Alex Brown woke up every morning with a feeling that the world was quietly laughing at him. If toast fell, it landed butter-side down. If a bus departed, it was his, the only one for an hour. Even his home cactus had once withered on his windowsill, seemingly out of boredom.
Christmas Eve was no exception. Soaked by the rain, Alex ducked into the nearest supermarket for cheap frozen dumplings. At the checkout, a cheerful cashier girl smiled and handed him a scratch card: "Promotion! Every hundredth customer gets a chance to win the grand prize!"
Alex snorted. His odds? Zero. He scratched the card with a coin anyway, already picturing the "Try Again" message under the layer. But the silver dust revealed unexpected words: "Congratulations! You are a winner! Grand Prize: The 'Gourmet's Dream' Steak for Two at the 'Palmira' Restaurant!"
Alex froze, poking at the ticket. He turned it over, held it up to the light. This wasn't a dream. For the first time in his life, luck hadn't just smiled at him—it had kissed him on both cheeks. His hands trembled. Steak! A real, juicy steak, in a restaurant he had only ever looked into through the window. Maybe this was the turning point? Maybe life was getting better?
He carefully placed the ticket in the most secure compartment of his old wallet, feeling a small, warm flame of hope ignite inside him. Tomorrow, on Christmas Day, everything would be different. He had a ticket to another, well-fed and happy life.
To be continued...
AomuneN