I admitted that I wasn't as young or as beautiful as she was, but now I had a fortune. With money, what couldn't I do? If something couldn't be achieved, it just meant I wasn't offering enough.
I called my parents but didn't tell them about the lottery; instead, I said I'd made a lot of money through some business.
I told them I planned to buy them a house in our hometown. Even over the phone, I could sense their joy and relief.
I didn't want to reveal the lottery win yet, fearing that once our well-intentioned but selfish relatives found out, they'd come asking for money. My parents were getting older, and I didn't want them to be put in that awkward position.
After that, I sent in my resignation to my company, immediately left the company chat group, and deleted all my colleagues' contacts.
I no longer had to endure the company's demands or scrape by on a small salary. The money I now possessed was more than I could have earned in a lifetime at that job.
Wanting some peace, I planned to take my time and figure things out before starting a small business of my own.
With all the unnecessary people deleted, my phone finally went silent.
Lying on the bed, I felt a deep sense of regret creep in.
I had put all my energy into someone who didn't deserve it, and now, after leaving him, I realized I didn't have a single true friend left.
Having handled everything else, I thought it was time to plan how to use the fifty million dollars.
After taxes, I should have around forty million left.
Portland was not a large city, and a house downtown of approximately two thousand square feet would cost about two million dollars.
Buying my parents a 1500-square-foot house in our hometown would cost about one million dollars. I could also get a car, and I'd still have plenty left.
After the real estate purchases, the most important thing would be to lose weight and improve my appearance. While I might not be considered stunning, slimming down and improving my skin would certainly help my looks.
I looked up the opening hours for the lottery office and saw they opened at ten. I set an alarm for nine, planning to be there first thing in the morning to claim my winnings.
