point, it becomes difficult for the strongest of folks to mull over the best moments of their life. She recollected all such memories with moist eyes. Her eyes looked wet, and she held on to her husband with trembling hands. But John drifted the conversation to talk about the wedding gift he had given her.

An Amazing Gift

John loved gifting his wife random presents. Indeed, Charlotte was one lucky woman. John spent a lot of time thinking about what he would give his wife every occasion. No wonder he chose every gift and moment carefully.

But out of all the gifts he gave her, there was one special gift. This gift stood out from all the others that John gave her. However, Charlotte was unaware of the mystery that lingered at the back of this gift. She knew the half of it, but now she would; It was a tad unsettling for her, but she was all set to see the reality.

'Paint' My Love

John's passion for painting stayed hidden from the world. He was extremely fond of sketching, and he spent a significant part of his time devoted to his skill. The picture was solace for him- it gave him unbridled joy. So he utilized this talent and made something for his lady life. He went ahead and presented that to Charlotte.

Looking within, there was something more about the painting. Now it was special, no doubt, but what increased the charm of it was how it came packaged as a wedding gift for his darling wife. But John vowed to keep that a secret till the very end. This time, he had to reveal.

Deeper Inside The Picture

Time kept passing, and John's health steadily declined. It was getting worse by the day. He shared the truth that the picture he made wasn't something normal. She might have deeply liked it but stayed in the dark about what it meant.

She was tricked initially but didn't feel like asking her husband. John had a few more minutes to live. How could she act so selfish? It was, anyway, devastating for her. But when John revealed the fact, she was stunned. Was that for real? Was John being honest? Was he in his right senses? And now that she knows, what will she do?

Resorting To Help

Charlotte almost fell from the sky upon learning this. Did John even know what he said? She looked closely at the picture. She couldn't make out the head or tail of it- but simply tried to match what her husband said. But John was no fool. He knew what he said.

A few days had passed by merely analyzing the situation. An old friend of hers (a restaurateur) had a deep understanding of antique paintings. Maybe, he would come of great help to her. But she had no idea if he was alive then. She asked for some help from experts.

Met The Friend

Charlotte started the search frantically. She was unsure whether she would find him but continued looking for him. And thankfully, her friend contacted her. At least, she was glad knowing he was alive. He was pretty eager to know what exactly Charlotte was talking about. So he looked at the painting closely.

After some time, he could grasp what John wanted today. Since he was no novice, he scratched the surface strictly required so that the top coat wouldn't come off the canvas. John devoted a lot of time to it. So even he had to give a few hours to getting rid of the topcoat. And when he was able to do that, he called Charlotte.

Decoding Mode

At the start, Charlotte grew increasingly skeptical. She was wondering to herself if her friend would make sense of the painting at all. But now that she got the call. She knew the mystery was at least partially resolved. She rushed to the door. After all, the suspense was no longer exciting.

Her friend shared how John kept a message behind the top layers of the enormous painting. But that was just the tip of the iceberg! Even if the man could discover the letter, he failed to decipher the real meaning or the utility behind the same. They made attempts now to decode the message.

Deeper Meaning Beyond The Code

Initially, Charlotte was stunned and silent when she saw the painting. There was one address on the picture that contained the code. It was in her husband's handwriting, and she recognized it. But since he wrote, there must be something meaningful he wanted to convey.

The secret, however, remained intact. Charlotte's friend, too, couldn't understand the relevance of it altogether. Perhaps the code was only meant for her, and she could sense it if she thought carefully. And it was a fact that she could get to the very bottom of the mysterious painting. Since John had more plans about the code, she had to find the same.

A Visit To The Bank

She looked at the code and found an address. There was no way she couldn't recognize the place. It was just a local bank, and John, her husband, still had another account in the bank. The account number differed from the one she had with her husband.

Her painting conservator friend accompanied Charlotte, and together, they went to the bank to find more information about the code. But this code was alien to her. She was a tad confused about whether the number was that of another bank or another safe-deposit box number. But she could now find answers to her questions.,

The Safe

Finally, the manager took his time to assist Charlotte. Charlotte showed him the code and other details. They expected something significant as Charlotte looked quite uneasy while looking for the manager. But when they saw it was something that could've been something meaningless, they didn't react much.

But a bank clerk comprehended the code and said it might be from the unopened safe that nobody claimed for the last fifty years. When the manager heard about this, he finally became excited. All were excited to see what was in the safe. The manager was relieved that somebody finally came to claim the possession as it had been sitting there for the last five decades.

