Is It Worth It?

She closed her eyes, partly so she could say a quick prayer and partly because the lights were bright and hurting her retinas. If she made the right choice, she and her family would be living on easy street from now until eternity. But if she made the wrong choice, she shuddered at that thought; if she chose wrong then she had gone through everything for no reason.

“Times running out little lady,” the host of ‘Is It Worth It?’ Wayne Johnson told her. He was generically handsome but had teeth so white that they blinded her every time he grinned. She considered the boxes in front of her once again, and the butterflies in her stomach became more active. If she picked the right box, she would walk away from this experience with $50 million dollars. However the other boxes contained nothing and she would leave this situation with less than she had going in.

‘Is It Worth It?’ was a reality/game show that pit contestants against one another, while also making it necessary for them to work with each other. For each of the thirteen weeks of the shows cycle, the challenges became more difficult and alliances were created and broken, sometimes within minutes. Somehow she, Erica, had managed to avoid elimination, despite coming close a few times. When it came to make her choice, there was no clear answer as to whether it was worth it or not.

Once she had been informed that she was selected to be on the show, the excitement that coursed through her body could only be compared to her wedding day or giving birth to her daughter. The news was not by her boss with as much enthusiasm, he hardly heard a word that she said before he uttered the two words that she had dreaded “You’re fired.”

Fired. It wasn’t the worst thing in the world, the job barely helped cover the bills but it was a help and the loss would be felt by her family. Yet they encouraged her to go on the show, in the hopes that she would land in the final round, the one where she had to select the right box. There was so much she could lose if the box that she opened was empty. The mortgage was late, the electricity was on final shut off and her marriage would be over.

Technically speaking, her marriage was over. Since the contestants were not allowed to contact their loved ones, the families were allowed to write to the stars once a week. Every Thursday she looked forward to hearing from Greg, her husband. Without fail, she received loving letters from him; each message was full of loving words and encouragement. Until the eighth week, when instead of the usual correspondence, she received divorce papers.

Devastation did not begin to describe the feelings that she experienced. Luckily one of her fellow contestants had also gone through a divorce shortly before joining the show. Erica had been unable to focus on the task at hand following that surprise. It was the first time that she had been on the chopping block and as she waited to hear what her fate was, she wondered why she was being tested. Had she done something so awful that now she deserved to be punished?

When she was called before the tribal council, which was made up of past contestants and a celebrity of the week, she was prepared to say goodbye. She had convinced herself that she was going to be sent home, and when that happened she would talk to Greg. There had to be a way to salvage their marriage she told herself.

“Erica, you are safe!” Spencer Pratt enthusiastically informed her. Inside she groaned at having to be in the same space as him but relieved that she would still be able to compete for the chance to choose the box. Later she was told that Tom had sacrificed himself for her. At the reunion show, the night before she had thanked him, he planted a kiss on her in response.

It was a complication that she did not need. Though if she were honest with herself, the kiss was pleasant and jumbled her mind even more. His soft lips brushing against hers, his breath fresh but not a Colgate kiss.

“We need to know what your choice is,” Wayne intoned, not hiding the impatience he was known for, off camera. Erica tried to focus her eyes on the boxes, the lights were very bright and it was difficult to do so. What she could see were the boxes dangling above her, each held by a thin piece of wire about 30 feet from her. Her mother had always taught her to go with the middle choice always. There was no logical reasoning for it; she just said middle of the road always leads to happiness. Faulty logic at best, but it was all she had going for her.

With her eyes closed, she opened her mouth to speak, before she knew what was happening, her answer flew out of her mouth “I choose box number three, Wayne!!”

The box was lowered, everyone waited with bated breath as the host opened the case. He revealed to the audience first what was in the case and then turned to Erica. “Congratulations sweetheart! You are now $50,000,000 dollars richer!”

As the world spun around her, Erica felt a pair of masculine hands wrap around her waist. Another set of lips pressed hard against hers, this time it was her husband. Once they sat down and talked she learned that he never filed for divorce, it was set up by the producers.

Their lives indeed were changed; they paid off their house and began a homeless shelter for all people who needed help. Erica and Greg also opened a business of their own, a book exchange, one that went on to make them much more money.