The lottery ticket? I bought it at a Lotto outlet on my way to work. The numbers? My mother\u2019s birthday and my father\u2019s death anniversary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stood in front of the Lotto center, staring at my phone screen for three minutes.
$5,500,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After taxes, I was left with $4,500,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t scream or shake. I just stood there on the side of the street as a thought crossed my mind\u2014
If I go home now and tell Mark, his sister Celine will find out right away.
And once Celine knows, her husband Rick will know too.
And when Rick finds out\u2026 his failed spa businesses and his debt of $300,000 (around 15 million pesos)\u2014they\u2019ll definitely come knocking at our door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So instead of going home, I turned toward the bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I opened a new account. I registered a new SIM card. I split the money and started depositing it little by little. After everything was done, I went home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I opened the door, Mark was in the kitchen cooking. He was wearing the faded apron from so many washes. He turned around and smiled.
\u201cYou\u2019re home already? Why so early?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I put my bag on the sofa and sat down.
\u201cMark.\u201d
\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d
\u201cI lost my job.\u201d
His hand holding the ladle froze. He turned off the stove and came over to kneel in front of me.
\u201cWhen?\u201d
\u201cJust now. The manager called me in, said they had to downsize the department.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t bring myself to look him in the eye. Not because I felt guilty, but because I was afraid of seeing disappointment in his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was quiet for a few seconds. Then he took my hand.
\u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d his voice was hoarse. \u201cI\u2019ll take care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three words. He said that while his eyes reddened.
We\u2019ve been married for four years. Mark works as a logistics coordinator, earning $1,200 a month. I used to work in operations for an e-commerce company, earning $1,700.
We both pay the mortgage of $650, house expenses of $450, and sometimes chip in for weddings or christenings, but we still manage to save $350-$400 every month.
We\u2019re not rich, but I\u2019ve never seen him look frustrated or exhausted with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That night, he cooked extra food, opened a can of beer, and made a toast with me.
\u201cThink of this as your vacation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I drank but didn\u2019t respond. The next morning, I hadn\u2019t fully woken up when he left. He sent me a message on WeChat (or Viber).
\u201cI returned the jewelry set your sister reserved. Got $1,300 from the $2,000 deposit. Hold on to it for now, I\u2019ll figure out the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at it for a while. That jewelry was meant for Celine\u2019s anniversary. She had forced Mark to make a downpayment of $2,000, saying it was \u201ca gift from her sister.\u201d At that time, Mark didn\u2019t say anything, just took the money from our savings. We even argued about it because he said, \u201cIt\u2019s just this once.\u201d
Now, he took it back. Just because I\u2019m \u201cunemployed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I put down my phone and stared at the ceiling. I had $4.5 million in my account. Meanwhile, my husband, outside, was ready to argue with his own sister over $1,300.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next day, my phone kept ringing. Celine\u2019s voice on the other end of the line felt like a knife slicing through my ear.
\u201cMark! What\u2019s the problem? That was my anniversary gift! How could you take back my deposit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark was leaning against the balcony, his voice calm.
\u201cAte, Maya lost her job. We need to save up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do I care if she lost her job? How much does a lowly operations staff make anyway? You\u2019re my brother, and now you\u2019re being stingy over $1,300?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not being stingy, there\u2019s just nothing right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo money? You\u2019re earning $1,200 every month, where does it go?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMortgage, groceries, utilities, admin fees\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStop with the stories!\u201d Celine yelled. \u201cI\u2019m not done with you, Mark. On Saturday, at the family dinner, you better show up.\u201d
End call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark stood there on the balcony, unmoving. Inside, I could hear every word. I approached and handed him a glass of water.
\u201cCan we not go on Saturday?\u201d
He took the glass and shook his head.
\u201cMom\u2019s going to ask if we\u2019re not there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t respond. I opened my new phone and checked the balance.
$4,500,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday came\u2026 I\u2019d bring a little \u201cgift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday, 5:00 PM, at Celine\u2019s house. The 1,500-sqft condo that Rick bought last year, with a monthly mortgage of $1,700.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we walked in, Celine was already sitting on the sofa. Her hair was freshly done, her nails were French manicured, and she had a thin gold bracelet on her wrist. When she saw me, she looked me up and down.
\u201cOh, here\u2019s Maya. You look so fresh, not looking like someone who lost her job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark\u2019s brows furrowed.
\u201cAte.\u201d
\u201cWhat? Am I wrong? Didn\u2019t your wife get laid off?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mom Elena came out of the kitchen with a plate of peanuts and told Celine off.
\u201cLet\u2019s eat already, stop it.\u201d
Then she turned to me and sighed.