Tensed

Although all were excited to open the safe, they decided to call security for precaution. When she heard about this, Charlotte became frightened and started thinking about what was wrong. She started speculating stuff such as John's involvement in any kind of illegal activities or if there was something costly inside. The thoughts were bombarding her mind, and she simply couldn't think of anything but what was inside the safe.

Charlotte felt uneasy, thinking there might be something in the safe that could shock her to the core. The bank clerk tried to dissuade her from thinking negatively and stated that it was just a standard protocol to ensure safety. But she had to wait until the security showed up.

The Wait Was Over

Finally, the security guy showed up accompanied by the manager and another banker. She waited for an hour, and finally, it seemed like something was going to happen.

Her heart raced as they all approached the room where the safe was located. They had to take a walk for less than a minute before finally a room was visible. The safe was in the corner of the room, and it looked like the people hardly used the space. Charlotte couldn't believe she was going to open something that had not been open for 50 years. Nobody knows what could be inside it and why John didn't open it for that long?

The Safe Room

Charlotte didn't get an opportunity to see a bank safe before; it was her first time getting access inside the room where safes are located. The room where the safe is located is pretty neat and clean, although it looked like not many people use that. But she soon realized why the room was kept like that.

The room is pretty big, with an oversized marble table at the center of the room. On the table were two gloves; one pair was made of satin, and another was black. She wasn't sure about the usage of the gloves, but she was sure this is something to do with exclusive customers of the bank, the rich people.

The Revelation

It was time for the big revelation. Everybody inside the room was excited, and Charlotte felt like her heart was in her mouth. Such was her excitement! She continued to think about what could be inside the safe that John didn't talk about all his life only to indicate while dying.

As the bank employee went to open the safe, Charlotte continued to think about the possible outcome. There could be something costly like gold bars or inherited jewelry from grandparents or great-grandparents of John. Who knows! But, in reality, she knew John was not a wealthy person and didn't have much money to stack somewhere secretly.

Tight Security

Charlotte was amazed at the bank's level of security for the room where the safe was. They all had to go through various security checks before entering the room. First, Charlotte had to sign a few documents, and then security personnel came to accompany her to the room.

The room's security system was impressive as well. There were various locked doors with advanced security systems installed on them. It took some time to open them all and enter the room. After entering, the clerk knew what to do. He put on a pair of satin gloves and became ready to open a black box.

The Device

Inside the black box was a device that looked like some advanced technology stuff. It has flashlights on its body and consists of lots of tiny chips. Charlotte was not much aware of modern-day technology and couldn't understand what that thing was.

When she eventually figured it out, she was shell-shocked. As mentioned before, she was not a tech junkie. Instead, she stayed pretty alienated about how the world had advanced through modern science. Although Charlotte's sons tried to inform her about some tech things, being an older woman, she never understood them.

Biometric

The device was a biometric one used to scan fingerprints and give access to something. The banker took this opportunity to teach Charlotte a thing or two about the technology used in the device she was dealing with. The bank employee also informed her that very few people use this technology to safeguard their belongings as it's expensive to install in the safe.

Charlotte finally put her finger on the screen as per the employee's instruction, and it turned green to open it in front of her eyes. She was simply awestruck to see what was inside. She pitched herself to know whether she was dreaming. This is more than just a surprise to her. She felt like crying at that moment.

Money, Money, and More Money

The box was filled with money. Money that stacked tightly everywhere in the box. Charlotte didn't see this much money in her whole life. She couldn't believe her eyes and became out of words. She had no words to describe the moment. Once, she was clueless to think about what was inside the box; now, when she knew, she became clueless again for a different reason.

But how did her husband save much money without her knowledge? What was he doing all these years? And most importantly, why did he never mention it a single time?

Charlotte Was Flabbergasted

Charlotte couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the box's contents. She was a little scared initially, and her heart kept beating fast. She kept hoping that the others around wouldn't hear it. But she acted brave and opened it.

She did not expect to see so much money hidden in the safe. Almost the entire box was crammed with loads of cash. It was unbelievable that this considerable amount belonged to her husband when he said he had no money. While she was stunned by the reality, she felt cheated that her husband didn't say this to her throughout his life.

