No Going Back
It had to be fake, right? How could this happen so unexpectedly? She had no idea her life would change once she clicked on the link. It was in her spam folder, after all. The horror stories she had heard about scams rang through her mind.
But there was no going back now. She had to just keep going forward and see it to the end. But of all the outcomes that she could have expected, she had no idea what turn things would take.
Diana Williams
Diana Williams was an ordinary woman. She worked hard to pay for her tuition, rent, and groceries. Sometimes it wasn't easy, but it was worth it at the end of the day. She knew that a day would come. It all paid off.
But for now, she had to make due, barely scraping by. But she never lost hope. There were little things to keep her in a positive mood, for instance, her daily ritual after her classes.
Daily Ritual
Every day after work, Diana would do the exact same thing. She would go to the same pitstop to fill up her fuel tank, buy a sandwich from the convenience store, and get a lottery ticket. These things helped keep her going through the day.
She never thought much of the lottery ticket. She preferred to do it as a reminder of what she was working towards and then forget about it afterward. But she had no idea that the last thing she should have done was forget about it.
Big Dreams
Diana moved out of her parent's house when she was barely an adult just to show that she could be independent. Unfortunately, between college and rent, this meant she had to work grueling hours to make sure she could afford to get by.
She was studying to become an actuary. She knew that the qualification required a lot of hard work, but she was willing to put up with it. But her dream also cost her a lot of money, and that's why she struggled to get by. But one day, that would all change.
Looking For An Important Email
One day while on campus, Diana got some worrying news. The administration at her college told her that she hadn't enrolled for the following semester. She didn't understand how that could have been the case.
When she inquired why they simply said, "You must have missed the email. Maybe it's in your spam folder." She couldn't believe that something as arbitrary as her spam folder could put her dreams on the line. But it wouldn't be the weirdest email she found.
Rushing Home
Diana knew that she had to move quickly if she wanted to make sure that her enrolment for the following year was secured. After her classes ended, she skipped her usual ritual and went straight home.
After the long drive home, she got into her small apartment and opened her laptop. She booted it up and waited for her list of emails to load. She had so many, so it took so long to slowly load each item of spam individually. But she had no idea what was waiting among the junk.
Spam
As she sifted through the list of spam, there were advertisements for all sorts of things she didn't want or need. All she wanted was to find her enrolment email so she could register and then go back to ignoring her spam.
Eventually, she managed to find the email she was looking for. She filled out the form and sent it on its way. She leaned back and smiled. But then she saw something she couldn't believe. It would change her world forever.
Familiar Looking Spam
Diana saw an email that, at first glance, looked at all the rest of the spam. It claimed she had won something. She often heard about people getting scammed out of their money by clicking on emails like that.
But the weirdest thing is that the name of the company sounded familiar. Her hands started shaking as she clicked onto the email, her curiosity getting the best of her. She just couldn't help it, but little did she know it would change her life forever.
"You've Won!"
The email told her that she'd won something. That wasn't surprising. There were so many scams sent to her spam folder claiming that she had something to redeem. But she wasn't born yesterday.
She wouldn't ever let some scammer get the better of her and end up with her information or, even worse, her bank account. But there was still something about this one that caught her eye.
Taking The Plunge
Even though every fiber of Diana's being told her to stop, she couldn't help herself. She decided to take the plunge and click on the email. She knew that she was being a fool, but her gut told her that something about this one was special.
But she had no idea that whoever sent her this email counted on her curiosity and clicked on it. If only she had been a bit more careful, her life wouldn't have been thrown in such a different direction.
Unexpectedly
It had to be fake, right? How could this happen so unexpectedly? She had no idea her life would change once she clicked on the link. It was in her spam folder, after all. The horror stories she had heard about scams rang through her mind.
But there was no going back now. She had to just keep going forward and see it to the end. But of all the outcomes that she could have expected, she had no idea what turn things would take.
A Fortune
Her heart started racing as she called the number on the email to confirm what she had just realized. It wasn't fake after all! The company name that she checked was the one she had known all along.
It had been the same lottery company that she had bought her lottery ticket from. She couldn't believe her luck. The fortune that she thought was spam was actually real! And it was a whopping $3 million!
Life Changing
Diana couldn't believe her luck. She felt so blessed and grateful that the money was coming into her hands. She knew that she could put it to good use and help pay her parents back for everything that they did for her.
It was truly life-changing! All Diana had to confirm was that it was her that bought the ticket, and then the money would be sent to her bank account. She thought that she was dreaming, but what would she do with the money?
Paying Off Debts
Diana's first priority was to take some of the money and spend it on her studies. She wouldn't have to struggle to make payments for semesters anymore! She could pay for the rest of her lengthy and expensive years at college.
But she would take things even further. She decided to buy her parents a new car. She knew theirs was giving them trouble. It was the family sedan from her childhood, and she thought that they finally deserved a new one.
Living Humbly
Other than some of the money going towards her tuition and her parents, she decided to try and live humbly instead of spending it all. She knew that it was wiser to keep it in case she needed it one day.
She still felt like she was dreaming. It was like, at any moment, she would wake up. But she wouldn't because it was very real. Diana would never have to struggle again in her life, and it would all be thanks to good fortune.