When they moved into their new house, he said that he required a separate office. It was solely for him, and it seemed like a genuine request. Therefore, Maggie agreed. However, he said she couldn’t go into the room.
It seemed odd to her, but she decided that it was like all his other quirks. When he died, she had to go into the space, finding a safe that changed her outlook on him.
The Secret Room
Cautiously, Maggie entered the room she had never been allowed to enter. It took all her courage to open the locked door because she feared her husband had been hiding something bad. Still, she had to go through his possessions.
The Secret Room
Too Many Locks
She noticed a locked cabinet, and it was full of keys. This meant breaking it open. Within, she saw a large safe. Though she thought it only amounted to more secrets, she had to know what was inside.
Too Many Locks
The Reveal
Finally, Maggie found the safe’s code and was surprised at what she saw. How could her husband have kept this large secret from her? Maybe Peter hadn’t felt that she would stick around if she knew about it. Still, it was somewhat crazy!
The Reveal
The Key
Maggie stopped to look at the key in her hand. It had a beautiful pattern on it, but she’d never seen it. Plus, she would have remembered the heaviness of it. Peter had kept it on him at all times, even sleeping with it. However, it was time to unlock his secret past.
The Key
A Little Scary
Peter had been secretive about his past, and he likely had good reasons for that. Therefore, she didn’t want to open the door and worried it would be a mistake. Overall, she waited until after the funeral to become a detective.
A Little Scary
Building a Dream Home
Maggie had loved living with her husband and didn’t want to be alone now. They’d done many things together, but he was gone. In fact, they had built their home from scratch, making it perfect for their needs. Peter was retired, but he wanted his own office.
Building a Dream Home
Eva
Peter’s funeral was in a few days, and his coffin sat in her living room. She often asked him questions and worried that she wouldn’t be able to let him go. Eva, their only daughter, decided to come home after being abroad for many years.
Eva
Hello Again
Once her daughter arrived, the pair hugged because they hadn’t seen each other for a while. Eva apologized for not having visited more often. Though it hurt, Maggie brushed it off because she wanted to catch up on her daughter’s life.
Hello Again
Lying to Eva
Eva and Maggie walked through the home and passed the locked office door. Maggie had the key, but she lied about that when her daughter asked. In fact, she said Peter had hidden it in the home before he died, but she hadn’t found it.
Lying to Eva
Saying Goodbye
On the day of the funeral, Maggie dressed in somber tones. As she left the bedroom, she saw Eva crouching beside the door to pick the lock. It shocked Maggie, but she told her not to bother because it wouldn’t open. Still, Eva thought she noticed a key around her mom’s neck.
Saying Goodbye
No Time
Eva asked once again if her mother had the key to the locked room, but Maggie said no. Still, her daughter knew it was a lie. Eva was desperate to know, but she couldn’t stick around to find out because she had to make a flight the next day.
No Time
Anger at Peter
Peter’s funeral was beautiful, but her husband was now buried. The only thing she had of his was in that mysterious room. Maggie actually felt a little angry at him. Of course, it wasn’t his fault that he passed, but he hadn’t left a note.
Anger at Peter
Forgetting about the Room
Maggie wanted to go into the room but was scared. What if it changed her idea about Peter? She knew Eva was curious, but she waited and felt that a few more days wouldn’t hurt. Then, she somewhat forgot.
Forgetting about the Room
Old Memories
After a month, Maggie thought less and less about his room. However, she got lonely, wishing to connect with Peter again. In fact, she wanted something that would spark the memory, such as his favorite book or an old photograph.
Old Memories
Searching the House
Maggie went through the whole house and passed his office. She knew the key was in her bedside drawer and felt that she needed to have it around her neck. In fact, something was drawing her to the room, but what was it?
Searching the House
Slight Panic
She went to the bedroom to find the key, but it wasn’t where she’d put it. Maybe Eva had located it and stolen it! What would she do? She needed that key to get into the office. She tried to forget about it, but she couldn’t!
Slight Panic
Behind the Drawer
Maggie knew that she had simply misplaced the key. She couldn’t blame others for something they hadn’t done. Luckily, she glanced behind the drawer, which revealed something shiny. It might be her key, though she couldn’t tell.
Behind the Drawer
Very Heavy
The drawer was quite heavy, so she needed help to move it. She grabbed a lever and finally pushed that cabinet away from the wall. On the floor, she saw her husband’s office key, wondering how it got there. Maggie was sure she’d put it in the drawer!
Very Heavy
Rumbling Noise
Now, Maggie was hearing rumbling sounds. She couldn’t tell where they were coming from, but she knew they were in the house. Should she hide until it stopped or investigate the noise? What did she do?
