Chapter 2

Fiona froze for a second, probably because she'd never seen me act that indifferent before. At three that afternoon, while I was working on the gala plan, my phone rang. It was my mom.

"I already checked with the City Lottery Center. You need to go in person with your ID to claim the prize, and the sooner the better."

"Got it. I took a week off, so I'll go tomorrow."

"Remember this. After you claim it, don't put it all in one account. Split it across several banks. And don't buy a car or a house. For at least half a year, don't change a thing."

"Mom, I know."

"No, you don't," my mom said anxiously. "You think just because you won about 113 million dollars you can spend however you want? Once taxes are taken out, you'll have a little over 90 million dollars left, and then..."

"Mom, I'm at work."

"Oh. Then we'll talk when you get home. But remember one thing."

"What?"

"Money keeps you alive, but don't let money cost you your life."

After I hung up, I went back to the plan. Halfway through, a group message popped up on WhatsApp. It was from the department chat.

Charles Grant posted: [@Emily Lane, the annual gala plan must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. today. Don't drag it past the end of the workday.]

I checked the time. It was 3:15. I still had over an hour of work left, but I could make it.

Then someone replied in the group. Fiona Lewis: [Supervisor Grant, Emily Lane starts a one-week leave tomorrow. Who do you want to take over the plan?]

I frowned. Who told her to bring that up in the group chat?

Charles Grant: [A week? There are only a few people in Admin. Who's supposed to take it over?]

Fiona Lewis: [My hands are already full.]

Sunny Shaw: [I'm swamped too.]

Then several more people chimed in to say they were busy too. I stared at the screen and suddenly found it ridiculous. In the past four years, whose work hadn't I covered? When Sunny got married and took ten days off, I handled everything on his plate. When Fiona was sick last year and took two weeks off, I did all her reports. But now that I wanted one lousy week off, not a single person was willing to take over for me.

I finished the plan and sent it to the group at exactly five. Charles Grant read it and replied with one word: [Revise.]

"What needs changing?" I asked.

"Redo the budget section. It's too high. Cut it by a third."

"You want me to cut even the drinks budget for the boss's toast?"

"I didn't say cut everything. Use your brain."

I took a deep breath and held it in. "Okay. I'll revise it and send it back."

I worked on it until 6:30 and sent it over again.

This time, he didn't reply.

I packed up and was about to leave when my phone buzzed again. In the company-wide group chat, Director Warren had posted a message. Jessica Warren: [I heard someone in Admin is taking a long leave. Who is it?]

Charles Grant replied almost at once: [Emily Lane. One week.]

Jessica Warren: [Send her to my office tomorrow. I need to talk to her.]

I put my phone down. According to the plan, I was supposed to go to the lottery center tomorrow to claim the prize. Now Jessica Warren wanted to talk to me. I called my mom and told her what happened. She said, "Go to work first. The prize won't run away. See what they want."

At 8:30 the next morning, I sat outside Jessica Warren's office right on time. Her secretary made me wait twenty minutes. It wasn't until nine that Jessica finally opened the door. "Come in." I walked in and stayed standing. She didn't ask me to sit.