Woman Kicks Out Boyfriend — Then Learns Her Timing Couldn’t Have Been Worse

Before his life changed forever, things were not going well for Paul. He had been a Dagenham Ford plant worker for over a decade. Then he’d had to leave his job at a supermarket after a leg injury. Now he was unemployed and with very few options.

To make matters worse, he and his girlfriend of five years, Julie West, had broken off their relationship, forcing him to leave their shared home just outside London. But Paul knew better than to hope for a miracle — until one arrived in his lap, that is.

Yep, Paul woke up to a strange email announcing that he had won $11,000 from a lottery ticket. And while he assumed it was all a mix-up, he showed the ticket to his friend — just in case. That friend replied with even weirder news.

Paul hadn’t won thousands — he’d won millions. $13 million, to be exact. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He needed concrete proof that something so lucky had happened to him. So, he called the Lotto helpline. 

At first, Paul refused to believe the news. He even asked the person on the helpline if he was “in a room full of people” playing a joke on him. But he just kept getting the same answer...

What he kept hearing was life-changing. No, it wasn’t a joke. Yes, he really was a millionaire. And Paul celebrated the way he thought best: with a bottle of beer and a cup of tea. “I might have added an extra sugar,” he said to the Daily Mirror. 

Even after a few days, Paul was in a state of shock. “It’s only been in the last 24 hours that I have dared to believe it’s real,” he said, according to the BBC. But once the news sunk in, he was ready to live it up.

Paul was suddenly a millionaire — and soon enough, everybody knew. “All of a sudden, my phone’s red hot. Everyone loves you,” he told the Daily Mirror. And the callers may have all had the same question: why him? What had he done to appease the lotto gods? 

According to Paul, it all came down to timing, luck, and soccer. His favorite soccer team is Leyton Orient F.C., and they had just won their last match. After that, Paul was so happy that he had decided to buy the lottery ticket. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

Paul realized that he had won because of Leyton Orient. It was a meaningful connection, as he’d been a fan of the team since he was just 11 years old. So, he considered using his winnings to uphold a childhood dream.

Orient’s CEO even congratulated Paul and asked him to come watch a home game against Maidenhead United. He didn’t make this gesture out of the kindness of his heart, however. 

Nope, the CEO probably knew Paul was tempted to put some of his money in Leyton Orient. But the man himself was hesitant. He was new to the whole millionaire thing and wasn’t sure what to do. So he reflected on what the team’s investor and vice-chairman, Kent Teague, had said. And it gave him real pause.

Kent had apparently explained that he would likely lose money from investing in the team. And Paul realized how careful he had to be with his wealth. “I haven’t got as many millions to lose as Kent,” he said to the Daily Mirror. Besides, he had other plans for his cash.

Those plans would mean sharing the money with his three grown children. He wouldn’t give them enough to let them coast along in life — just so that they were comfortable. He knew his former wife Lisa would approve.

No, Paul doesn’t plan on spoiling his kids anytime soon. “I think they should learn the value of things,” he said, likely remembering his past life of scrimping and saving. But that doesn’t mean some things won’t change.

“I want to give [my kids] a life where I know they’re going to be alright,” Paul added to the Daily Mirror. He considered buying a couple of modest properties as well as season tickets to Leyton Orient games for himself and his son. 

This frame of mind, Paul hoped, will make for a happy life instead of a stressful one. “The future is going to be very rosy, but it’s not just my rosy journey. I fully intend to take everyone on the journey with me,” he said to the Daily Mirror. 

It doesn’t seem like money will change Paul much if his down-to-earth attitude proves anything. When asked what he’ll do with his newfound wealth, he joked that he’ll probably switch to a “posher brand of tea.” But, of course, Julie hadn’t totally slipped his mind.

Paul said that Julie was probably “gutted” after learning that he had won $13 million in the lottery. Still, that didn’t mean he would be stingy. “You never know. I might take her for a holiday or a meal,” he said to the Daily Mirror.

When asked if she was happy for Paul, Julie was understandably aloof. “I suppose so,” she said, but she also said that Paul was “out of order” for assuming she was “gutted.” A neighbor had a different opinion.

