Our family was so poor that we could barely afford meals, yet the lottery ticket I bought on a whim won me five million dollars.

My little sister’s eyes were red as she rushed over, snatched the ticket, and tried to tear it apart.

Dad, who usually doted on me the most, suddenly held a kitchen knife to my neck and snarled, “If you don’t tear up that damn ticket, I’ll chop off your hand today.”

Even Mom, bedridden and waiting for money to save her life, struggled weakly to sit up and cried out in panic, “Son, you can’t go claim the prize.”

To stop me from cashing in the winnings, my family tied me up and locked me in the basement—along with a ravenous wolfhound.

In the end, that beast mauled me to death.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day I won the lottery.

——

Rosie was holding two steamed buns, her eyes shining with a warm smile as she handed them to me. “Brother, once our family has money, we can buy you your favorite beef buns.”

“By the way, did your lottery ticket win?” she asked.

Her concerned voice snapped me back to reality.

Looking down at the familiar ticket in my hand, I knew for sure—I had been given a second chance. I was reborn on the day I won the lottery.

In my previous life, I occasionally bought lottery tickets, and my whole family holds onto the hope that one day I would hit the jackpot and we could finally live a better life.

Our entire household depended on my wages from moving bricks at construction sites. Last month, I was accidentally crushed by heavy equipment and injured my leg. So the family’s only source of income was cut off.

Rosie’s tuition was still unpaid.

Dad, who worked as a security guard, had accidentally damaged his employer’s luxury car and now owed a huge compensation fee.

Mom was suffering from uremia, desperately waiting for money to continue her treatment.

We struggled just to have enough food; every meal, we counted grains of rice before cooking.

Yesterday, I dreamed of a set of lottery numbers. As soon as I woke up, I went straight to the lottery store and bought a ticket.

After the draw, I double-checked—and confirmed I’d won first prize.

Excited, I told Rosie, who was in the kitchen steaming buns. But when she took the ticket and looked closely, her smile froze and fear overtook her face. Without a word, she tried to tear it apart.

I quickly snatched it back, pleading urgently, “Rosie, once we cash in the prize, we’ll have money! You can pay for your tuition, and Mom can afford her treatment!”

But it was like she couldn’t hear me. She fought me desperately for the ticket.

In the chaos, I pushed her lightly, and she staggered backward a few steps.

Her eyes were bloodshot, face twisted in rage as she screamed hoarsely, “Brother, you’re not allowed to claim the prize! Tear up that ticket now!”

Her terrifying expression rooted me to the spot.

Just then, Dad came home.

Seeing me cornered by Rosie, he slapped the back of her head without hesitation. “You brat, bullying your brother again?”

Trembling, Rosie pointed at me, her voice cracking, “He dreamed of a lottery number and bought a ticket that won five million!”

Dad’s anger instantly turned to horror.

His eyes wide and wild, he stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and lunged at me.

“Tear up that winning ticket now, or I’ll chop you to pieces!”

Just as Dad’s knife was about to come down, Mom rushed in and shielded me.

“Are you crazy? How can you threaten our precious son with a knife?”

Dad sneered coldly. “Julius’s ticket actually won.”

“So what? Julius’s always been lucky, winning small amounts here and there.”

“This is the jackpot—five million dollars.”

Mom, who had just been protecting me, suddenly went pale as if she’d seen a ghost. She shoved me away and shook her head frantically.

“No... no, this can’t happen.”

That was when I realized—none of them wanted me to claim the prize.

Panic gripped me. I waved my hands frantically, trying to explain. “Dad, Mom, this money isn’t just for me! With it, Rosie can pay her tuition, Dad won’t have to hide from debt collectors, Mom can finally afford surgery... And the doctor said if my leg doesn’t get treated soon, I’ll be crippled forever. This money—this is a lifeline from the heavens!”

But they ignored my pleas. Instead, they exchanged a tense, silent glance filled with unease.

Then my father muttered, “We can’t let the boy leave the house anymore.”

My mother’s expression darkened. “I have an idea—lock him in the basement. Put him in with the wolfhound.”

I stood frozen, paralyzed by the horror of what I had just heard.

I couldn’t believe it. Why? Why had they turned into strangers the moment they found out I had won five million?

This was supposed to be the best day of our lives! We were drowning in desperation—this money should have been our salvation!

But before I could make sense of it all, they were already dragging me toward the basement.

I tried to twist free, spinning around in a desperate bid to escape—but Rosie kicked my injured leg, and I crumpled to the floor.

Tears streamed down my face as I begged them to let me go. I even offered to give them the ticket, to let them claim the prize themselves.

But they didn’t listen. Not a word.

Without a shred of hesitation, they shoved me into that pitch-black, foul-smelling basement.

They starved me. Deprived me of water. Then they threw in a starving wolfhound.

They knew—they all knew that I had been bitten by a stray dog as a child. That I feared dogs more than anything.

The moment I saw the beast, my legs buckled beneath me. I pounded on the door, screaming, crying, pleading for mercy.

But no one answered. No one even came close.

The wolfhound lunged, tearing a chunk of flesh from my thigh.

