After winning $1.3 million in the California lottery, Denise Rossi withheld the news from her husband Thomas and silently demanded a divorce.
Despite his shock, Thomas decided to divorce her. Denise continued to conceal her good fortune throughout the proceedings.
At his new residence in Los Angeles, two years later, Thomas found a letter that revealed the truth.
After Denise failed to reveal her divorce winnings, he sued her, and the judge gave Thomas every penny.
If Denise had been truthful with her former husband, she could have kept half of her winnings, as even Denise's attorney acknowledged to People. The attorney claimed, "Her failure to disclose was a fraud."
Thomas Rossi, meanwhile, is content with his $48,000 annual payouts.
"Denise and I would probably still be together if it weren't for the lotto. Everything turned out well," he remarked.
