Chapter 1

"Let's congratulate our first prize winner—Tony Rowe!"

The moment I heard my boss, Michelle Wagner, call out that familiar line, it hit me. I had been reborn.

As soon as my name was announced, my coworkers burst into cheers.

Caleb Clinton slapped me hard on the shoulder.

"Tony, your luck is insane. I'm seriously jealous!"

However, I couldn't feel a single ounce of happiness. The nightmare from my previous life was still vivid in my mind.

At the time, I was thrilled as I walked onto the stage, thinking I could finally use the prize money to buy my mom some new clothes.

Then Michelle suddenly announced that she was doubling the prize to one thousand dollars in recognition of my excellent performance the year before.

Before I could fully enjoy the moment, Caleb started egging everyone on, insisting I treat them to a meal. Michelle even threatened to make me quit if I ruined the mood.

In the end, the Thanksgiving gathering she had planned turned into a dinner I had to pay for. I ended up spending 100 thousand dollars out of my own pocket.

After I paid, Caleb, the friend who had always taken care of me, along with Michelle, left me drunk by the roadside. The two of them walked away arm in arm, smiling as if nothing had happened.

I froze to death that night.

A chill ran through me as the memory resurfaced. The moment I saw Caleb's disgusting face again, I instinctively shoved him away.

He didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, he urged me on.

"Come on, go up and get your prize!"

Michelle kept calling my name over and over. With no way out, I braced myself to walk toward the stage.

I never thought winning a prize could make me feel this depressed or this afraid.

Each step felt heavy, as if my legs were filled with lead.

Michelle handed me the placard with the prize amount written on it. She seemed to notice my expression and teased, "This is the first time I've seen someone look unhappy after winning. Tony, give us a smile!"

The sign in my hands felt like a death notice. There was no way I could smile.

In the end, I still forced out a stiff, ugly grin.

Michelle laughed again.

Michelle went on joking, "Tony, you're not upset that the prize is too little, are you? Seems like I haven't been generous enough as a boss. Alright, I'll double the first prize right now!"

The room immediately erupted. My coworkers stared at me with a mix of envy and resentment. Caleb, in particular, clapped and cheered like he was happier than anyone else.

I stood frozen in place, unable to say a word.

If this continued, my fate would be the same as before.

I took the microphone from Michelle and said, "I'd like to give this prize to someone else."

The room fell silent.

Michelle frowned. Just as she was about to speak, the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Tony, you're a legend!"

"Give it to me! I need money to buy formula for my kid!"

"Tony, I'm just a thousand short of buying the latest phone!"

I ignored them and looked straight at Caleb, whose expression had turned uneasy.

"I want to give this prize to my best friend, Caleb."

Caleb's lips twitched. There wasn't a trace of joy on his face. That was when I realized things might be more complicated than I had thought.

Just as Caleb was about to stand up and speak, Michelle snatched the microphone back from me.

"It wouldn't be fair to just give it away. Let's do this instead—we'll redraw the winner."

Before I could react, the crowd erupted in excitement again.

Good. I refused to believe I would be chosen again.

The lottery wheel on the big screen started spinning.

"Three, two, one… Stop!"