During the Thanksgiving gathering, I win first prize and get a bonus of 500 dollars. My boss, Michelle Wagner, generously doubles it. In the end, I get one thousand dollars.

Then, my coworker, Caleb Clinton, and Michelle start egging me on to treat everyone to a meal. They basically force me to pay for the company's Thanksgiving gathering.

If I refuse, Caleb says he will cut ties with me, and Michelle threatens to fire me.

I have no choice but to agree under their pressuring. In the end, I pay an extra 100 thousand dollars out of my own pocket.

After I settle the bill, they abandon the drunken me on the roadside, where I freeze to death.

When I open my eyes again, I return to the day of the Thanksgiving gathering.

"Let's congratulate our first prize winner—Tony Rowe!"

The moment I heard my boss, Michelle Wagner, call out that familiar line, it hit me. I had been reborn.

As soon as my name was announced, my coworkers burst into cheers.

Caleb Clinton slapped me hard on the shoulder.

"Tony, your luck is insane. I'm seriously jealous!"

However, I couldn't feel a single ounce of happiness. The nightmare from my previous life was still vivid in my mind.

At the time, I was thrilled as I walked onto the stage, thinking I could finally use the prize money to buy my mom some new clothes.

Then Michelle suddenly announced that she was doubling the prize to one thousand dollars in recognition of my excellent performance the year before.

Before I could fully enjoy the moment, Caleb started egging everyone on, insisting I treat them to a meal. Michelle even threatened to make me quit if I ruined the mood.

In the end, the Thanksgiving gathering she had planned turned into a dinner I had to pay for. I ended up spending 100 thousand dollars out of my own pocket.

After I paid, Caleb, the friend who had always taken care of me, along with Michelle, left me drunk by the roadside. The two of them walked away arm in arm, smiling as if nothing had happened.

I froze to death that night.

A chill ran through me as the memory resurfaced. The moment I saw Caleb's disgusting face again, I instinctively shoved him away.

He didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, he urged me on.

"Come on, go up and get your prize!"

Michelle kept calling my name over and over. With no way out, I braced myself to walk toward the stage.

I never thought winning a prize could make me feel this depressed or this afraid.

Each step felt heavy, as if my legs were filled with lead.

Michelle handed me the placard with the prize amount written on it. She seemed to notice my expression and teased, "This is the first time I've seen someone look unhappy after winning. Tony, give us a smile!"

The sign in my hands felt like a death notice. There was no way I could smile.

In the end, I still forced out a stiff, ugly grin.

Michelle laughed again.

Michelle went on joking, "Tony, you're not upset that the prize is too little, are you? Seems like I haven't been generous enough as a boss. Alright, I'll double the first prize right now!"

The room immediately erupted. My coworkers stared at me with a mix of envy and resentment. Caleb, in particular, clapped and cheered like he was happier than anyone else.

I stood frozen in place, unable to say a word.

If this continued, my fate would be the same as before.

I took the microphone from Michelle and said, "I'd like to give this prize to someone else."

The room fell silent.

Michelle frowned. Just as she was about to speak, the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Tony, you're a legend!"

"Give it to me! I need money to buy formula for my kid!"

"Tony, I'm just a thousand short of buying the latest phone!"

I ignored them and looked straight at Caleb, whose expression had turned uneasy.

"I want to give this prize to my best friend, Caleb."

Caleb's lips twitched. There wasn't a trace of joy on his face. That was when I realized things might be more complicated than I had thought.

Just as Caleb was about to stand up and speak, Michelle snatched the microphone back from me.

"It wouldn't be fair to just give it away. Let's do this instead—we'll redraw the winner."

Before I could react, the crowd erupted in excitement again.

Good. I refused to believe I would be chosen again.

The lottery wheel on the big screen started spinning.

"Three, two, one… Stop!"

When I saw the glaring name on the screen, my head spun.

How was this even possible? The company had over a hundred employees, and yet I had been selected twice in a row.

I stared at the bright red name, and a chill crawled up my spine.

Michelle flashed a grin.

"Tony, I didn't expect your luck to be this good. This is shaping up to be your year. The company's growth depends on you, so make sure you pull your weight."

With a knowing smile, she handed me a stack of cash.

Money that everyone usually coveted now felt like something I wanted nothing to do with.

In that instant, it felt as if death had taken another step closer to me.

I stared blankly at Caleb in the audience. He looked genuinely happy, but not in the way someone would celebrate my win. It felt more like he already knew what was coming next.

Back then, Caleb had lost his job and came to me in tears, begging me for a referral to our company. I knew he wasn't fully qualified, but I still pulled strings and brought him in.

As expected, Caleb was constantly scolded by his department head for poor performance within the first week.

If I hadn't begged Michelle to give him more time and quietly taken on most of his workload, he would have been fired long ago.

