The Wedding Gift - Chapter 13 - Jack

Harrison is gone. Hannah is gone. Caroline is gone. And now my money is gone too.

Hannah was the only person I told about our second lottery ticket. I didn’t see any harm in that; she’s my friend. Besides, I felt like I needed to tell someone that day or else I would’ve exploded.

Caroline kept our ticket in her purse—probably not the smartest idea—but we bought it on the day of the wedding, and we didn’t really have time to drive home and put it somewhere safer. She became obsessed with the purse after she learned we had won. But for some reason, the next morning she wasn’t as careful as the day before, and so Hannah somehow managed to take it out of her purse when we weren’t watching. Take it out, who am I kidding? She stole it. My friend stole our money.

I tried to contact her, but she didn’t pick up the phone. The only thing I got was a short text message:

I’m sorry, it wasn’t supposed to be like that. I’m in a very difficult situation right now. I really need it. I’ll just take like a fifty or a hundred thousand and transfer you the rest, I promise.

Caroline doesn’t believe Hanna is going to give any of it back. She called me a pathetic loser for not keeping my mouth shut. She’s never called me that. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me unless I get the money back.

She showed me her true colors. I don’t want to be with a person like that, so I broke off the engagement. I know making such an important decision on the spot isn’t always smart, but right now I believe I made the right choice.  

I’m almost certain Hannah is going to transfer my money back—I truly want to believe she’s not a traitor and a thief. 

I’m not sure what I’ll do with that amount of cash yet. I’m a simple man. But one thing I know for sure—I’m never buying anyone a lottery ticket as a gift ever again.