When life hands you everything you ever wanted, sometimes the real test becomes what you’re willing to lose to keep it.
Writer’s Prompt
Staybro watched the balls pop out of the machine—31… 44… 2… 8… 17… each one a match. His pulse sharpened. He checked again, then again. There it was in ink and disbelief. Then came the bonus ball—11. Joel’s hand trembled. Three hundred fifty million dollars. A win beyond reason. A win that could change everything. But what gnawed at him wasn’t the jackpot. It was a promise—one he’d made years ago, over beer and big dreams. “If I ever win, I’ll give you half,” he had laughed. Now, the laughter felt dangerous. The night grew long. Sleep never came. In the dark, Joel imagined two futures: one where he shared and felt hollow, one where he kept it and felt hunted by guilt. Morning light crept across his ticket like judgment. All that money—and the price wasn’t dollars. It was friendship. And Joel didn’t know which cost was too high.
Writer’s Question
If you were Joel, would you risk losing a lifelong friend, or give up half of everything you just gained?