Poor Man Wins Jackpot and Runs Away, Days Later His Wife Gets a Call from Prison – Story of the Day

Martin wins $500K in a lottery and disappears, lying to his wife and children about being out on an urgent business trip. He quits his job and flies to Las Vegas to live the rich lifestyle he has always craved, only to end up in prison.

"Morning, honey," Martin kissed his wife, Elsa, as he marched into the kitchen after getting ready for work. He hung his coat over the backrest of his chair and sat down with the kids, Sarah and John, for breakfast.

"It's delicious!" Martin smiled as he took the first bite.

"You know I love making you breakfast every morning!" Elsa exclaimed. "Go ahead! Dig in!"

Martin began reading the newspaper while eating his meal. Meanwhile, their TV showed an advertisement for a tour to the Maldives…

"Daddy, can we go there this summer? Please! Please!" John begged, pointing to the TV screen.

"Uh, what?" Martin looked up from the newspaper to the TV and smiled. "Sure," he said, slicing his French toast. "And we can enjoy our favorite seafood while swimming in our private pool! What do you think?"

"YAY!" The kids cried in unison. "Thank you, Daddy!"

"But for me, having my favorite chicken wings at home in front of the TV with my family would be just as thrilling," Elsa added.

"I know, honey," Martin replied, a slight smile on his face. "Hey...how about a chicken wings party tonight?"

"What, really?" she laughed.

He nodded.

"Okay then, kids! Chicken wings party it is!" Elsa chuckled, and the children were delighted.

Martin devoured his breakfast, gathered his belongings, and kissed his wife and children before grabbing his car keys from the bowl on the living room table. While putting his things inside the car, his phone buzzed with a notification.

Martin took out his phone to read the message when he got a call from a private number.

"Hello?"

He was surprised beyond belief when the caller said he'd won a $500,000 lottery!

Martin's heart leaped. "Are you freakin' kidding me?!? Hold on a sec!" He held his phone between his right ear and shoulder as he pulled out the recent lottery ticket he had bought. He couldn't believe it when the numbers on his ticket matched those disclosed by the caller.

"Jesus! Wow! Thanks! Yes, yes, sure, fine!" Martin then checked his phone notification, asking him to visit the lottery customer service center to claim the prize.

"Martin! Martin!" Elsa rushed over to him as he hung up the call. "You almost forgot your watch!"

Martin smiled nervously as he faced her. "Oh, yeah, thanks!"

"Is everything OK?"

"Wha–what? Yes, of course, I mean, yes," he said, wearing his watch.

"Does it have anything to do with the lottery?" She raised an eyebrow, her gaze drawn to the lottery ticket between his fingers. "Did you..."

"Well, it's—it's nothing. I didn't win, as usual," Martin lied. "Anyway, I'll see you soon. Bye!"

Martin got into his car, smiled at Elsa, and drove away. He stopped right at the lottery center, completed the necessary paperwork, and the prize money would be credited to his account in a few days. As he halted at the first red light in front of his office now, a thought crossed his mind. "Hey, man, are you really going to work that dull clerk job? You're rich! You don't have to work at all!"

So as the signal went green, Martin took the first right and drove to a nearby luxury restaurant. He settled at a table overlooking the street, tossing his bag and coat on the chair across him. He then loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves before perusing the menu.

"Yes, sir," a waiter approached him. "How may I help you today?"

Martin grinned as he slapped the menu shut. "Bring me the most expensive wine here!" he ordered. "Today's a special day for me!"

"Sure, sir," the waiter smiled. "Anything else?"

"No, that's all for now."

Martin sipped his wine and leaned back in his chair. How long had he been waiting to try the premium wine?

Martin was enjoying his company until he realized the money he'd won wasn't entirely his. He would need to split it with his wife and children!

If Martin told Elsa about the money, he'd have to spend it on house repairs or, worse, buy a new home. Or perhaps Elsa would demand that money be set aside for their children's college, leaving him with nothing.

Martin would never do something like that. He knew Elsa was concerned about the family before herself, but he would not sacrifice his happiness for others.

Unlike Elsa, who was content with what they had, Martin had always wanted to live a wealthy life. He hated his mundane clerk job and how he had to forgo his pleasures or work long hours to save up for a family holiday.

