Chapter 2

The next morning, I got up early.

Like every other morning, I made oatmeal, warmed some biscuits, and put together a couple of simple sides.

Richard got up, wolfed down his breakfast with a sour face, and left for work without saying a single word to me.

David and Emily didn't even bother to get up.

I left their breakfast covered in the pot and walked out the door.

The streets were full of people, some out for a morning walk and some shopping for groceries, and the whole block was buzzing.

But I felt like I was watching it all from behind a glass wall, completely disconnected.

My heart felt hollow, like there was nothing left inside.

For 32 years, I'd been spinning around this house like a top, never stopping, always keeping things running.

What I understood now was that legally I had no standing in that family at all.

I wasn't even the woman of the house, and what I really amounted to was an unpaid maid.

Passing by a lottery store, I spotted a sign out front: [Jackpot: 2.67 million dollars.]

Before I knew it, I was inside.

I had never bought into any of it and always figured it was a scam.

But that day I wanted something to hope for, something to hold onto.

"Hey, can I get a quick-pick?" I said, and handed over the cash.

The shop owner tore off a flimsy lottery ticket and handed it to me.

I folded it small, then stuffed it into the deepest corner of my pocket.

Back home, life kept rolling along like nothing had changed.

I did the laundry, cooked the meals, and mopped the floors.

David and Emily didn't even bother to get up until noon. After lunch, they just pushed their bowls aside and went back to their rooms, glued to their phones.

Emily headed out for a manicure that afternoon, and before she left she took seventy dollars out of my wallet without asking, saying she needed it for dinner with friends.

I didn't say a word.

That evening, Richard came home.

We all sat down for dinner and nobody mentioned the day before, like the fight had never happened.

But I could feel it, and something was different now.

I watched Richard smacking his lips as he drank his soup, David buried in his phone, and Emily fussing with her plate, shoving the greens she didn't want off to the side.

They acted like everything was perfectly normal, like this was just how life was supposed to be.

After dinner Richard flopped onto the couch, patted his belly, and said, "Helen, make me a coffee. Strong."

I picked up the dishes and headed into the kitchen.

The steady rush of water from the tap was the only thing that gave me any comfort.

After I finished washing the dishes, I went back to my room.

I pulled out the lottery ticket and watched the live drawing for the winning numbers.

The red numbers flashed on the screen, one after another.

[01, 08, 15, 22, 29, 33.]

And then the blue ball: [12.]

I took out my lottery ticket, my hands trembling.

The first number, 01, matched, and the second one, 08, matched too.

My heart started racing.

The third was 15, the fourth was 22, the fifth was 29, and the sixth was 33.

Every one of them matched.

My hands started shaking, and I could barely catch my breath.

That left the last one, the blue ball.

I stared at that little ticket, my eyes locked onto it.

The last number was 12.

I had won first prize, and after taxes it came to 2 million dollars.

I gripped the ticket so tight, my palm was sweaty and the ticket was getting soggy in my hand.

I didn't freak out or jump for joy.

Instead, I felt this weird sense of calm, like all the dust had finally settled.

For the past three days, I'd been going through the motions, feeling like a zombie.

I couldn't find the energy to shop for groceries or cook, and nothing felt worth the effort.

Richard, David, and Emily all noticed something was off with me.

"What's up with you these days? You look like you've lost your soul," Richard said, frowning.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Helen, are you still hung up on that piece of paper? Seriously, you're way too petty."

I ignored them.

I was waiting.

I was waiting for that call to confirm it.

On the morning of the third day, the call finally came.

The lottery center staffer's voice was all business, but what he said hit me like a bolt of lightning.

After confirming my identity and the winning numbers, he told me to go to a specific bank to claim my prize.

After hanging up, I took a deep breath.

I walked into the living room.

Richard was glued to the TV, David was playing video games, and Emily was relaxing with a face mask on.

"I'm heading out for a bit," I said.

"Where are you going?" Richard asked, not even bothering to look up from the TV.

"Just going to buy some groceries," I replied.

"And grab me a pack of cigarettes while you're out," he added.

"Got it," I said.

I changed my clothes, grabbed my ID, the marriage record, and the lottery ticket that was about to turn my whole life over.

As I walked out the door, I glanced back at the home where I'd spent 32 years of my life.

The furniture was still the same. The people were still the same.

But from today on, nothing would ever be the same again.

There were hardly any people in the bank.

I was led into the VIP lounge.

The manager was extremely polite and kept bringing me coffee to make sure I was comfortable.

The paperwork ran long, with form after form to fill out and signature after signature to sign.

Finally the manager smiled and said, "Ms. Carter, the 2 million dollars has been transferred to your new account. Here's your bank card. Please keep it somewhere safe."

I took the card from him, and it weighed almost nothing, but in my hand it carried the weight of my whole life.

Stepping out of the bank, the sunlight was almost blinding.

I stood on the street, watching people come and go, and all of a sudden I felt lost.

I had money now, and a great deal of it.

What should I do first?

After thinking it over, I walked into a jewelry store next door.

I went for the chunkiest gold bangle they had.

As soon as it went onto my wrist, the weight of it against my skin made me feel steady for the first time in years, like I finally had something solid to hold.

Then I went to the mall and bought myself a whole new outfit, from the underwear out, and every piece of it was new and mine alone.

When I put the new clothes on and stood in front of the mirror, I felt like I was looking at a different woman.

Finally, I went to the best restaurant in town and ordered a whole table full of my favorite dishes.

I sat there all by myself, eating slowly, savoring every single bite.

After I finished eating, I took a cab back home.

Back to that so-called "home."

I pushed the door open.

Richard and the others were all there, looking like they'd just finished lunch.

When Emily saw my new gold bracelet and my fresh outfit, her eyes went wide.

"Helen, did you strike it rich or something?" Emily sneered, her tone full of sarcasm.

Richard eyed my new bracelet, his brows knitting together. "Where'd you get the cash for that?"

I didn't answer them.

I walked up to Richard and slapped a card down on the table.

It was a lawyer's business card.

"Richard," I said, looking him straight in the eye, "we were never legally married, so there's nothing to divorce. This house was yours before we ever got together, so I don't want it."

He was stunned, and so were David and Emily.

"But," I said, my voice steady, "for the past 32 years, you owe me back pay for all the years I worked as your housekeeper.

"And you'll have to compensate me for all the time you stole from my life, and for the emotional pain you put me through."

I looked at their shocked faces and felt a surge of triumph inside.

"I've already consulted a lawyer. See you in court," I said, my voice icy and firm.