Best-Kept Secret

Charlotte and John were a simple couple but they had an extraordinary story. They were generally happy but their love story was short-lived because of John's untimely death from an incurable disease.

John was breathing his last when he asked Charlotte to give a good perusal to the painting he had given her on their wedding night. Charlotte later found out about a huge secret that John had kept from her. Charlotte was shocked at her wit's end and wondered how could John have kept the secret from her for so long? Well, you will come to know all about John's secret as you read on.

Meet Charlotte

Charlotte is now retired and a widower. She had been working as a nurse before that. Her life was a deeply fulfilling one, with her husband John and three children. Their love story began when Charlotte went out for a day with friends and suddenly her humdrum life had changed forever.

Not, one to go out that often, she made that day an exception and it was that day that she met John, her husband. Charlotte wasn’t the type to go out often and she had her friends had often insisted that she go out and meet someone. Although she never listened to them, she finally relented and allowed them to have a little bit of fun. 

Beginning Of a Love Story

When Charlotte first met John, her husband to be five decades ago at a local bar, it was as they say love at first sight. Both were speechless at first and then it was John who first dared to approach her.

Approaching someone was alien to her. It was his friends who usually helped him talk to a girl. However, it was special for John and he realized it firsthand. He met Charlotte saw her shy smile and knew she was the one for him. They were quickly attracted to each other and before they knew it they plunged headlong into a lifetime of the marital relationship.

A Simple Yet Fulfilling Life

John's nature of work was such that he often had to travel and stay far away from him. He however ensured that he took good care of his wife and their children. Everyone who knew John called him a dedicated family man.

Although he did not have a lot of money, that wasn't always a problem as they were made for each other and managed to make both ends meet with a smile. Also, their children made their life complete and they were all happy together. But like all love stories, this too had a flaw that one couldn't ignore.

Suspicious of His Whereabouts

Even if Charlotte and John's life was all perfect, there were instances when Charlotte was deeply suspicious of his behavior. His suspicious habits made Charlotte wonder about him. He said his work made him stay away for many days. however, he was reluctant to talk about it.

Although John was deeply in love with his wife, there was one part of him that stopped him from always confiding in his wife. Charlotte too knew that there was something that he was hiding but never quite muster up the courage to ask him about his secrets. Although, Charlotte was trying hard to find the secrets but was sadly not successful.

A Woman In His Life

Although Charlotte was not a jealous woman, she tried hard to make her husband happy, but in her heart, she was hoping that John would come to her and reveal his deepest secrets. At least, she deserved to know the truth.

John was someone who would suddenly go out without informing her and dine with a pretty woman. When Charlotte asked her, she told him that the meetings were mostly for work. One day Charlotte could hold herself no longer and followed John to see what he was up to. Unfortunately, she still could not fathom the truth. It was one enduring mystery that Charlotte had a hard time solving.

A World of Secrets in the Drawer

Also, John had kept a drawer in his bedroom that Charlotte was not allowed to ever look into which pained Charlotte to no end. It was not that she never tried but each time she was disappointed as she could not crack the mystery.

Finally, she thought that perhaps there weren't any secrets and she was just reading a little too much about the situation. She knew that she was still deeply in love with John and they had a beautiful; family to take care of. So, she should rather concentrate on it than think of these things that had no basis and that she had everything that people would dream of.

Alone Without Him

Although Charlotte often had doubts about his honesty, she knew that nothing mattered but her love for her and his love for her. She never could leave him and she was scared to even find out about the real truth.

She knew that everyone had some fault or the other. Their love was like the death do them apart type of love and Charlotte could not bear to part with him. She knew she had to be perfect for him, even if he was not perfect and reveal his true self to him. There were various ups and downs in their lives and Charlotte has only gone stronger because of it. So, with more than a little gratitude in her heart, she plodded on.

Niggling Health Issues

John loved his wife dearly, and although he was not completely honest with him, he knew, he had to tell her at some point in their lives. He had to tell him because he wanted that load off his chest.

Just when he planned to sort out things between them, he was diagnosed with a rare disease. Of course, he had health problems that he chose to ignore. aHe thought that those problems would go on their own. But he learned the hard way that health problems usually never go along the way. He went to the doctor and had to swallow the bitter pill of truth.

The Last Few Days

When he first visited the doctor, even the doctor was clueless initially about what was wrong with his health. The symptoms were rare and they had already given up and did not know what medicine to administer.

The doctors were trying hard to find the origin of his illness. What they could conclude was that it was a rare disease and it would be difficult to recover from the disease. Unfortunately, the doctors could do nothing for him and advised John to enjoy his last few days as he was in the last leg of his life. It was a poignant moment for John and his family.