Martin stayed in the restaurant all morning and afternoon, overindulging in wine. At one point, he summoned the waiter and ordered the most expensive shellfish on the menu.

Awaiting his order, Martin looked up at the restaurant's giant LED screen, showing an advertisement for a casino in Las Vegas.

"Bingo!" Martin's mind screamed as he drank the wine while watching the commercial.

He laughed as the wine kicked in, thinking of the regal life he'd lead once he arrived in Vegas.

"Vegas, I'm coming, baby!" he grinned. "I have the money now. And my life is just going to get better from here!"

As the waiter disappeared after serving his order, Martin dialed his boss.

"Look who it is!" Martin slurred. "My lovely…bossman. Oh, Mr. Fisher!"

"Martin, are you all right? What's the matter?"

"I'm leaving your insane job, Steven!" Martin growled, calling his boss by the man's first name for the first time in years. "Keep that bloody job to yourself! And yeah, get another servant to wipe your buttocks!"

"Martin, what the—"

Martin hung up the phone before his boss could say another word. Then he dialed Elsa's number. "Oh, honey! I have big news!" he exclaimed.

He told her he had been appointed to a new position and needed to leave for an urgent business trip. "Weeks!" he said. "It would take weeks, honey. I'll be heading directly to the airport from work today. I'll call you on my way back!"

Elsa sensed something was off and asked if he was okay. Martin told her not to worry and hung up. He then cleared the bill with this credit card and booked an Uber to the airport. He was drunk, but not drunk enough to jeopardize the golden life he was about to embark on by getting a DUI.

As he arrived at the airport, Martin walked up to one of the counters and bought a business-class ticket for a flight to Las Vegas.

He felt on top of the world during the flight. Martin's life was transforming. He was no longer a part of society's underclass.

Martin could smell the expensive air when he landed in Las Vegas. This life was meant for him. He didn't belong to a boring office job. He deserved a better, wealthier, more fulfilling life.

Renting a luxury car, Martin arrived at a designer store and decided to get himself a new wardrobe. He could no longer stand the cheap shirt and trousers he was wearing that Elsa had bought for him at a discount.

A young salesman with a sharp jawline attended to his requests, and Martin left the store, having spent a little of the fortune he owned.

"I can't believe this store had something worth $5000 they call their best designs! If your salesperson didn't bring the exclusive collection at the right moment, I was considering shopping elsewhere!" he proudly told the cashier.

After shopping to his heart's content, Martin proceeded to an expensive bar he found on Google Maps. "Martini, please!" he told the bartender as the strong scent of a woman's perfume met his nostrils.

"Would you mind if I bought you a drink, handsome?"

A gorgeous woman in a velvet dress seductively looked at Martin, and he grinned. "How about the other way round?" he asked.

The next thing he knew, Martin and the woman were making out on the deserted street behind the bar. "Who the hell is it!" He breathlessly pulled away from the woman as he checked his phone. It was constantly vibrating in his back pocket.

"Hey, hey, hold on," he told the woman as she threw herself on him. "I gotta take this!"

"Hi, Elsa, I'm in a meeting!" Martin lied, answering his wife's call.

"Martin, are you really OK?" she asked. "Look, you were not answering my calls, and I was worried."

"I'm fine, darling. I gotta hurry and get back to the meeting. Talk to you later," he added and hung up on his wife.

"Maybe we should get a room," Martin told the woman as he drew her close and kissed her passionately.

The next few days in Vegas, Martin drank recklessly, woke up with a different woman in his bed each morning, and squandered his money on his whims. Then one evening, he walked into the casino, eager to win big.

"Looks like you're here for the money, boy," a man said, approaching Martin. The stranger was a short man with a pot belly, and he appeared wealthy. He lowered his glasses as he looked at Martin.

"I'm sorry?"

"I'm Arnold," the man introduced himself. "I know pretty much everything you'd want to know. I've got mates in every other pub and casino, you see. Want to make some cash tonight? Watch my hand signals."

Martin mindlessly followed Arnold and did make BIG money. Arnold was a local and an expert at poker. He signaled to Martin whenever he had good cards, and they bet and won more money each time.

After making almost double from a stranger, Martin was addicted to the game. He caught up with the man who had lost to him as he was leaving. "You can't leave so soon, you know."

"Excuse me?" The man was confused as he looked at Martin.