The air filled with the thick, metallic stench of blood. The pain was so unbearable, I lost consciousness.

—

The next morning, my parents and sister came to check on me.

Mom smiled as if nothing had happened. “Julius, you must be hungry. I made you some steamed buns.”

I let out a bitter laugh. I couldn’t understand how she could pretend nothing had happened.

I snapped, madness overtaking me. “Why? Why are you doing this to me?”

Her smile vanished instantly and her eyes went cold.

Dad’s face darkened as well, his gaze was filled with disgust. Without a word, he kicked me hard in the chest. “You ungrateful bastard!”

The blow knocked the breath from my lungs. I could barely inhale.

Mom’s eyes shimmered with malice. Her lips curled into a chilling smile.

“If Julius doesn’t want buns, then maybe he’d like more company.”

“These dogs were trained specially. They know how to ‘discipline’ disobedient little brats.”

They released more wolfhounds into the basement.

The beasts tore into me relentlessly, their jaws ripping flesh from bone.

Both my arms were torn from my body.

Within a single day, I died in agony.

Even in death, I couldn’t understand why.

Why did they want me dead just because I won five million dollars?

—

The terror from my previous life surged back. I clutched the lottery ticket tightly, took a deep breath, and made a vow.

This time, I will uncover the truth.

I didn’t tell Rosie I had won.

I thought, as long as she didn’t know, nothing would happen.

But then, with a bright smile, she asked, “Brother, I saw you went to buy a lottery ticket yesterday. Did you win?”

My heart skipped a beat in fear, but I forced a calm smile. “No, of course not. Winning isn’t that easy.”

She giggled. “You’re so careless, big brother. Give me the ticket. I’ll help you check—maybe you missed something.”

“No need,” I said casually. “I just double-checked every number, and my ticket didn't win. Don’t you trust me?”

“It’s not that,” Rosie replied. “But what if you did win and just made a mistake? Wouldn't we lose our only shot? There’s no harm in letting me take another look.”

I deliberately slipped the lottery ticket into my pocket. “So you don’t believe me, huh? I’m not showing it to you.”

Rosie pouted playfully, then stuffed a steamed bun into my hand. “Fine, fine. Don’t show me. You must be hungry—go on, eat.”

I held the bun and headed for the door. “It’s a nice day. I’m going out for some fresh air.”

I just needed a moment away—to clear my head and calm my racing heart.

But as I turned the corner down the alley, my chest suddenly tightened.

The lottery ticket was gone.

My blood ran cold.

I spun around and sprinted back toward home. From a distance, I could see Rosie standing stiffly at the doorway, her face was pale as a sheet.

And in her hand—was my ticket.

She raised her hand to tear it apart.

I lunged forward and snatched it back just in time, then turned and ran without looking back.

Behind me, I heard her shout in fury. “Brother, you can’t cash that ticket!”

In my previous life, right up until my dying breath, I never understood why Rosie—the sweet, affectionate sister who had clung to me since childhood—had suddenly become a different person the moment she learned I’d won the lottery.

There had been something poisonous in her eyes that I’d never seen before.

Now, she was chasing after me with everything she had. I was still injured, and she caught up quickly.

Trembling, I cried out at the top of my lungs. “Help! Rosie is trying to kill me!”

The alley was lined with familiar neighbors. Hearing my cries, people began coming out of their homes to see what was happening.

Rosie hadn’t expected that.

Realizing she couldn’t get away with it now, I turned and dropped to my knees in front of her, tears streaming down my face.

“Rosie, we’re about to have a good life. Why would you try to destroy the ticket?”

Her expression twisted. She gritted her teeth and hissed under her breath, “Shut your filthy mouth, you bastard.”

She grabbed me and tried to drag me away—but by then, some neighbors had already rushed over.

Mr. Olson from next door pulled her off me with a scowl. “What are you doing, hitting your own brother?”

Others began chiming in.

“We heard something about a winning lottery ticket—why are you getting violent over such a great thing?”

“Even if he’s your brother, hitting someone is still against the law. Touch him again and we’ll call the police!”

Rosie stood there panting, veins bulging in her neck, her eyes locked on me with hatred.

But with so many people watching, she couldn’t do anything.

Then, suddenly, she gave a sweet smile—but not to me.

She was looking over my shoulder.

I turned to see what she was smiling at—and froze.

Dad was coming.

From a distance, he saw us surrounded by neighbors. His brows furrowed immediately. It didn’t take a genius to guess something was wrong.

As he walked closer, my whole body tensed.

The neighbors started talking over each other, telling him Rosie had hit me.

Dad’s face twisted with rage. Without a word, he raised his hand and aimed a slap at her face.

But just as the blow was about to land, Rosie screamed, “Brother won five million dollars in the lottery!”

My heart stopped.

“No! That’s not true—she’s mistaken!” I said, my voice was shaking, my eyes burning with panic.

“It’s true! I took a photo of the ticket!” she snapped, holding her phone out to him, breathless with excitement.

Dad’s eyes fell on the screen. His pupils twitched. Then his gaze froze, locked on the image.

I called out, voice barely a whisper, “Dad...”

He looked up slowly, eyes bloodshot.

And then—he slapped me across the face.