A Profound Change

The last few days were turning out to be hectic and scary for the family as John was suddenly looking very confused and Charlotte had to call emergency services.

Soon after, John's health started deteriorating rapidly and his condition was so critical that the doctor had to operate on him to stabilize him. However, there was more bad news along the way as the doctor said that John had only a few more days to live. It was the time when the parents had to reveal this truth to their children, something that both of them were not looking forward to.

Devastating News

Immediately after Charlotte got the news, they called their two sons to the hospital to reveal the news to them, and also had to bid their father goodbye.

The boys were also clueless about their father's secret. They were devastated and wanted to enjoy the last few moments with their daddy dearest. They wanted to be right there with their dad when he breathes his last and they followed this to the T. It was a difficult time for the entire family. It was a time when each of the family members was thinking about the past and the good times they had shared.

Reminiscence

After a tearful goodbye to their father, Charlotte had a few moments alone with him and she wanted to make the most of the part blissfully part tearful moments with the only man she had ever loved.  The conversations meandered to the past and with moist eyes and trembling hands they spoke about the key moments in their lives.

With the frenetic pace of life, it is very difficult to mull over the finer points of life all we do is rush through the moments without realizing their significance. Here, the family talked about the memories that made their life all the more happy and meaningful. However, John started diverting from the topic and talked about a wedding gift he had given her.

An Extraordinary Gift

Charlotte has been a lucky woman as John always showered her with gifts, they were all beautiful and cherishable gifts. John chose each of the moments to give her the best of the gifts.

However, John had given Charlotte one special gift that has always been special for her.  a special gift that stood out from all of the other gifts that John had given her. Charlotte didn't know that there was a lingering mystery behind it. She was all set to know that she had known just half of it. The truth was mysterious and unsettling and Charlotte was all set to know all about it. 

Passionate Painter

John had an inherent passion was painting. Painting and sketches were his worlds and he used to spend most of his time painting for himself since it gave him immeasurable joy. He decided to paint something for the love of his life, he went ahead and made one for her and it was beautiful.

It was all the more special because it was a wedding present for his darling Charlotte. But there was more to it than meets the eye. There was something hidden in the painting and John had vowed to keep the secret till his last breath. But he decided to share it with his wife at last.

The Last Hour

John’s health situation quickly started getting worse and he knew. He finally shared that the picture wasn't a normal painting. She may have thought it to be something when it is completely something else.

Charlotte was bamboozled at first, but she didn't have the heart to ask him. The situation was such as John was on his death bed and she did not want to make things difficult for him. Charlotte was stunned to hear about it, it was devastating for her. Was John telling the truth, was he in his right senses? What should she do? Find out more about the situation? How would she do that?

The Mystery Deepens

Charlotte was stunned to hear about it. What was John even saying? She took a good look at the picture once again trying to make sense of it. She could not make head or tail of it. But maybe her husband had a reason to say what he was saying.

The next few days she spent some time analyzing the whole situation.  She decided to ask for some help. Charlotte asked an old friend (a  restaurateur)  who had a penchant for antique paintings. Maybe he would help her.  She didn't know for sure whether the man would be of some help to her and whether he was alive, But she decided to find out anyway.

Behind The Varnish in The Paint

After facing many hardships along the way Charlotte finally met up with the friend and was glad to know that he was still alive. He was keen to know what Charlotte was talking about and started working on the painting immediately.

After spending a good amount of time, he was finally able to grasp what John was trying to say. He gingerly scratched the surface so that it does not affect the canvas. After putting in hours of hard work, he was finally able to get rid of the topcoat. As soon as he was able to uncover the truth he called Charlotte to tell her the truth.

Small Part of a Huge Secret

Charlotte however was skeptical about the whole thing and was wondering whether he would find out anything about the mystery behind the painting.  As soon as she got the call. she immediately rushed to uncover the secret. The suspense was killing her.

The friend only shared that there was a message behind the top layers of the painting. But it wasn't the whole truth, only the part of the truth. Although the man could discover the message, he was unable to find out what the message meant. They had to decode the message and it was to be done as soon as possible.

Decoding The Message

When Charlotte first noticed the painting, she was stunned into silence. There was an address on the painting which has a code, and it had her husband’s handwriting, so it must be something that he had meant to convey.

The secret of the painting was still intact and he could not unravel the same. He had tried to try his best to find more about it but apart from the address, he could unravel nothing. Maybe the code was meant for her and only she could understand. She was the only one to get to the bottom of the mystery. and since John had intended to find out more about the code, she knew she had to find out about it.