"C'mon, man! Don't be a bummer! You can't just leave after losing. Borrow money from me if you want. How about that? Cool, yeah?" he laughed.

The man smirked as he held open his black bag in front of Martin. It was stuffed with thick wads of cash. 500 grand in total! Martin's eyes bulged at all the money.

"Look, mate, there are two rules in my life, alright?" the stranger said. "First—I don't borrow money from anyone, let alone strangers. Second, you gotta limit yourself before you lose everything you got."

"Loser!" Arnold told Martin as they watched the man walk away. "No risk, no gain, pal! Come on; I'll take you somewhere where you can play a better game. Nobody gets in there easily. Just the elite!"

Arnold drove Martin to the main road, eventually stopping in a dark, dingy alley. They climbed the creaky stairs to a high-rise, old building, and as they entered, Martin couldn't believe what he saw.

The building only appeared to be old from the outside. Inside was a massive, sparkling bar with three hot, uniformed women working behind the counter. A few men raised their glasses to Arnold, and several women winked at him and blew him a kiss.

"What is this place? Where are we?" Martin asked, bewildered.

Arnold grinned. "Follow me."

Martin followed Arnold to a room across from the bar that resembled a casino. Numerous tables were set up with people wagering money, beaming when they won, and scowling when they lost.

Arnold approached a man and shook hands with him. Then they conversed in another language, which Martin thought was French. He could only make out the word "Oui."

"This is my pal. His name is Martin," Arnold explained to the man. "And he's one of the VIPs, alright?"

Then Arnold signaled something to the man. Martin failed to notice what it was as he was deeply consumed in his pride of being a VIP now.

"Marteen..." the man said, his voice strangely accented. "You take a chance with mawney, and you win. So… Are you in, Marteen?"

"Of course!" Martin smiled as he glanced at Arnold. "Let's go for it, yeah?"

Martin went for the first round of the game, hoping Arnold would signal him again when it would be a win. But this time, Martin lost.

Martin glared accusingly at Arnold, but Arnold gestured for him to continue playing. "Trust me," Arnold mouthed.

Martin licked his lips nervously and betted a bigger chunk of money this time, trusting Arnold. But he lost the money again. And it happened over and over again.

"What the heck!" Martin slammed his fist on the table and jumped to his feet. "What the hell is going on, Arnold?! I'm losing!"

"Well, fellas, pardon me," Arnold took Martin to the side. "You twat, you better behave! If you want to win, you must take risks! Stop embarrassing me in front of my circle! If you don't have the guts, get out!"

Martin didn't back off. He was not a twat! He gambled more and more, hoping to win until... all his money was gone. Martin lost everything, right down to the last cent.

"I don't have any more money," he admitted, blushing. "This ends here."

As Martin walked up to the exit to leave, Arnold caught up with him and grabbed his hand. "Wait!"

"What now?" Martin yanked away Arnold's hand.

"I have some respect here. I brought you to this thing. You can't just walk away looking like a loser!"

"I haven't got a single dime on me right now, Arnold! What on earth are you talking about?"

"I'll get you a loan," Arnold offered. "At least $100,000. From the club's owner. More if you like."

"No, no. I won't be able to pay it back. I don't even have enough money to get a plane ticket home!"

"Dammit! What if you get rich?"

"I won't! I lost more than that," Martin shook his head. "Bad idea."

"Whacko!" Arnold hissed. "I brought you to my VIP circle. And you give me this? Get lost!"

"OK, stop!" Martin changed his mind. "I'm ready. I'll take the minimum value of the deal. But what if I can't pay it back?"

"Oh, c'mon, young man! You will!" Arnold said as he patted Martin's back and pulled him back to the table.

Martin trusted Arnold once more and went for the game. But he didn't win this time either and lost the entire pot. He gestured helplessly to Arnold, but the man turned away. Then two pumped men grabbed Martin's arms and threw him out of the club.

"Three days are all you get, you jerk!" A man standing behind the guards said. He was the club's owner, and Martin now owed him $100,000. "If you don't return my money, my guys will track you down and make you pay with your life!"

Martin wanted to beg and plead but was too scared to say anything. He walked all the way back to his hotel, deep in thought about how he was going to repay the money. He had spent all the money in his account and no longer had a job.

Martin looked to his side as his hotel room door clicked open and spotted the man from the casino.

