Family Turmoil After Winning the Lotterychapter 1
After winning 200 million dollars in the lottery, I quit my job and returned to my hometown.
As I arrived at the station in my hometown, I called my dad to pick me up. He asked me why I came back.
Jokingly, I said I was laid off and came back to live off the family.
It was pouring rain, and I waited until evening, but he never showed up.
Braving the storm, I made my way home. As I reached the door, I heard Marcela Human, my sister-in-law, complaining, “Was it so urgent? We had to transfer the title in this downpour, and now look how drenched I am.”
Mom said, “It’s all for your sake. Alina lost her job. Do you want to give the house back to her?”
Marcela sneered, “If she’s back, let her rent a place. I’m not used to living with my sister-in-law.”
1
I stood at the door, unsure if it was the cold rain soaking me to the bone, or the chill in my heart.
My whole body trembled uncontrollably.
Droplets rolled down my cheeks to the edge of my lips, and I licked them.
It was salty.
Today's rain tasted salty.
I stood there for a long time before finally knocking on the door. In this house, Mom favored my brother, and Dad was always silent, but my brother, Colton Weinberg, had always loved me.
He wouldn’t drive me out, would he?
It was my mother who answered the door.
A strained smile creased her face.
“Alina, you're back.”
I nodded, entered, and changed my soaked shoes, hearing her explain, “The rain was too heavy. Your dad couldn't get out. He was planning to wait until it eased up before picking you up.”
“How did you get here? By taxi?”
“Yeah.”
As I swapped shoes, I noticed a few pairs lying around, soaking wet. I pretended to be clueless and asked her, "Did you go out?"
Mom frowned at the sight of the wet shoes but found an excuse.
“We were at Marcela's parents' place before the rain. Just got back and got all wet.”
I said "oh" lightly and walked towards my room with my suitcase.
When I opened the door, I found it filled with clutter.
I stood at the door and looked at my mother. "Mom, what's going on?"
My mother twitched her lips, looking embarrassed.
“The house is crowded with stuff, and you don't stay often, so we used it for storage.”
“What about my things?”
Mom quickly opened the balcony door and pointed. “Over there, Marcela packed them up for you.”
I glanced at the bags on the balcony, crammed with a mess of my belongings.