Steven finally had the chance to replace his lawn, a job he’d been putting off for months. As he worked through the tough, patchy grass, he muttered to himself, “I shouldn’t have joined the Homeowner’s Association.” It was just another reminder of the small annoyances in his life. After hours of grueling work, Steven began rolling up the sod and discovered something odd—a layer of plastic hidden beneath the grass.
“What’s this plastic doing here?” Steven wondered aloud, tugging at the corner. As he pulled, he fell back in astonishment. Underneath the plastic were stacks of tightly packed dollar bills. His lawn was literally sitting on a fortune.
“Holy moley,” Steven whispered, wide-eyed as he surveyed the treasure across his entire yard.
In a frenzy, he started stuffing the money into trash bags, but a gust of wind sent the bills swirling into the air. Panicking, Steven leaped up to catch them, only to freeze when he heard a voice.
“Wowee! Is that what I think it is?” It was his nosy neighbor, Billy, leaning over the fence.
“Don’t tell anyone about this, Billy,” Steven pleaded as he hurriedly gathered the money.
“I ain’t no gossip, Steve,” Billy replied with a grin, but Steven didn’t trust him.
The next day, Steven decided to do the right thing and went to the police station, hoping to claim the money legally. But when he walked in, he was greeted with a grin from Officer Wilson. “Here’s our lucky guy!” Wilson said. Steven’s heart sank—Billy had already blabbed.
Before Steven could respond, another voice cut in. It was Bryan, a hated member of the HOA board. “Hold on, Wilson. That money doesn’t belong to him,” Bryan said smugly.
Steven clenched his fists. “What do you mean?” he demanded.
Bryan smirked. “Davis, the previous homeowner, was a gangster. He stole that money, and it’s mine. You just found what he hid.”
Wilson looked between the two men. “We’ll have to investigate, Steven. You need to bring the money in.”
Steven was furious but had no choice. He returned home, threw the trash bags into his car, and drove off, determined to keep the money. “This belongs to me,” he muttered, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
Steven knew the police would be watching him, so he took back roads, constantly checking his rearview mirror. But a patrol car caught up to him, and soon he found himself in a high-speed chase. Swerving through traffic, Steven managed to ditch the cops and hid in a motel.
That night, Steven called his old friend Jarred, who agreed to help. Jarred came up with a plan to distract the police while Steven kept the real money hidden. By the next day, Steven thought he was in the clear. But just as he relaxed, Jarred’s knock at the motel door brought unexpected visitors.
Three men barged into the room, one with a gun pointed at Steven. “We’re here for the money,” the leader snarled. “Davis stole it for me, and I’m taking it back.”
Steven’s new life of wealth crumbled in an instant. The fortune he risked everything for was no longer his.