"Hi," he called out. "Wow, what a surprise! You're also staying here? So, I'm hoping you were able to restrain yourself," he smirked as he looked at his watch. "You've returned earlier than I expected. I hope you didn't lose all the money. Are you all right?"

Martin gulped. "Uh, well, yeah," he said. "Everything's cool."

"So… wanna join me for golf? I mean, I know we're strangers, but what harm could a golf session do? I'm Jackson."

"Martin here. I'll probably rest, Jackson. I'm tired." Martin went inside his room and shut the door. Then he sank against a wall, hugging his knees like a depressed child. "What am I going to do? How am I going to get home or clean up this mess? How will I explain everything to Elsa and the kids?"

Martin's mind was plagued with worries. He had no idea how to clear his debt until…he remembered his hotel neighbor. Jackson had shown his bag full of cash to Martin. The bag was now unattended in Jackson's room.

Martin dashed to his balcony and peered at Jackson's. He noticed he could easily jump to his neighbor's balcony and eventually disappear with the money. He'd check out as soon as he had the cash, then pay the club owner and fly home. The plan was perfect.

Martin rubbed his sweaty palms on his pant leg and leaned against the railing. The surroundings were clear. Nobody would ever catch him doing it. From his barrier, he climbed onto the pipe perpendicular to their balcony.

He then stretched his right leg and supported himself on the edge of Jackson's railing. Then slowly, he let go of the pipe and managed to jump inside his neighbor's balcony.

Martin turned around and checked again if a pair or several pairs of eyes had caught him. But there were none.

"Perfect!" he thought, sliding the glass door to his neighbor's room. Right then, an alarm went off.

"Damn! No!" Martin stepped back in confusion. "What the hell is happening? How… How did the alarm—Geez!" In a hurry, Martin opened Jackson's closet to look for the bag. He found it on the bottom rack.

Martin unzipped the bag and checked it. Damn! Wrong bag! He looked under the bed and found another similar bag. As Martin checked it this time, he saw thick wads of cash inside.

Martin snatched it up and rushed to the exit. But as he opened the door to escape, the bag fell from his grasp.

"L—L—Look, I can explain, alright?" he cried as an officer cuffed him. "I'm not a thief, OK?"

"Sir, you are being arrested for theft," another officer said as he checked the bag on the floor. "We received word from the owner of this room that someone had broken in. He got an alert on his phone app right after the alarm went off. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

Tears sprang into Martin's eyes as he was escorted to the police cruiser. He heard some gasps and felt several pairs of eyes on him while passing the hotel's foyer. His bad decisions had ruined everything for him.

Back home, Elsa was making lunch when she got a call from the Vegas police. "What? Oh no, but—but, how is that possible, officer? He said it's a business trip! You probably have the wrong man with you."

"Mrs. Lancaster, we've done our due diligence, and it is definitely your husband we're talking about. He claims he came here with $500,000 but lost it all. Now he's in debt and attempted to rob someone to clear it."

"How much?! $500,000? Ridiculous! For God's sake, he's not the only man by that name in the city! This HAS to be a mistake. I'm calling my husband, and I'll call you back after I speak with him!" Elsa said confidently.

"I'm afraid that's unnecessary, ma'am. Your husband's phone was confiscated, and that's how we acquired your phone number. We'll need you to come to the station for some formalities."

When Elsa found out about everything, she could not believe what Martin had done. She could not muster the courage to visit him in prison for several months, but one day, she decided otherwise.

They had talked several times while he was under police custody, and at one point, she even believed that he had realized his guilt and regretted what he had done.

***

She took out a pie and drawings that his children had made for him from her bag. "What should I bring you next time, honey?" she asked as she paid him a visit.

"Bring me a lottery ticket!" replied Martin.

At that moment, Elsa shed a tear. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She silently got up and left the meeting room.

What can we learn from this story?

• Money that comes easily also goes away quickly and often invites big troubles. The lottery money blinded Martin to the extent that it ruined his entire life. Not only did it cost him his reputation, but he also lost his family.
• Excess of everything is bad, and being able to limit yourself often saves you from a dangerous situation. Jackson was wise enough to play until his pocket allowed it. Martin, on the other hand, lost everything in the temptation to make more and more money.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who inherits $2 million from a distant relative. His wife and kids disappear shortly after he gets the money home.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.