“Paul moved out in February. He was a good bloke, and now he’s won £9 million. [Julie] must be kicking herself,” the neighbor said. Either way, it can’t be easy finding out your ex now has enough to buy a penthouse in London. Luckily Paul's avoided any nefarious actions from those in his inner circle. But the same can't be said for Florida jackpot winner Abraham Shakespeare, who went from living everyman's dream to the starring in a sinister mystery.

In 2006, Abraham Shakespeare won the $30 million lottery jackpot. After taxes, Shakespeare ended up with $17 million. Abraham was instantly rich, and that's where the trouble started.

As soon as Abraham won the enormous jackpot, so-called “friends” began looking for a piece of the pie. A friend who accompanied Shakespeare to the store to buy the lottery ticket was asking for $1 million. He would later claim that Shakespeare stole the ticket from his wallet.

The story was clearly made up, but it was still taken to court. Fortunately, Shakespeare won the case. However, he no longer felt safe in the neighborhood he grew up in so he moved to a gated community.

Soon people found out where he was living and continued to harass him for the money. Shakespeare was now alone, far away from home, and infuriated by the constant pressure from friends and family.

One of the more nefarious characters that appeared in Abrahams's life around this time was Dee-Dee Moore. She was an old flame who sold Abraham on the idea that she wanted to become his financial manager.

Together, Abraham and Dee-Dee setup Abraham Shakespeare LLC, with Moore taking complete control of all of Abrahams's finances. Up to this point, Shakespeare was incredibly careful with his money. His only substantial purchases were the million-dollar home he escaped to, a Rolex, and a new car.

Dee-Dee saw an opportunity in Abraham. He wasn’t paying attention to his money, so he wouldn’t notice if she treated herself to $1 million worth of new cars and a luxurious vacation.

For a man who just won the chance of a lifetime, Abraham was strangely quiet, and the police finally figured out why: He had disappeared. Naturally, the first suspect was Dee-Dee Moore. She listed several places he could be, claiming she even helped him get away from the consistent harassment.

With no sign of Abraham, Moore began to sink into a financial hole. She had no money to pay off the cars, the home, and other items she bought. She was now in debt and in trouble. Moore even went so far as to fake a rape and kidnapping to claim she was extorted.  

Suddenly, there was a tonal shift, and people became wary of Shakespeare’s whereabouts. Family and friends that were previously pressuring Shakespeare for money were shocked and expressed genuine concern about Abraham's condition.

Family and friends received a sudden influx of text messages family and friends received from Abraham, and they sensed something wasn't right. He wouldn't answer phone calls, but he'd send lengthy text messages full of sophisticated words. His loved ones doubted whether Abraham was sending the messages, and of course, their concerns were valid.

It was Dee-Dee they were talking to. Often times when she was asked potentially incriminating questions through text, she would leave them on read. She was now ducking away from her troubles and pretending to be Abraham Shakespeare.

Instinctively, Shakespeare’s family grew more concerned as time passed by without a word from the real Abraham. They eventually filed a police inquiry and directed authorities towards Moore’s home.

What the police found when they entered Moore’s house was disturbing. Buried 9 feet deep in her own back yard was Shakespeare’s body.

Initially, Moore’s story was always changing and shifting blame. She claimed it was drug dealers or an estranged son. However, nothing she said would get her out of this one.

Police continued questioning Dee-Dee until she finally confessed. She stated that she had killed Abraham in self-defense, and alleged that Abraham was abusive. But with her track record, the cops were hardly convinced.

The authorities searched Moore’s home and unsurprisingly they discovered all of Shakespeare’s money, in cash. Dee-Dee had withdrawn all of the funds from the LLC and had been using them indiscriminately.

Moore was also caught attempting to pay off numerous individuals to take the fall for the crime. She was allegedly offering up to $200,000 for someone to speak to the authorities and say that they, in fact, murdered Shakespeare.

Dee-Dee was not outsmarting anyone. Her façade was oblivious, and the police had her pinned down. She was arrested and a bail of $1 million was set. Predictably, Moore had blown through the money and could not afford bail.

