At sixty-two, I never imagined my son would offer me a couch while giving his mother-in-law a luxury apartment. “If you wanted comfort, you should’ve stayed married to Dad,” he said, cutting me deeper than the divorce itself. My life had shrunk to two suitcases and a broken heart, rules whispered through walls: don’t touch the thermostat, don’t cook what smells, don’t use the good towels. I was invisible in the home of the child I had raised with unwavering devotion.
That night, with eight dollars left to my name, I bought a $2 lottery ticket. At 11:17 p.m., every number flashed across the screen. $300 million. In that instant, the couch that had been my prison became my launching pad. Within weeks, I owned a farmhouse, land, and freedom. Months later, when Marvin came begging for help, roles reversed. My “temporary exile” had become a kingdom, and I held the keys.