Kicked out by my husband with only $43, I rummaged through old boxes and found my father’s forgotten bank card – what the teller saw next turned my life upside down.

« Miss Ward, » he murmured, « I want you to come with me. Immediately. »

The security guards approached. People were staring at me.
My hands were shaking.
« What’s wrong? What’s on this map? »

He leaned over her. « Madam… Your life is about to change. »

He ushered me into a glass-enclosed office and turned the screen towards me.

I counted the numbers twice.

51 000 000,00 $

My breath evaporated. « What… How… Is it possible? »

Mr. Dalton then clicked to open a file.

« Your father inherited a small parcel of land near the port of Clearwater Bay. Years later, a real estate company built the Oceancrest district there. Records show that he negotiated an unusual condition: five percent of the total profits from the project, paid into this trust in your name. »

I stood there, stunned. My father had worked all his life as a maintenance team leader. He had lived modestly, had never taken long vacations, had never let anything of the kind appear.

« He never touched the money, » Dalton said. « The account was locked. Only you could access it. Neither your spouse nor your representative. »

Then he opened another file.

« Three months ago, someone tried to access the fund using your identity. The verification failed. »