\u201cMaya, don\u2019t mind your sister. She\u2019s always straightforward. Look at your brother-in-law Rick, opening spas, making over $25,000 last year. You, you\u2019ve been working for three years, and you got fired just like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNay, it\u2019s not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying you\u2019re bad,\u201d Mom waved her hand. \u201cI\u2019m just saying you should work harder. Don\u2019t just stay at home, find another job. It\u2019s tough when Mark is the only one working.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rick came out of his office, wearing a polo shirt and holding a cup of tea.
\u201cMom\u2019s right, Maya. The economy\u2019s tough, but there are opportunities. If you can\u2019t find anything, you can work at my spa, I need a receptionist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stared at him. A receptionist. He wanted me to be a receptionist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark put down his spoon.
\u201cKuya Rick, enough. Maya will find a job that suits her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m just saying,\u201d Rick grinned. \u201cAlright, eat, eat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The dinner lasted forty minutes. Celine mentioned the \u201c$2,000 deposit\u201d three times. Rick talked about his spa\u2019s \u201cexpansion plan\u201d twice. Mom sighed five times. Mark barely said a word, but I could feel him squeezing my hand under the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the way home, while he was driving:
\u201cDon\u2019t mind them.\u201d
I looked at him.
\u201cAren\u2019t you tired?\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I watched the streetlights pass one by one. I had $4.5 million. But sitting at that dinner table earlier, I couldn\u2019t say a single strong or smart word. Not because I was scared. But because I wanted to see\u2026 how far these people could go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next day, Celine posted on her Facebook\/Instagram story. A screenshot of a necklace from a famous brand, priced at $750.
Caption:
\u201cAnniversary gift from my husband. Three times more expensive than the \u2018gift\u2019 others returned. Some people have siblings they can\u2019t rely on, but I\u2019m lucky my husband is always there for me. \u2764\ufe0f #Blessed\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lots of likes. Mark\u2019s colleague, Jun, screenshot it and sent it to him. Mark just looked at it and turned off his phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t look at it.\u201d
I turned my phone towards him.
\u201cYour sister posted this.\u201d
He didn\u2019t take it.
\u201cI said, don\u2019t look at it.\u201d
\u201cYou don\u2019t look at it, but others will see it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He held the steering wheel, driving me to an \u201cinterview\u201d \u2014 which I invented because I needed to go to the bank to manage my investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s just how she\u2019s been since we were kids.\u201d
\u201cSo, you\u2019re just going to let her do this forever?\u201d
\u201cShe\u2019s my sister, Maya.\u201d
\u201cBecause she\u2019s your sister, she has the right to shame your wife on social media?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He fell silent. When we reached the corner, he stopped the car.
\u201cMaya, I know Celine has gone too far. But Mom\u2019s too soft-hearted, I don\u2019t want them to fight. When you find another job, everything will be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I opened the car door.
\u201cMark.\u201d
\u201cYeah?\u201d
\u201cIf one day you find out that I\u2019m a hundred times richer than your sister, how do you think she\u2019ll talk to me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He paused, then laughed softly.
\u201cWhat are you thinking? Go on, do well in the interview. Good luck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The car drove away. I watched his old Honda City, worth only about $12,000, disappear into the traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then, I pushed open the bank door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good day. I would like to make a big investment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMa\u2019am, how much money do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThirty million.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The teller\u2019s reaction\u2026 It was very interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A week later, Celine became more aggressive. Not only on social media, but also in family group chats on Viber. She sent a picture of her credit card bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Celine: \u201cMark, I had a $50,000 loan. I was overdue on the payment for Rick\u2019s new spa equipment. You know, business is business. Instead of keeping it in the bank for your unemployed wife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark didn\u2019t answer, but I knew he was stressed. One night, I saw him sitting in the dark on the balcony, staring at our bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the time we arrived, they were all there. Celine, wrapped in fake jewelry, and Rick, who you\u2019d think was a billionaire by the way he acted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaya! It\u2019s good to be with you,\u201d Celine greeted as she sipped her wine. \u201cI mean, you still can\u2019t find a job? It\u2019s really hard when you\u2019re only at the receptionist level, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t respond. I ordered the most expensive steak on the menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWow, Maya,\u201d Elena (Mark\u2019s mom) commented. \u201cYou don\u2019t have a job, but you\u2019re ordering the most expensive dish? You\u2019re going to have to pay for it, and she\u2019s going to pay for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeave it, Mom,\u201d Rick said with a laugh. \u201cThat might be their last meal before they get instant noodles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suddenly, Rick\u2019s phone rang. He turned pale. He went outside to answer the call. When he returned, his hand was shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMark\u2026 bro,\u201d Rick whispered. \u201cI need help. The supplier is suing me if I can\u2019t pay $75,000 tomorrow. Can we use your house as collateral?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark let go of his fork. \u201cWhat?! You\u2019re going to use our house as collateral?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMark, we\u2019re family!\u201d Celine cried out, causing the other tables to look. \u201cWhat\u2019s your house compared to my husband\u2019s business? If we make money, we\u2019ll buy you a bigger one! Don\u2019t be so stingy because of your wife\u2019s advice!