Chapter 4 · Payback's A Billion-Dollar Blessing

Going on TV with a mask? My heart raced. An idea flashed through my mind.

Karen and Lisa lived for those trashy local news segments. They never missed them.

I could already see their faces when they saw me, the woman they'd thrown out like garbage, sitting there with 1.2 million dollars they couldn't even dream of.

This was better than any revenge I could've planned.

"I'll do it," I said. "But I have one condition."

"Go ahead."

"No mask. No voice disguise. And I want it to air tomorrow at 7:30 PM, during the local news."

That was prime time in the Brown house. Dinner on their laps, eyes glued to the screen. Every night, without fail.

The clerk hesitated. "I'll need to check with my supervisor."

"Take your time."

She made a quick call and explained the situation. A few minutes later, she hung up and nodded.

"Supervisor says yes. Thank you for your cooperation. A reporter will meet you here tomorrow at 2 PM. Does that work?"

"Perfect."

I walked out of the lottery center into the warm afternoon sun.

My phone buzzed. A bank notification.

It read: [XX Bank. Your account ending in XXXX received 1,200,000 dollars at 3:32 PM. Current balance: 1,200,000.]

All those zeros. They blurred in front of my eyes.

I stood there on the curb, laughing, and then crying, tears streaming down my face.

Goodbye, Emma. The Emma who spent three years swallowing every insult the Browns threw at her.

Hello, Emma. The new Emma, who had 1.2 million in the bank and a whole new life ahead.

Right in the middle of my meltdown, my phone rang. Unknown number.

I picked up. "Hello?"

There was a pause on the other end, then a voice I hoped I'd never hear again.

It was David. "Emma, it's me."

The moment I heard David's voice, all my joy evaporated. My heart instantly went cold.

"What do you want?" I said, my tone flat and emotionless.

David was clearly thrown by how cold I sounded. "Emma, where are you?"

"Why would I tell you?" I replied.

"I-I'm worried about you. You don't have any money, you're alone..."

Worried about me? I almost laughed.

If he'd been worried, he would've opened his mouth when Karen was tearing me apart.

If he'd been worried, he would've stood up when Lisa ripped away the last shred of my dignity.

A little late for that now.

"I'm fine. Save your concern. If that's all—"

"Wait!" His voice cracked. "Emma, please. listen. I know I messed up. I know.

"But my mom, you know how she is. Don't let her win.

"Come home. I'll talk to her. She won't bother you again, I swear."

"David," I cut him off, "we're divorced."

"That doesn't count! Karen made me sign. We can fix this. We can get remarried right now."

"Remarried?" I laughed, like he'd told the world's biggest joke. "And then what?

"Go back to that house that was never mine? Walk on eggshells around your mother every day? Be your sister's maid? You really think that's happening?"

"No, listen. I'll work my ass off. We'll get our own place. Move out. Never go back there. Okay?"

He sounded desperate. Broken.

A few hours ago, maybe that would've tugged at something in my chest.

But not anymore. My heart was already dead the second I signed those papers.

The 1.2 million bucks sparked something in me again. But this time, it was for myself.

"David, stop pretending. I know you better than anyone.

"You're weak. You're selfish. You've never taken responsibility for anything in your life. You'll always hide behind your mother. You're a grown man who never grew up."

"I—" he stammered.

"Lisa brought her boyfriend to tour the house yesterday, didn't she? Bet that was nice for them.

"Bet she was all smiles, finally getting her hands on the place you handed her on a silver platter."

Every word landed like a knife, right in the softest part of him.

Chapter 4

Going on TV with a mask? My heart raced. An idea flashed through my mind.

Karen and Lisa lived for those trashy local news segments. They never missed them.

I could already see their faces when they saw me, the woman they'd thrown out like garbage, sitting there with 1.2 million dollars they couldn't even dream of.

This was better than any revenge I could've planned.

"I'll do it," I said. "But I have one condition."

"Go ahead."

"No mask. No voice disguise. And I want it to air tomorrow at 7:30 PM, during the local news."

That was prime time in the Brown house. Dinner on their laps, eyes glued to the screen. Every night, without fail.

The clerk hesitated. "I'll need to check with my supervisor."

"Take your time."

She made a quick call and explained the situation. A few minutes later, she hung up and nodded.

"Supervisor says yes. Thank you for your cooperation. A reporter will meet you here tomorrow at 2 PM. Does that work?"

"Perfect."

I walked out of the lottery center into the warm afternoon sun.

My phone buzzed. A bank notification.

It read: [XX Bank. Your account ending in XXXX received 1,200,000 dollars at 3:32 PM. Current balance: 1,200,000.]

All those zeros. They blurred in front of my eyes.

I stood there on the curb, laughing, and then crying, tears streaming down my face.

Goodbye, Emma. The Emma who spent three years swallowing every insult the Browns threw at her.

Hello, Emma. The new Emma, who had 1.2 million in the bank and a whole new life ahead.

Right in the middle of my meltdown, my phone rang. Unknown number.

I picked up. "Hello?"

There was a pause on the other end, then a voice I hoped I'd never hear again.

It was David. "Emma, it's me."

The moment I heard David's voice, all my joy evaporated. My heart instantly went cold.

"What do you want?" I said, my tone flat and emotionless.

David was clearly thrown by how cold I sounded. "Emma, where are you?"

"Why would I tell you?" I replied.

"I-I'm worried about you. You don't have any money, you're alone..."

Worried about me? I almost laughed.

If he'd been worried, he would've opened his mouth when Karen was tearing me apart.

If he'd been worried, he would've stood up when Lisa ripped away the last shred of my dignity.

A little late for that now.

"I'm fine. Save your concern. If that's all—"

"Wait!" His voice cracked. "Emma, please. listen. I know I messed up. I know.

"But my mom, you know how she is. Don't let her win.

"Come home. I'll talk to her. She won't bother you again, I swear."

"David," I cut him off, "we're divorced."

"That doesn't count! Karen made me sign. We can fix this. We can get remarried right now."

"Remarried?" I laughed, like he'd told the world's biggest joke. "And then what?

"Go back to that house that was never mine? Walk on eggshells around your mother every day? Be your sister's maid? You really think that's happening?"

"No, listen. I'll work my ass off. We'll get our own place. Move out. Never go back there. Okay?"

He sounded desperate. Broken.

A few hours ago, maybe that would've tugged at something in my chest.

But not anymore. My heart was already dead the second I signed those papers.

The 1.2 million bucks sparked something in me again. But this time, it was for myself.

"David, stop pretending. I know you better than anyone.

"You're weak. You're selfish. You've never taken responsibility for anything in your life. You'll always hide behind your mother. You're a grown man who never grew up."

"I—" he stammered.

"Lisa brought her boyfriend to tour the house yesterday, didn't she? Bet that was nice for them.

"Bet she was all smiles, finally getting her hands on the place you handed her on a silver platter."

Every word landed like a knife, right in the softest part of him.