Even after half a month, there was still no improvement. On top of that, my own performance started to decline because I kept covering for him.

That day, Caleb asked me again to finish an urgent task for him.

While I was buried in work, he was casually flirting with girls online.

That was the moment all the frustration I had been holding in finally exploded.

"Caleb, do you even realize I've been working myself to the bone for half a month just to cover for you? And you're treating the company like your personal lounge? If you actually want to stay here, then do your job properly!"

Facing my anger, Caleb remained completely unbothered.

"Tony, I only asked you because I see you as my best friend. Don't worry, I won't treat you unfairly. When the salary comes in at the end of the month, I'll split it with you. Is that fair?"

I nearly laughed from sheer anger. I was doing the work of two people while only getting one and a half salaries, and he somehow made it sound like I was the one profiting from him.

Then, he returned to his phone and completely ignored me.

It was as if my anger had completely failed to reach him. Faced with his shameless behavior, I let out a deep, frustrated sigh.

I didn't bother with him anymore. It was his own choice. If he failed the evaluation later, that would be his problem.

However, a month later, the completely unmotivated Caleb actually passed the company assessment.

In the audience, Caleb jumped to his feet excitedly. "Tony, you're seriously lucky today!"

He turned toward the rest of the staff and started rallying them. "Everyone, Tony's on fire this year. Shouldn't we all share in his luck?"

"Yes!"

He continued, "Then, shouldn't he treat us all to a celebration with his prize money?"

"Yes!"

The roar in the room was so loud my ears rang, and my vision dimmed briefly.

Without thinking, I blurted out, "The prize money isn't that much. If I treat all of you, I'll end up paying out of my own pocket. If that's the case, I don't want it. Whoever wants it can take it!"

The instant I finished speaking, the excited crowd fell completely silent.

Caleb lunged to his feet, stabbing a finger at me. "Tony, how can you be so selfish? We just wanted to share in your good luck. You're acting like we're trying to rob you blind!

"All we're asking for is a simple, affordable meal to show some spirit. Do you really think we're so greedy that we'd demand a feast of delicacies? To be honest, having the chance to treat us after winning that prize is a blessing for you!"

How sweet he made it sound. He'd said the exact same thing in my previous life. But when the bill finally came, it totaled over 107 thousand dollars.

After subtracting the one-thousand-dollar prize money, I had to cover the remaining 106 thousand dollars out of my own pocket. In the end, it even cost me my life.

With the bitter experience of my previous life fresh in my mind, I wasn't about to fall for Caleb's honeyed words again.

At this thought, I felt a sudden urge to rip that mask right off him.

I looked at Caleb coldly. "I don't need that kind of blessing. I don't want the prize money anymore. You can have it. Why don't you play host tonight instead?"

Caleb's expression shifted instantly, and he waved his hands in frantic refusal. "You were drawn twice in a row. That's destiny! If I stole your prize money, I'd be tempting fate. Are you trying to get me cursed?"

At that moment, Michelle chimed in. She whispered in my ear, "Tony, this is Thanksgiving dinner. It's our first gathering of the year. Don't you think you're being a bit of a killjoy?

"If you really don't want to be the host, I won't force you. But this kind of behavior isn't good for company morale. I'll have to keep that in mind when your next performance review comes around."

In my previous life, it was this exact threat that had forced me to cave.

However, I knew very well how to prioritize between work and my life now.

I stared at Michelle's conniving face. A resignation was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it back.

Instead, I forced a small smile. "I get it, Ms. Wagner. Let's do as you say. Tonight's on me!"

Michelle finally flashed a satisfied grin. "Now that's the star employee I know. I love that attitude. By the second half of the year, that sales manager position just might be yours."

As Michelle spun her empty promises, Caleb rushed over, beaming. "Tony, you're the most generous guy I know. We're going to share in your good luck and break every profit record the company has this year! Right, Ms. Wagner?"

The two exchanged a look that was far too intimate. Their body language even seemed a little flirty.

I didn't say a word. I just watched them in silence.

By now, a perfect plan for revenge had already taken shape in my mind.

"Ms. Wagner, I have a friend who'd like to join us tonight. Is that okay?"

Michelle was in high spirits. "You're the one paying, so you can invite whoever you want. Bring ten people for all I care."

Caleb cut in. "What friend? Do we know them?"

I smiled mysteriously. "You'll see when he gets here."

With that, I sent a quick text to my guest.

This wasn't just someone Caleb knew. Everyone in the company knew him.

I checked the time on my phone. "It's getting late. Shall we head out?"

Michelle put on her best act of being considerate. "I've already made a reservation. Let's go to my spot. I promise it's nice and budget-friendly!"

Without a hint of hesitation, I replied, "Thank you, Ms. Wagner."