What if the worst moment of your day—full of frustration and bad luck—could be transformed into the best moment of your life with the snap of your fingers? This is exactly what happened to LaQuedra Edwards, a housewife from Los Angeles, who experienced this moment as if she were in a movie. From that moment on, LaQuedra Edwards became a millionaire.
It happened a few years ago, in November 2021, proving that sometimes fortune smiles on those who least expect it. But, how did it all happen?
An (un)lucky day
It was a day like any other: Mrs. Edwards went to the Vons supermarket in Tarzana, California, to buy her lottery ticket as usual. Like most lottery players, Mrs. Edwards had a well-established strategy: she always played $40, divided into four scratch cards worth $10 each.
Everything was going as usual until a “rude individual”—in the words of LaQuedra Edwards—elbowed her to get closer to the cash register. This push caused her finger to move and hit the wrong button on the scratch card machine: instead of four $10 Scratchers tickets, she had bought a $30 “200X Scratchers” ticket.
The anger was palpable: the rude stranger disappeared without apologizing, and he had also spent $75 of his lottery budget on a ticket he didn’t want to play. But for people who are used to playing the lottery in a very specific way, this change in their ritual feels like punishment. “He just bumped into me, didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.” Hurt by such rudeness and with a lottery ticket she had no intention of buying, LaQuedra Edwards had no choice but to sigh and start scratching the ticket.
A plot twist worthy of a movie
Mrs. Edwards returned her car, took a deep breath, and proceeded to scratch off the lottery ticket she had paid too much for. She didn’t even feel like playing the lottery, she just wanted to go home and grumble. However, as she scratched off the numbers, her anger dissipated and was replaced by utter shock: she had won nothing less than the game’s top prize: US$10 million.
Such was her reaction that she herself admits that she may have put her life and that of other drivers on the road at that moment at risk: “I got on the 405 freeway and kept looking at the ticket, and I almost crashed my car,” she explained. In fact, she had to stop the car again to stare at the ticket and try to process the information. No matter how many times she scanned it with the California Lottery mobile app, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Not only did Ms. Édouard benefit, but the Vons store in Tarzana also received a $50,000 bonus for being the point of sale for the lucky ticket.
What did LaQuedra Edwards do with the prize?
Ms. Edwards has been quite cautious and reserved about her plans. For now, she admits that she spent a large part of her winnings on buying a house. She also intends to start a nonprofit organization. Luckily for her, she made sure not to give many interviews to the media, as it is best to maintain privacy. It is normal in these cases for distant cousins and old relatives you haven’t seen in a long time to show up, but they become very affectionate as soon as they find out that someone has won the lottery.
The person who accidentally elbowed and pushed her was never identified. The fact is that very occasionally, a lack of manners and courtesy can help the people who are being infringed upon. However, we strongly recommend not elbowing anyone in supermarkets; the story of LaQuedra Edwards is statistically very likely to be repeated. If you push someone in a supermarket… you are probably in for a fight.