Dee-Dee Moore was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2012, and she was sentenced to life in prison. Let the story of Abraham Shakespeare serve as a cautionary tale if you yourself ever become an instant millionaire. But the unfortunate thing is that his story isn't even unique. In fact, there's a well-known phenomenon called the "lottery winners curse" where bad luck befalls people who win big, and Abraham's case isn't even the worst.

Take Evelyn Adams. She was maybe one of the luckiest people ever to win the New Jersey Lottery not once... but twice! She won once in 1985 and then again in 1986. But her total winnings of $5.4 million were totally depleted within a few years, wasted away on not-so-lucky gambling escapades in Atlantic City.

It's not always just money that can be lost, though. Lives can be at stake when this much money is being thrown around. Take Urooj Khan, a small business owner who won $1 million in 2012. Tragically, he never even got to see the money: he was killed by cyanide poisoning the same day his check was mailed, and his murder remains unsolved to this day.

The incredibly fortunate Jack Whittaker was already a millionaire when he won $314.9 million. He spent wildly at casinos and strip clubs, spoiling his granddaughter, too, who got into drugs. She died in an apparent homicide not long after. After all was said and done, he stated that life was "easier before."

After winning $5 million in 1981, Lou Eisenberg bought a condo in Florida and went on tons of vacations. His last check was cashed in 2001, and he now lives in a mobile home on social security. At age 81 he says he "lived for the day."

Americo Lopes won the lottery after he and his coworkers went in on tickets together. He then lied and quit his job so he could keep all the money! Once they found out, they took him to court, and he had to pay up.

Ibi Roncailoli won $5 million in 1991, choosing to give $2 million to a secret child she had with another man, unbeknownst to her husband. When he found out, he poisoned her.

Compared to other winnings, $1 million dollars isn't all that much. No one told Lisa Arcand this, as she bought a house and went on vacation before opening a restaurant. After her restaurant failed, she was broke saying, "it’s been very depressing."

Based on any metric, it would seem that winning the lottery ruined Willie Hurt's life. Only three years after he won $3 million from the Michigan Lottery, he was broke, divorced, and charged with attempted murder.

At just 16, Callie Rogers was the youngest ever lottery winner in the U.K. She quickly squandered the $2 million prize on cosmetic surgery and partying, leaving her broke. She attempted suicide and now says teens shouldn't be eligible.

Billy Bob Harrell was a Pentecostal preacher working at Home Depot. After winning $31 million, he spent it mostly on other people to his wife's discontent. Two years later, she filed for divorce as he went penniless. Then, he tragically took his own life.

Like many people who come into tons of money, tax fraud is a common issue for lotto winners. After winning $13 million, Alex Toth filed false returns and ended up broke and alone prior to his death ten years later.

Welsh native Luke Pittard won a $1.9 million jackpot while he was working at McDonald's. He went on a spending spree of epic proportions, which had him right back at McDonald's less than two years later.

When you win the lottery, you have to know who you can trust. Sadly, Marva Wilson was taken advantage of by someone she thought was a friend. The woman spent almost every penny of Wilson's $2 million winnings.

Many winners have fallen victim to companies that advance lottery winners their cash so they don't have to wait out the payments. Suzanne Mullins is one of those. After winning $4.3 million, she ended up owing over $100,000 to one of those lenders.

When Janite Lee won $18 million in 1993, she knew she wanted to make a difference. She donated her entire fortune to charity, even having a library built at Washington University. She also donated heavily to the Democratic Party.

When Denise Rossi won $1.3 million in the California Lottery, she kept it a secret. Then, she demanded a divorce from her husband. They went on with the proceedings. Two years later, he found out the truth and sued her for every penny she withheld.

Steve Tran was working at a local deli when he won $648 million! As soon as he realized it wasn't a joke, he called his boss and handed in his notice. Now, he still works at a deli... but this time, it's one he owns!

Grandmother Gloria MacKenzie was 84 years old when she won a $590 million jackpot! She wouldn't have won at all if the woman in line ahead of her hadn't allowed her to go first because MacKenzie seemed ill. Talk about luck.

When couple Cindy and Mark Hill hit the jackpot, they were over the moon. They won $293.8 million, and as soon as their six-year-old heard about it, she knew the time was finally right: she asked for—and received—a pony.