The Local Bank Address

She saw the address and could immediately recognize it. It was a local bank and coincidentally she and her husband still had an account in the bank. Of course, the account number was slightly different than the one she had formerly shared with her husband.

The code wasn't something she was entirely familiar with. She was confused about whether it was another bank number or a safe deposit box number. Finally, she would get answers to her questions. She and her painting conservator friend went to the local bank to get more information on the code.

Clueless At The Bank

She was still clueless about whatever was happening around her. She continuously tried to ask herself lots of questions as she headed toward the bank. She was wondering, why her husband could have left behind her and why he could have hidden everything from her?

She arrived worried and hassled. She went through the entire proceedings of the customer service at first, but they were unable to help her. They asked her to wait in the lobby and for the bank manager to arrive. The bank manager was busy dealing with the other customers and she had to wait a little more before he could answer the questions that were assailing her.

Inaccessible Safe

When Charlotte showed them the details there was no reaction, not the kind they had expected. Even the man at the counter was quite surprised at the request.

The bank clerk recognized the code immediately, it was regarded as a safe which has not been opened for the last 50 years. Even the bank clerks were wondering whether someone would finally open the contents. The banker was finally happy to meet the owner of the safe, and that they would finally reclaim the possessions. Even the clerks at the bank were wondering about the fate of the box.

The Mystery Behind The Safe

The bank clerk as soon as he heard about the safe first became puzzled and then called the security. Charlotte, became scared, thinking that something was wrong. Although the bank clerk assured her, she was not convinced.

Charlotte was asked to wait, this worried her even further. She was wondering whether John was involved in some illegal activities? There were too many thoughts assailing her mind and she simply could not get rid of them. She could not wait to find out what lay before her. She was worried yet in a strange way she was excited too.

The Long Wait

Finally, after waiting for an hour in trepidation, the bank manager came back, this time he had someone with him. A security guard and another bank employee accompanied him.

When the employee walked in with the security guard, Charlotte was whisked into the room where the safe was located. Charlotte could almost listen to her racing heart with each tentative step she took. Although it was just a half-minute walk, it almost seemed hours for her. They finally walked to the part of the bank which was seldom used.

The Impressive Room

Charlotte earlier had always wondered about a real bank safe, did this turn out to be like the one he had imagined? Well, she was actually impressed with the room. It gelled with her imagination or what she had seen in the movies.

As soon as she opened the room, her jaw dropped in surprise. It was a large room that had a large marble table right at the center. And right at the center rested a pair of satin gloves and a pair of mysterious black gloves. It was a room fit for the rich. She was a combination of jangled nerves and excitement.

The Big Reveal

The whole room made Charlotte look even more confused. Charlotte knew for sure that John did not have a lot of money. Sometimes they had it really tough to make both ends meet.

Charlotte could hard;y fathom what he had put in the safe almost 50 years back? Almost, giddy with excitement, she started thinking that perhaps Charlotte had a few bars stacked somewhere or maybe some expensive jewels that he may have received as a hand-me-down from his parents or grandparents. However, what made her think was why he had to keep it a secret?

The Complicated Security System

The room she was in was inaccessible, she had to make it through several doors, each one of the doors had its very own complicated security system which to Charlotte was actually very difficult to understand.

Before Charlotte was allowed to enter she had to sign several documents and answer any questions. After a few moments, they were joined by an additional security guard who entered the room and closed the door. When the door was closed, the bank clerk put on the satin gloves and opened the black box to reveal the contents.

The Device That Packs a Punch

When Charlotte took a look inside the box, she saw something that had escaped her eyes before, she was wondering what did it all mean? It was a small device that had flashlights that made it seem like it came straight from a science fiction movie.

She finally, saw what it was and it surprised her because she was not acquainted with the new advancements in science. Although her sons helped her with the new technologies that are now an integral part of everyone's lifestyle, still this seemed an alien concept to her.

The Biometric Method

The bank employee was quick to explain to Charlotte about the device and how it can be used to scan fingerprints. It may not be common in a number of safes but it has been used in her husband's safe.

When you put your finger on it to enable the light to turn green, they may finally be able to open the safe and find out about the contents it holds. Charlotte was left stupefied with surprise. She could not believe her eyes, she continued to blink her eyes and pinched herself, was she in a dream? This simply could not be real.

More Money Than She Had Ever Seen

Charlotte was dumbstruck to see the contents of the box. She felt as if the time has her frozen and eventually the box got opened. Her heart was beating fast and she was afraid that everyone would be able to hear it.

