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Some days, it feels impossible to find the motivation to go to work, especially on a holiday. For one Walmart employee, missing out on her planned day off seemed like an inconvenience—until fate stepped in with a life-changing surprise.

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Rebeca Gonzalez, who works at a Walmart in Los Angeles, had planned to spend Labor Day at home with her husband, enjoying a barbecue with family. Those plans changed when her manager unexpectedly called, asking her to come in for a three-hour shift.


“It was Labor Day, and they only needed me for three hours. I wanted to obviously be home with my family because we planned to barbecue.”
— Rebeca Gonzalez

Feeling frustrated but knowing she couldn’t refuse, Gonzalez went in for her shift. Throughout the day, she had thought about buying a Single Double Triple Scratchers game but got so caught up in work that she forgot.

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It wasn’t until she was heading home for the night that she passed by a California Lottery vending machine and remembered her plan. On a whim, she decided to buy a $10 ticket. That last-minute decision turned out to be worth a million dollars.

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From a frustrating shift to a life-changing win

Checking the results, Gonzalez could hardly believe what she saw—she had won the $1 million top prize. What started as disappointment over working on a holiday quickly turned into the best decision of her life.


“I couldn’t believe it!”
— Rebeca Gonzalez

The unexpected winnings allowed her to pay off her debt, and now she and her husband are closing on a new home.

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Despite her life-changing luck, Gonzalez has chosen to keep working at Walmart. So far, she’s only shared the news with one person—her manager, the same one who called her in to work that day.


“I’ve only told one person at work, and it was the manager who wanted me to stay late on a holiday. He (literally) couldn’t believe it.”
— Rebeca Gonzalez

Lottery officials announced that Gonzalez defied the 2,057,388-to-1 odds to claim the top prize. Meanwhile, Walmart’s supercenter location will receive a $5,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

A canceled day off might have started as an inconvenience, but for Gonzalez, it turned into the best twist of fate imaginable.

lottery winnerlucky breakwalmart employeeunexpected fortuneculture

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