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elena looked at Mark. \u201cSon, go ahead. Help your sister. It\u2019s just a signature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I stood up. Slowly. I grabbed the napkin and wiped my mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEnough,\u201d I said in a cold voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s enough?! Sit down, Maya! You don\u2019t have a say here, just eat!\u201d Celine yelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed my new phone, logged into my banking app, and showed the screen to Celine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2026 what is this?\u201d Celine\u2019s eyes widened. She read the number. \u201c3\u2026 30 Million\u2026 dollars? Billionaire\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c$30,720,000,\u201d I corrected. \u201cIn pesos? You can do the math. That\u2019s more than all of Rick\u2019s spas have lost.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whole table fell silent. Even Mark stood up in surprise. \u201cMaya\u2026 where did this come from?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI won the Lotto the day I said I lost my job,\u201d I said, looking straight at Celine. \u201cI just wanted to see who would stick with us when you thought we were out of money. And this is the result.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at Rick. \u201cAnd you, Rick? Receptionist? Would you like me to buy your spa building and make it a garbage dump?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rick swallowed. \u201cMaya\u2026 sister-in-law\u2026 I was just kidding\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSister-in-law?\u201d I asked. \u201cWhy, Aunt Lang?\u201d I mockingly mimicked her tone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turned to Celine, whose lips were now trembling. \u201cThat $12,000 deposit you cried over? Here.\u201d I took a bundle of cash from my bag\u2014about $2,000\u2014and placed it in the middle of the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the price for all your slander. Take it, and don\u2019t you ever call my wife to ask for money again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaya\u2026\u201d Mark called, still in disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I looked at him. \u201cMark, I love you. But your family? That\u2019s why we need to get away from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed my bag and stood up. \u201cAs for the dinner bill? Don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s paid. Take your pride with you, and take it with you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I walked out of the restaurant without looking back. I heard Celine and Rick screaming inside, scrambling over the money I left, while Elena just stood there, stunned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I got to the parking lot, I felt Mark\u2019s hand on my shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet\u2019s talk,\u201d he said, serious but without anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled. \u201cYes. But in our new home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When we left the restaurant, we didn\u2019t go back to the old house. We stayed at a five-star hotel in Bonifacio Global City (BGC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark was silent for two hours. He just stared out the window, watching the city lights. I knew he was in a mess\u2014his wife had suddenly become a billionaire, and his family had become an embarrassment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMark,\u201d I said as I approached him. \u201cAre you angry?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He took a deep breath and turned around. \u201cI\u2019m not mad at the money, Maya. I\u2019m thankful that we don\u2019t have to worry about debt anymore. But\u2026 it hurts to know that my own blood and flesh would throw us away when they think we\u2019re useless.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I grabbed his hand. \u201cWe had to do this, Mark. So that you can see the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soon after, karma arrived at Celine\u2019s door. As a result of Rick\u2019s arrogance, his spa business was completely buried in debt. The creditors learned about the \u201cmoney\u201d left on the table that night at dinner, and they thought the couple had hidden treasures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eventually, their condo in Quezon City was foreclosed. Celine, who used to act like the queen of social media, was forced to move into a small apartment in the countryside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every day, they tried to call Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMark, have mercy! We\u2019ve been kicked out! Tell your wife, we\u2019re still family!\u201d Celine\u2019s message on Viber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, however, it was Mark who blocked them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaya,\u201d Mark said one morning as we had coffee on the balcony of our new mansion in Forbes Park. \u201cI sent enough money for Elena. I bought her a small house of her own and hired a caregiver for her. But I told her\u2026 We\u2019re not going back to the way it was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I smiled. That was the right decision. Helped, but with distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t let myself just sit around. I used part of the money to build my own Logistics and E-commerce Hub. And what did I do as CEO? It was none other than Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the first day of our company, we were both standing in front of our building in Makati. The faded apron is gone, the old Honda City is gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you ready, Mr. President?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mark laughed, genuinely happy. \u201cReady, Mrs. Chairman. But wait, I have an interview later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho with?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA receptionist,\u201d he joked, winking at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We both laughed. Amidst all the riches, the most important thing I won from the lottery wasn\u2019t the $30 million, but the chance to build a life away from \u201ctoxic\u201d and judgmental people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The lottery ticket? I bought it at a Lotto outlet on my way to work. The numbers? My mother\u2019s birthday and my father\u2019s death anniversary. I stood… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4603"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4606,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4603\/revisions\/4606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myanh.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}