When the safe opened she was stunned to see the amount of money hidden in the safe. The box was crammed with money. How could this insane amount of money belong to her husband when all along he has said that he had no money. How could her husband hide from this important fact?  How could her husband lie to her?

A Touching and Impressive Message

She was quivering with excitement as she opened the envelope in the box, she could immediately recognize the handwriting. Although, the letter has been written by her husband almost 50 years ago when they were married.

It had a wonderful message and it surprised her no end. Suddenly, the excitement left her and she was suddenly feeling calm and quiet inside.  Although, she was still impatient to find out what prompted her husband to hide all the money and hide the facts from her. She suddenly had a feeling that perhaps John's motive was not wrong.

The Indescribable Feeling

She could see an envelope sitting among a large amount of money. She knew before she could reach out that it had a letter that was meant for Charlotte. Maybe the calm she was feeling inside was a calm before the storm. She braced herself for the ultimate moment.

The letter tucked away in the safe was of course by her husband John and the faded ink told her that the letter is old, almost 50 years old. The letter was heart-touching and it suddenly made her eyes misty. In fact, she was feeling an avalanche of emotions.

The Legacy

John wrote a moving letter to Charlotte about inheriting a massive amount of money from his uncle when he was just a kid. His uncle in fact was a wealthy businessman and was the provider of John's life since John’s father left them for a heavenly abode when he was just four years old.

When his father left them, his mom was in a really difficult financial stage. For this he and his uncle had formed a bond, unfortunately, his uncle too passed away. But John had never told Charlotte much about the incident and what followed after.

Noble Reason

John has revealed all about it to Charlotte in the letter and how he came upon such a large amount of wealth. Although, Charlotte had initially suspected John of some wrongdoing, when she finally got to know about the reason, she had a newfound respect for him.

John was right in his own way. He wanted respect from his friends and family and everyone around him. He wanted them to appreciate him on his own merit. And he didn't want people to take advantage of him because of his reformed financial status.

For The Person He Was

His uncle always had lots of love for him and raised him like his son. John had always seen people responding to his uncle behaving in a different way when they saw he had amassed a huge amount of wealth.

John did not want to go through a similar situation. Apart from stating his reason for hiding this fact from her, John also wrote to Charlotte that she could do whatever she wanted to do with the money. He also stated that he was very thankful that Charlotte has been with him all these years, not complaining and always offering her support no matter what.

A Fitting Tribute

Charlotte was stunned, she was moved by John’s beautiful words and she wished she could talk to him for one last time and pay him a last tribute.

She wanted to enjoy the money and yet also wanted to pay a fitting tribute to her husband. Charlotte now understood that although John never wanted to have any of the money, John understood that the money would be more of use for his wife and children. Charlotte realized that John was actually a very selfless and kind man who only had good thoughts for everyone around him.

A World Tour

Charlotte finally could fulfill her dreams with all the money she came upon, unexpectedly all thanks to John. She could now travel around the world with her two children. It was a wonderful trip and John was in their minds every step of the way. When Charlotte, returned from the trip she wanted to think about what could she do about the rest of the inheritance.

She has always believed in living simply, so suddenly stumbling upon so much money confused her even further. She had to give a lot of thought to how could she spend the money in an effective way.

A Gift Beyond Dreams

Since Charlotte did not require all the money and her children were actually successful in their chosen fields. She decided to donate all the extra money to contribute to the research into the disease which had claimed John's life.

Even after donating, Charlotte still had a modest amount of money left. She wanted to do something for John. And since John had a penchant for a painting she decided to do something for John in the related field. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but she still wanted to go ahead with what she had planned.

Make John's Dreams Come True

Charlotte contacted a friend of hers who was working at a local museum. She then agreed to hang all of John’s paintings in exchange for a donation.

John always had a dream that he wished to work in a museum with his paintings on display. But, it never came true. Now, Charlotte was all set to realize his dreams posthumously. The museum was all too glad to display his paintings because they were magnificent. John could really have pursued it as a career and made a name for himself in this, only if he had the courage.

Enjoying Life

Although John had lied to Charlotte for the better part of their lifetime, Charlotte didn't hold any grudges against her loving husband. She finally understood the reason behind his selfless act. Now, she understood why he had done this and she respects his decision.

If she finally lands in Heaven she would tell him whatever he had done has been for the greater good. Now, Charlotte could finally breathe a little and enjoy her life without having to make endless sacrifices. She was also happy to know that John had really loved her and thought about her till he breathed his last.