Talia picked it up and returned to the microphone. “The winning number is 84!” she called out. “Who got that ticket tonight?”
“Laney, that’s you, right?” Adam whispered, nudging my shoulder.
My brows shot up. He was right. I was 84.
My mind started racing as adrenaline pumped through my veins. Fifteen thousand dollars could do so much for me and my mother.
I could get her another car, so she wouldn’t have to worry about her old one breaking down all the time, or I could pay the rent on our house in Silvercreek for the next year upfront. I could even set up a weekend away at a nice B&B on the coast, so she could finally have a vacation after so many years of work without a break.
It might be a miniscule amount of money to the other students in here—or just another Hermès bag, like Talia said before—but to me it was a life-changing amount.
I reached into my purse and grabbed the ticket. “I’ve got it!” I called out.
Talia squinted from the stage. “Who is that?”
“Me!” I said louder.
“Oh, Laney! Congratulations! Come up here for your prize, please!”
Several people in the crowd whooped and cheered as I took a deep breath and walked up to the stage. Every eye in the room was on me.
Even though the night had gone perfectly, I couldn’t help myself from briefly looking up at the ceiling to make sure there weren’t any buckets of blood dangling up there, ready to drop on my head.
There was nothing there. I was safe.
I headed up the steps on the side of the stage and met Talia by the microphone. She squealed and hugged me. “Congratulations!” she said. “This must be so exciting for you!”
She drew back and clicked her fingers at Grace. “Go and get her prize, please.”
Grace disappeared into a small back room for a moment, and then she returned to the stage with a stuffed white envelope. She held it up to show everyone, and the crowd clapped and cheered again.
“Here you go, Laney. Enjoy. You deserve it!” Talia said. She opened the envelope and held it out to me.
As soon as I saw what was in it, my heart dropped to my feet.
It was Monopoly money.