The Mystery-Laden Envelope

Charlotte appeared excited as she found the envelope and then opened it. Of course, the handwriting was known to her. This letter dates back to 50 years when the duo married and her husband had penned down those words.

The message made her surprised and emotional at the same time. A sharp deviation from the usual excitement, she appeared calm and quiet. Deep within, she was disturbed that her husband didn't reveal all this to her. But at the same time, she felt that John's motive was not wholly wrong. The message was truly remarkable, and she remembered the beautiful times she had spent with him.

A Letter Meant For Charlotte

The large amounts of money were present right inside the box. But the envelope was kept inside. Even when she didn't take the letter out, she realized it was meant for her. The calm she felt at that moment was like the calm before the storm. And then she braced for what was the finale.

The letter showed signs of wear and tear, and that was obvious. After all, it was 50 years old! Tucked safely by her husband John, the letter was a crumbled one and contained faded ink. It was heart-touching, no doubt, and her eyes turned misty! The emotions she felt were so strong then that she didn't know how to react.

The Inheritance

At one point, John had inherited a massive amount of money when he was just a little boy. His uncle gave him the amount, and he managed to do so simply because of his accumulated wealth. Also, he was the primary provider to John after the latter's father passed away when he was only four years old!

John's mother fought numerous financial battles back then. Then, he and his uncle formed a band, but the uncle left for his heavenly abode too. These incidents were never narrated to Charlotte. But the letter addressing her contained all these details.

Everything Was Clear

Even when he did not say anything clearly to Charlotte while alive, John ensured every detail was present in the letter. This included facts about how he came across such wealth reserves. As a woman, Charlotte suspected John at the start that he was involved with something fishy, but now that she knew the reason, all she had was respect.

To an extent, John was right. He truly deserved the appreciation for the merit he displayed. He didn't reveal all these details because he didn't want others to think of something else. Besides, others would have only taken advantage of him after knowing about his financial status.

John's Loving Uncle

The good thing was John's uncle had a lot of love for him. He raised him exactly like his son. What occurred weirdly to him was how the world responded to his uncle after they came to know his amassing colossal wealth.

Seeing his uncle, John decided he wouldn't go through a similar situation. This he mentioned to Charlotte in the letter too. Charlotte would now have all the wealth at her disposal, which would last her through the years. John was so thankful to Charlotte because she stayed beside him through thick and thin.

No Going Back

Now that Charlotte wanted her husband to be beside her, he was nowhere. She was so moved by John's farsightedness and love that she kept wishing for one moment where she would have been able to talk to him. At least, she could have paid a befitting tribute.

The money was all hers- for enjoying, using, and doing all she wanted. Even if John required the money while he was alive, he never used that, keeping in mind the need of his wife and children first. This selflessness and kindness he exhibited were beyond human comprehension.

Fulfilling Diverse Dreams

With the money that Charlotte had, she could fulfill all her dreams and that of her children. She was a rich woman traveling around the world to have the best of things in life. So when the family took the trip, she thanked John wholeheartedly and had him in her mind at every step.

After she returned, Charlotte had to figure out what to do with her inheritance amount. She lived in living a simple life, and stumbling upon this wealth was a tad confusing! But then, she had to think of spending the money intelligently.

Paying Tribute To The Late Husband

Charlotte's needs were limited. And her children chose fields that blessed them with success. So she decided to donate the extra money to charity and contribute towards researching rare diseases which claimed John's precious life.

She did that but still had a modest amount to sustain her. So she felt it would be wise to do something for her late husband. Because John enjoyed painting, so she wondered what she would do for John in this domain. It wasn't easy for her to develop some ideas, but she proceeded anyway.

Painting Never Materialized As A Career

Charlotte came across a friend who was employed in a local museum. She visited the place and spoke at length about John's paintings. So they decided to hang all such pictures that John made and give a donation in respect to it.

Strangely, John too dreamt of working in a local museum, where his paintings would be fully displayed. It was time that Charlotte realized his dream posthumously. Even the museum was delighted to have such magnificent work. Sadly, John never considered pursuing painting as a career, which he should have done while alive.

Eternal Love

Several lies characterized John's life. This sounds odd, but that's what he did for the most part towards his wife, Charlotte. She was disappointed, but then all her grudges disappeared. She realized why he did so and also respected his selfless act for the same.

Now that Charlotte is free and finally relieved of all her duties, she can breathe a little and enjoy the rest of her life without having to think of making sacrifices. And what could be better than knowing that her husband loved her so much?