Life of a Millionaire

I grew up poor. We had little money, but my parents always made sure that we had plenty of food on the table and that we had descent birthdays and Christmases. Sure, I had dreamt of riches. Who hadn’t? I’d never known wealth so it allured me. I continuously wondered what it would be like to become rich.1

I thrived in high school, excelling in science and math. I dominated history and chemistry. My standardized test scores were through the roof; my GQE scores got me the hell out of high school, and my SAT scores threw me into college. I was on my way.2

While in college, I studied hard and even managed to participate in a few clubs. My professors complemented my work in history and English. My pre-law instructor, an attorney at a local firm, got me an internship where she worked. They later offered to pay my tuition to law school if I’d come back to work for them after I graduated. 3

Circumstance never allowed me to attend law school. Two months after the firm’s offer, I found out that my girlfriend was five months pregnant. I withdrew my application. There was no way I’d be able to handle law school and a kid, so I chose the kid. I picked up my hours at the law firm and started putting my writing skills to use. 4

A month later the firm dropped me and I became a starving writer. I made a point to be home as often as possible, so I wasn’t really able to get any other jobs. Fortunately, I was able to rake in a little money from articles and essays I had gotten published in various periodicals. I made just enough for the three of us to get by. This went on for about three years after my son was born.5

We got married in the courthouse—quick and cheap. We went on a two-day honeymoon to our own apartment while my mom kept my son. It was the most peaceful night of our lives. 6

Three years later, I received a letter in the mail from a game show that I had written an essay to. They had reviewed my information and had accepted me to be a contestant on their show. My wife and I were thrilled. 7

We took off west to California, leaving our son with her parents. They began the game show two days after we arrived. 8

It was purely trivia, my expertise. The questions started off easy and gradually grew more difficult. I stayed on top of it, missing only two of the four questions that I was allowed to miss. 9

I finally got down to the last four questions. I guessed the first answer, missed the second answer, and knew the third answer from experience. The final question was not allowed to be missed, even though I still had one strike left. If I answered correctly, I took home five million dollars. If I missed the question, I only took home five hundred dollars. There was an option that granted me $500,000 if I chose not to answer the final question. 10

I looked to my wife for support, knowing that she wanted me to stop and take home the guaranteed half of a million dollars prize, but I wanted the five million. I chose to accept the question. 11

The host asked the question and I smiled. My wife turned away and I knew my family back home wanted to kill me for risking half of a million dollars. I answered the question. 12

I felt my wife’s eyes burning into my skull.13

I felt my family wringing my neck.14

I felt my heart pounding in my chest.15

The host naturally broke for a commercial break. When the show came back on, he asked me if I was sure of my answer. I told him I was. 16

It was a beautiful day in California. The hills and the mountains. The ocean, the desert. But, I suppose any place is beautiful on a day that a man hands you a check for five million dollars. I had won. Big. 17

I had dreamt of riches. Who hadn’t? I’d never known wealth so it allured me. I had always wondered what it would be like to become rich.18

It was hell, pure hell.19

After winning all of that money, my life seemed to brighten. I wouldn’t have to worry about where we were going to get our next meal from; I wouldn’t have to worry about losing our apartment. I could afford to buy my beautiful wife beautiful things. 20

Then the calls started. The charities and churches got a hold of me first. I didn’t mind donating a couple hundred dollars here and there. Then, my frat brothers from college began to call. After that, high school buddies that I hadn’t seen or heard from in years started calling me. It seemed everyone on Earth wanted the money I had just used my knowledge to win. 21

Those that didn’t receive anything from me cursed me out and hung up on me. Even my closest friends abandoned me when I didn’t offer them money. For every friend that I didn’t give a dime to, I donated hundreds of dollars to dozens of charities. 22

Eventually, my wife grew disgusted with my donating to so many places. She ended up taking our son and $2.5 million and leaving me for good. I was heartbroken. I would have given the other $2.5 million just to see my son for a little longer. 23

I kept enough of the money I had left to live on, pay child support, and put my son through college. I donated the rest to various non-profit organizations. 24

I had grown up poor—poor and happy. I lived rich for awhile and realized that I would have rather been poor. So, I took the rest of the money that I had kept to live on and invested it into law school. Three years later, I graduated third in my class. 25

Two years after that, having put my legal skills to good use, I had my son back.