Rumbling Noise
Curiosity
There were plenty of strange things happening, which made her all the more curious to see what was in the locked room. Was someone in there searching for something? She realized it was time to find out for herself, and she walked toward the door.
Curiosity
Pounding Heart
Maggie stood before the door and inserted the key into the lock. Her heart was pounding, and her palms were quite sweaty. However, she had to know what was in the room, so she decided to turn the key and open the secrets.
Pounding Heart
Opening the Door
She pushed the door open and stood just outside of it. She wasn’t sure how to react to the things she saw. Maggie had never been in here before, and she looked around. Still, she didn’t expect this!
Opening the Door
Can’t Believe It
About five minutes passed before she went into the room. She couldn’t believe what she saw! In fact, she was slightly relieved that everything looked ordinary; any home office would have those things. Still, Peter had to have hidden something!
Can’t Believe It
Opening the Curtains
Maggie saw a beautiful desk and some books he had hidden from her, but it was too dark to learn more. Therefore, she opened up the curtains, and a window was open. Why would that be? She closed it and gasped as the light showed more.
Opening the Curtains
Picking a Book
Maggie sat down in Peter’s office chair and picked up a book on the desk. A tear was rolling down her cheek as she did so. In fact, she missed Peter tremendously. The room still smelled like him, and she couldn’t understand why he’d been so secretive.
Picking a Book
Locked Cabinet
When Maggie glanced around the room, she saw a locked cabinet in one corner. She was upset to discover another lock to deal with, but she never hesitated. She simply grabbed a candle holder from the desk, pounding on it until it sprung open.
Locked Cabinet
Breaking the Lock
To her surprise, the lock broke easily. She opened the doors and spotted a big safe. That’s why Peter had locked the room. His big secret was probably in this safe, and she would get those answers she wanted and needed.
Breaking the Lock
Extremely Heavy
Maggie couldn’t move the safe out of the cabinet because it was heavy, and she needed a six-digit code to unlock it. She tried their anniversary date and birthdates, but those didn’t work. Now, she was even more desperate to know what was in there.
Extremely Heavy
Locksmith
She couldn’t do anything else herself, so she decided to call a locksmith. He was her last hope because he was a specialist. However, she called him too late, and he said he’d be by the next day for a service call.
Locksmith
Old Safe
The locksmith arrived the following day and was shocked to see the safe. He said it was at least 70 years old and marveled at its amazing condition. Maggie wondered why Peter would keep secrets for that long, but she’d have the answers she wanted soon.
Old Safe
Finding the Code
The locksmith took the safe with him, and Maggie continued searching through the desk drawers to see if there was a notebook or something with the code. She decided to do that in case the locksmith couldn’t open it with his many skills.
Finding the Code
Little Black Box
Maggie began pulling things out of the drawers and finally saw something. There was a small black box in a drawer, and she was surprised she hadn’t seen it before now. It must be another part of the mystery she was dealing with.
Little Black Box
Opening the Box
As she opened the box, she noticed a note inside. It said that Peter was gone if she was reading it, and he’d known it would happen for a while. He then asked for forgiveness and gave the code for the safe as 865203.
Opening the Box
Wiping Tears Away
Maggie was now wiping tears from her eyes. He had known he was dying and hadn’t said anything to her. What could be in that safe that he couldn’t tell his wife? She was scared and curious, needing answers.
Wiping Tears Away
Calling the Locksmith
Overall, Maggie had to call the locksmith to get the safe back. She felt it would be better to use the code instead of him breaking it open. Luckily, he hadn’t begun the project, so he brought it to her the following morning.
Calling the Locksmith
The Moment
As Maggie sat in Peter’s office, she looked at the safe and note he’d left. Finally, she would learn what he’d kept hidden all those years. She wanted this information, but she feared she would regret it later.
The Moment
Click
When she entered the code he’d written down, she heard a click. She twisted the knob, and the heavy door creaked open. Her heart was racing in her chest; she ultimately knew she’d learn the truth, and it made her nervous.
Click
His Past
Maggie reflected on the many times she’d asked about his past and received no answer. She had stopped asking many years ago, but she was still interested to know about his family. He claimed to have lost everything in a fire, but she learned it was a lie!
His Past
Family Photos
She saw family photographs and letters inside the safe. He’d been talking to them for all of those years, and she wondered why he would lie about it. Then, she noticed a piece of yellowed paper.
Family Photos
Birth Certificate
It was Peter’s birth certificate! She learned that he hadn’t been born in America and had left his family behind to immigrate here. While she was upset that he hadn’t told her, she knew he loved her and wanted the best for her.
Birth Certificate
