Sweet May-December Marriage

Chapter 176 The Secret

Chapter 176 The Secret

Charlotte didn't have a favorable opinion of the Lopez family's servants. So, when Sophia called her out of the blue and wanted to meet with her, she promptly turned her down.

In this world, most people tended to be social climbing, and the servants of the Lopez family excelled at it. Everyone knew that Aurora hated her, so they used all sorts of underhanded methods to torment her, Sophia in particular.

Charlotte remembered clearly that when she had completed all the chores that should have been done by Sophia, including tidying up the garden, she felt hungry and wanted some food, but Sophia poured the last of the food into the dog's bowl in front of her.

Sophia seemed to sense that, and she quickly said on the phone, "Ms. Lopez, I know you don't like me. But I have something important to tell you, and it concerns your mother!"

Charlotte furrowed her brow.

Did the Lopez family try to use this tactic to deceive her again?

"Ms. Lopez!" Sophia sounded a bit strange, almost as if she were in extreme fear, and she said in a trembling voice, "Ms. Lopez, trust me! I know the real cause of your mother's death!"

Charlotte pursed her lips and said after a pause, "I know why my mother passed away. I witnessed it with my own eyes."

"But you don't know who caused her such a painful end!" Sophia added "I'm waiting for you at the juicery on Onotawa Road. If you give me some money, I'll spill everything!"

Charlotte replied, "I don't have any money."

Sophia's voice suddenly grew stern. "Ms. Lopez, you're under Mr. Clark's protection now, and you're saying you have no money? Your mother loved you deeply, yet you won't even investigate the true cause of her death?"

Charlotte fell silent.

Sophia urged, "Hurry up, and time is running out!"

With that, she hung up the phone.

Charlotte stared at her phone for quite a while. Eloise, who was standing in front of her, asked curiously, "Char, what's going on?"

Charlotte hesitated and then suddenly asked, "Eloise, can you lend me some money?"

Eloise asked, "Sure, how much do you need?" She took out a card from her bag and said, "There is 15 thousand dollars on this card. Do you think that'll cover it?"

Charlotte took it over and replied, "This should be enough. I'll make sure to pay you back in a few days. Thanks so much."

Eloise scratched her head and asked, "Do you want to buy something expensive?" ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Holding the card in her hand, Charlotte nodded and said, "It's for something very important."

...

In the Starry Café...

Sophia kept looking around anxiously while waiting for Charlotte. As soon as she spotted her, she quickly rose from her seat and greeted her, "Ms. Lopez!"

With a calm expression, Charlotte took a seat and signaled to the waiter to bring her a cup of cappuccino. Then she asked, "How much money do you need?"

Sophia replied, "Not much, just 30 thousand dollars, and I need it in cash."

She looked at Charlotte's pretty face and added, "Ms. Lopez, you're doing the best among the Lopez family right now. This sum of money is nothing to you, right?"

Charlotte stated, "I only have 7.5 thousand dollars and that's all." she paused and added, "It's in cash. But I'm not sure if your information is worth that price."

Sophia said anxiously, "That's impossible! Other than me, very few people know this, and they wouldn't share it with you!" She quickly glanced at the clock and added, "I'll take 7.5 thousand. Just give me the money, and I'll tell you right away."

Charlotte lowered her voice and said, "Sophia, are you in a hurry? Normally, if you need 30 thousand, you could simply borrow it from the Lopez family. They wouldn't be so tightfisted, would they?"

Sophia's face turned pale.

For the first time, she found dealing with Ms. Lopez rather challenging.

"...It's because my son owes money to a loan shark," Sophia gritted her teeth and confessed, "He owes over 150 thousand dollars, and I can't ask Mrs. Lopez for so much money. I could only borrow 75 thousand. If Mrs. Lopez discovers that my son is involved with those people, she won't let me off."

"Who are these people?"

In her desperation for money, Sophia's loyalty had waned. She replied, "Mrs. Lopez has been laundering money for a drug cartel. Those people also give her profits. Otherwise, how do you think only depending on the Lopez Medical Corporation, which hasn't made much money all these years, she would afford jewelry worth millions of dollars? Even Ms. Ryker doesn't know about this. I overheard and found this out by accident, and I let it slip back at home. But my son who wanted to be rich overnight, sought to join them, but he couldn't get in. He has even been addicted to drugs and didn't dare to tell me the truth, and he was deceived into borrowing money from a loan shark..."

Sophia spoke in tears and choked, "If it weren't for this, I would never have come to you for this deal. I once thought about keeping this a secret forever."

Charlotte lowered her head and placed the 7.5 thousand cashes wrapped in newspaper on the table, saying, "Go on now."

Sophia wiped her tears and continued, "Your mother did take her own life, but she wasn't so sick that she should have died at thirty. Your premature birth was caused by Mrs. Lopez. When she found out about you and your mother, she got furious and visited your mother with Amanda. She forced her to take abortion medicine which was prepared by me. I had worked in the pharmacy, so I knew the medicine was for abortion. But I was too afraid to say anything... Because of the medicine, you were born premature, and your mother was in critical condition. She almost didn't make it.

When you were around four or five, Mrs. Lopez visited your mother again. You should remember it; I went along that time. I overheard your mother talking about the abortion medicine years ago, and she mentioned it contained something called Arisaema Erubescens which conflicted with the medicine she took regularly. This led to her dying young. I also remember your mother warning Mrs. Lopez about something. I didn't hear the details clearly, but it was something like warning Mrs. Lopez not to harm you..."

Charlotte's fist remained tightly clenched, and she couldn't hold back her anger. She asked, "...So, are you suggesting that Aurora is responsible for my mother's death?"

"Exactly. Mrs. Lopez wanted to kill both you and your mother, so you could say that," Sophia replied as she put the money into her bag, "That's all I know. I'll be leaving now."

"Wait," Charlotte called out, put another 7.5 thousand dollars to the table, and said, "Sophia, you mentioned earlier that she was involved in money laundering for a drug cartel. Do you have any evidence?"

Sophia hesitated, caught between fear and the money. She sat back down and replied, "I don't have evidence...but I do know that she keeps an account book and several contracts related to the drug cartel in her safe. As for anything else, I don't know."

Charlotte continued her questioning, "Can you get these for me?"

Sophia was startled and replied, "How could I? Only Mrs. Lopez and Mr. Lopez know the safe's password."

Charlotte paused for a moment and asked, "Does Jonathan also know about this?"

Sophia took a moment to think and then replied, "I'm not sure. Mrs. Lopez hasn't shared this with anyone, but she's the one who has always used the safe, and Mr. Lopez has never inquired about it."