I won a hundred million. Without a second thought, I quit my job, the one that paid me twenty thousand a month.

My husband, who earned barely six thousand, assumed I had been laid off, and in that instant, he showed his true colors.

"Let's get a divorce," he said calmly. "You're not good enough for me anymore."

Even my mother-in-law, who had always seemed so gentle, turned on me without hesitation.

"Get out of this house," she snapped. "And take your sick daughter with you. From now on, you're on your own."

That was the moment I gave up on both of them. I did not argue. I did not try to stay.

Meanwhile, they were thrilled, convinced they had finally rid themselves of me and my daughter, the burdens they no longer wanted.

What they did not know was that inside my bag was not just a lottery ticket worth a hundred million.

There was also a diagnosis.

My husband, Wade Zeller, had late-stage stomach cancer.

I walked home carrying two heavy bags filled with groceries I normally would never splurge on. My mind kept spinning, trying to figure out how to convince my husband to finally take his treatment seriously.

When I pushed the door open, I saw Wade Zeller sitting on the couch, his face dark and sickly.

My heart dropped. I thought he had already found out about his stomach cancer.

I was just about to tell him I had won a hundred million, that money would never be a problem for his treatment…

However, before I could speak, he looked up at me and asked in a flat tone, "I just got a call from your coworker. She said if you're not going back to work, you should go shopping with her. Yoana, did you get fired?"

In all six years of our marriage, I had never heard him speak to me in such a distant, unfamiliar tone.

I froze.

I was about to explain, but something in me suddenly shifted. I wanted to test him.

So I lowered my head, forcing my face into a look of defeat.

"Yeah," I said quietly. "I messed up badly on my last project. Not only did I lose my bonus, I didn't even get any severance."

The truth was the exact opposite.

I had done an amazing job. I got a hundred-thousand bonus, and my supervisor even promised to raise my monthly salary to thirty thousand.

I thought a lie that obvious would never fool Wade.

After all, he had seen how hard I worked on that project last month. On the day I finished it, I had even texted him.

He replied with just a few words: [You're amazing, honey!]

However, judging by the way his expression grew even darker, he completely believed I had been fired.

"Yoana, how can you be this stupid? You can't even keep a job?" Wade exploded, shooting to his feet and striding toward me.

Before I could react, his hand came down hard across my face.

The sharp crack echoed through the room, and in that instant, something inside me shattered along with it. My dignity.

"Wade, you hit me?!" I was shaking with rage.

We had dated for three years and been married for five, and not once had he ever laid a hand on me. We hardly even argued. Then, just because I "lost" my job, he thought he could treat me like that?

My eyes burned red as hurt and anger surged through me.

However, Wade looked completely justified. He pointed at the groceries in my hands and kept yelling,

"Are you out of your mind? You're unemployed, you can't make a single cent, and you're still buying expensive food like this? Are you trying to drag us both down?"

That was it.

I snapped.

I raised my hand and slapped him back.

The moment my hand landed, my mother-in-law, Ella Sanders, rushed out of the bedroom and immediately shielded her son.

The gentle, kind woman who used to speak to me so sweetly had completely changed. "Are you crazy? How dare you hit my son? No manners at all!"

I let out an icy laugh.

She had stood there silently while I was being slapped.

Of course. Like mother, like son.

All those expensive skincare products and supplements I had bought for her over the years… What a waste.

"I just lost a job, and this is how your family treats me? Can't I find another one?" My chest felt tight as I forced the words out.

Wade let out a mocking laugh. "Find another job? Yoana, you're already thirty-two. What company would want an old woman like you?"

Ella chimed in immediately.

"The older a woman gets, the less she's worth. Men only get more valuable with age. You don't even have a job now. You won't make any money in the future. And you expect my son to support you? And your sick daughter with that heart condition? Stop dreaming."

She paused, her tone turning even colder. "My son just got promoted. He's a department supervisor now. He makes 7,500 a month, and that's not even counting bonuses and performance pay."

Then she crossed her arms and looked at me with narrowed eyes. "I'll make it clear. Either you leave with some dignity, divorce my son, and take your daughter with you. Or we'll go through legal channels. Your choice."

She rolled her eyes and stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring at me.

Wade looked me up and down with a sneer, like he had already climbed to the top of the world.

"Yoana, why don't you get it? I'm a department supervisor now. Someone like you, an old, ugly working woman, isn't good enough for me anymore."

Looking at the identical greed and arrogance on their faces, my emotions slowly calmed down instead.

So that was it.

He had gotten a promotion and a raise, which explained why he was acting so arrogant.

Thank goodness I had never told them about the lottery. With the way they thought, they would have found a way to take every last cent from me, and by then, my daughter and I would have nowhere left to turn.

Then they wanted to force me into a divorce like that?

Not happening.

All those years, Wade had brainwashed me into using my salary for daily expenses and mortgage payments, while his income was saved.

Then I could see it clearly. That disgusting mother and son had been planning to drain me dry all along.

"Fine. We can divorce," I said calmly. "However, I want half of the savings. And half of the house."

Ella immediately lost her composure. "No way! In your dreams! All these years, it's my son who paid the mortgage, you……"

Before she could finish, my phone suddenly rang, and when I glanced at the screen, I saw it was the hospital.

Without hesitation, I answered.

However, the moment I did, the doctor's urgent voice came through, "Ms. Carter, you need to come to the hospital immediately. Thora has gone into sudden heart failure. She's being rushed into emergency treatment, but your account has no money left. You need to come and make a payment right away!"

"What? That's impossible. A few days ago I asked my husband to deposit thirty thousand……"

I turned to look at Wade. The panic in his eyes told me everything.

"You bastard. I'll deal with you when I get back!"

I hung up, grabbed my bag, and rushed out the door.

I rushed to the hospital as fast as I could and paid the fees without stopping for a second. Then I waited, my heart burning with anxiety, for two long hours.

Finally, the doctor came out and reassured me.

"Don't worry, Ms. Carter. Thora is stable now. However, her heart can't hold on much longer. We need to arrange a transplant as soon as possible."

I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding forever, like I had just survived something terrible.

"Please schedule the surgery as soon as possible," I said. "Money isn't a problem."

After the doctor left, Thora was still unconscious. That was when I suddenly remembered the thirty thousand.

I went to the payment counter to check, and that was when I found out the truth.

Wade had never come to pay.

Luckily, his bank card was linked to my phone. I logged into the account, and what I saw made my chest tighten with rage.

He had used the entire thirty thousand… to buy a luxury handbag.

In that moment, anger pressed down on me so hard I could barely breathe.

Thinking back to how he and Ella had ganged up on me tonight, there was no question anymore.

We were getting divorced. There had to be another woman, and even as the thought settled in, I clenched my teeth and forced myself not to call him.

Not yet, I told myself.

No matter what, I needed to finalize the divorce as soon as possible.

Thora's surgery would cost a fortune, and the only way to get that money was to claim my lottery prize.

I pushed down my anger and went back to Thora's room.

She was still asleep. Her small face looked pale under the oxygen mask, and the sight made my chest ache.

Looking at my little girl, the child I had nearly died bringing into this world, my heart filled with nothing but tenderness for her and a growing hatred for Wade. She was his daughter too, and yet he was willing to risk her life for another woman.

If I had not gotten that call today, I did not even want to think about what might have happened.

At that thought, the last bit of love I had for Wade disappeared completely.

I reached into my bag and took out his medical report, remembering how helpless and heartbroken I had felt the first time I saw it. However, now, there was nothing left. No sadness. No hesitation.

A moment later, I tore it into pieces and threw it into the trash without a second thought.

By the time I got home, it was already late at night. However, when I stepped out of the elevator, I froze. All of my belongings and Thora's things had been thrown outside the door. Even the lock had been changed.

I started banging on the door.

After what felt like forever, Wade finally opened it, moving slowly like he had all the time in the world.

The first thing he did was hand me a divorce agreement. Not only did it demand that I leave with nothing, it even stated that I had no claim to the house.

"I'm not accepting this." I grabbed his arm before he could walk away, my voice icy. "When your family bought this house, I paid a total of seven hundred thousand for the down payment and the loan. And now you're telling me I have no share? My name is on the deed."

Wade just shrugged.

"So what if your name's on it? That seven hundred thousand you gave went into renovations. The down payment and the mortgage were paid by me. If you want a share of the house, then go ahead and take all the furniture."

I actually laughed.

The furniture in that house had all come from his distant cousin's secondhand factory. The total cost was less than a hundred thousand.

Probably worried I might really take the furniture, Ella rushed out and threatened me.

"If you don't sign this agreement, don't blame us for fighting you for custody of your daughter!"

Right now, I was unemployed, which put me at a disadvantage in a custody battle. They might not win in the end, but I could not risk them delaying Thora's surgery. So I stopped arguing, picked up the pen, and signed my name.

We'll settle this debt later, I told myself.

When they saw my signature, the satisfaction in Wade and Ella's eyes was almost overflowing.

Wade even smirked and said, "Want me to transfer you a hundred bucks for cab fare?"

I let out an icy laugh. "Keep it. You might need it for your own funeral someday."

Ella's face twisted with anger, and she almost snapped again, but Wade quickly pulled her back inside.

Before the door fully closed, I heard her muttering under her breath, "Finally got rid of those two burdens."

I held onto our luggage and pressed the elevator button.

Just then, the door next door creaked open.

It was Linda.

Thora had always been close to her, treating her almost like a grandmother. Linda would often cook soup and ask me to bring some to Thora.

Then, seeing me thrown out like that, her face was full of indignation.

"You might not know this since you're always busy, but your husband has been seeing that young nanny in Building 703 next door."

I blinked in surprise.

With the way Ella usually acted so high and mighty, she would approve of a nanny?

Linda seemed to read my thoughts. She lowered her voice and continued, "My eldest son saw them at the hospital a few days ago. He was accompanying her for a prenatal checkup."

Everything clicked into place instantly.

So they had probably confirmed it was a boy. That was why they were in such a hurry to kick me out.

"Thank you for telling me," I said softly.

"No need." Linda waved her hand, her expression gentle but clearly displeased.

"I just can't stand Ella's attitude. Thora is such a good child, and she doesn't appreciate her at all. People like that… they'll get what's coming to them sooner or later."

I smiled faintly but said nothing, because I knew one thing for sure. Some consequences did not take long to arrive, and Wade was going to experience them very soon.

That night, I found a nearby hotel and stored our luggage there.

The next morning, I arrived at the courthouse a few minutes early.

Wade was already there, sitting in his car. In the passenger seat was a woman, completely covered up in disguise.

Looks like he was afraid I would make a scene and refuse to divorce him.

After all, he was a department supervisor then.

The moment he saw me arrive, he rushed over impatiently, dragged me out of the car, and pulled me inside to finalize the divorce.

By the time we walked out with the divorce certificate in hand, the woman in the passenger seat finally opened the door and stepped out.

Even though she was wearing a loose dress, I could still see the slight curve of her belly.

Just as Linda had said, Wade already had another woman, and even a child.

As if worried I might lose control, Wade quickly stepped in front of her, shielding her protectively.

I did not even bother with them. Instead, feeling lighter than I had in years, I waved down a cab and headed straight to claim my lottery prize.

I split the eighty million, after taxes, across four different bank accounts. Then I went straight to the city center and bought the luxury villa I had dreamed about for so long. After that, I picked up a brand new Porsche without hesitation.

Next, I went to the hospital and transferred another one million into my daughter's account.

The doctor said the surgery could be scheduled within a week. I upgraded her to a private luxury room immediately.

"Just focus on the operation," I told them. "Money isn't an issue."

After everything was taken care of, I checked my balance and saw that there was still over seventy million left. At that point, I could barely even remember who Wade was.

However, there was no way I was letting him off that easily.

Money was not a problem then, so I hired a private investigator at a high price to dig into the truth about his affair.

After that, I stayed at the hospital, taking care of Thora day and night.

Not until she came out of surgery safely and steadily did I finally feel my heart settle.

Once I knew she could live a normal life again, I brought her home to our new villa in the city center.

She already knew about my divorce from Wade. Always mature beyond her years, she gave me a small smile, dimples showing, her little tiger teeth peeking out.

"Dad probably has no idea what he just lost."

We looked at each other and smiled.

The moment we finished settling in, there was a knock on the door. It was the property management staff.

"Ms. Carter, we noticed your birthday is coming up. Tomorrow at three in the afternoon, we will be hosting a birthday gathering for you. All residents have been invited. We won't disturb you any further."

I had not expected the service there to be that thoughtful.

Still, thinking about future social connections, I took my daughter out again and bought several expensive dresses. After all, she would be attending a nearby school in the future. Getting to know the neighbors early would not hurt.

After shopping, my daughter said she wanted to eat the egg tarts I used to make.

So I baked a batch. I even packed some up and brought them to the neighbor across the hall.

When the door opened, I froze for a second.

It was Wade's direct boss, Franklin Jones.

I had seen him once before when I went to pick up a drunk Wade.

He did not recognize me, but I recognized his wife. Back when I worked at the same company, she had been one of my favorite clients.

We quickly fell into easy conversation, as if no time had passed at all. Before long, we even made plans to get our hair and makeup done together the next afternoon.

Time flew by, and soon it was the next day.

I had arranged for a professional makeup artist to come to the house, but she could not find the entrance.

Left with no choice, I threw on a simple T-shirt and went downstairs barefaced to meet her.

That was when I saw Wade. He was standing outside, dressed in a formal suit, delivering documents to his boss.

The sun was blazing. The back of his shirt was soaked with sweat, yet he only stood there obediently near the entrance, waiting.

I walked past him as if he did not exist, but somehow he still noticed me. In the next second, his expression darkened as he rushed over, glaring at me.

"Yoana, what is wrong with you?" he snapped harshly. "Following me around like this, do you think that's funny?"