I became a millionaire for designing and running a company that produces something as mediocre as closets. But the road to this victory was anything but tranquil.

In 2004, my mother got diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and the odds were so firmly stacked against her, she died a month into treatment. It destroyed me to see her suffer, so when she passed away, it made me feel a sense of urgency that I needed to be better for her legacy. Even though I had all the money a person could dream of, I was miserable because the only person who believed in me was gone. I had little to no support from the rest of my family and friends, they only called me to get a check and I left relationships at that. I was simply an ATM to them. I kept to myself and renamed my company "Shantel's Walk-in 2 Heaven," in honor of my mother, Shantel, and her departure from the mortal world and into angel paradise.

That was that and I was in a dark state, spiraling further and further out of control. I turned to drinking to repress my fragile status and started letting the company slip through my fingers. Just before I lost everything, my accountant quit, foreseeing that I'd lose everything and would no longer be able to pay him. That was the final piece to my everlasting demise so I took myself to the bar to melt away my heartache with the burning taste of alcohol. I woke up the next morning in the backseat of my car. My head was pounding from the enormous hangover I acquired, but between beats, I could see someone sitting in my driver's seat. For a second, I thought someone stole my car to become an Uber driver, but that was the stale liquor talking or me just being a fool. The driver was a woman with dark hair and evil eyes. I could only see that much from her glares in the rear view mirror. She noticed I was awake and pulled over, still ripping me to pieces with her glances.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Michael?!" the woman yelled.

I was more puzzled that she knew my name rather than her question. When I took too long to answer, she smacked me in the head for "looking at her funny." It was in that moment, I knew my mom was watching over me. She'd smack me in the head the same way for the same reasons and I figured this woman was heaven sent. But how did she know my name and why was she asking questions?

Her name was Cyn and she was my neighbor's housekeeper who from, time to time, watched me pour my troubles in a glass as she worked a waitress shift at my usual bar. She knew my name because she went through my wallet instead of robbing me when she found me passed out in the alleyway of the bar. Cyn went on to yell about how the bartender took my keys away after I began to babble in drunk despair. This woman who barely even knew me was driving me home to make sure I wouldn't be in harm's way. I was grateful, but instead of simply saying thank you, I did want an idiot man would do and ask her a stupid question. I could see the bubbling rage forming in her eyes as the words, "why all the screaming and attitude, lady" spilled from my lips. I knew once I formed the last word that I was in for the ride of a lifetime once I pissed that fiery woman off. Cyn quickly unbuckled her seat belt and turned towards me, draping me up by my collar. She then began to scream louder, "you ungrateful fool, I should have left you to DIE," putting emphasis on the word "die." In that moment, I fell in love. She was no taller than 5 feet and her little hands were still threatening. I had never met a woman whose skin became iridescent when she was angry and it made her the most majestic woman I've ever come across. I smiled at her as shook me and screaming things that I couldn't make out, as I was hypnotized by her aura. When she realized I was smiling, she stopped dead in the middle punching me in the face and gave me a confused look. She continued to look at me bewildered and asked, "what's so funny, idiot?" I told her how magical she was and she rammed me against the glass gritting, "if you think that's gonna' work, I'll kill you myself." I smiled again and told her that there was honesty in my words. However, she seemed scared now and backed away. I ignored her discomfort and basked at how a woman I barely knew, made me feel high on life again. The feelings of worthlessness evaporated and I felt my heart lift up. This woman did not even know of my pain and still managed to relieve it. She climbed back into the driver's seat and proceeded to take me home. I must have dozed off but when I woke up, there she was, dragging me to the front of my house. All I could think of was how this little woman could have the strength and good heart to care for me. She dropped me in front my door, threw my belongings at me, and left, never to be seen again. Once again, I was lost.

For the next week, I avoided that bar and drinking altogether. I figured that if I ever got that drunk again, I doubt I would meet someone as heroic as Cyn. I cleaned up my act just in time to restore my company and things were almost as great as when my mother was alive. I was back on top of the world and decided to cut all of my leeching family and friends off. I was feeling great about myself and making it reflective by focusing my energy in the gym. I had women all over me, constantly, but none of them sparked my interest like Cyn did. They were fun for the moment but after that, I was back to feeling like a part of me was missing. I avoided that empty feeling by filling it with muscle milk and calisthenics. My gym routine became like clockwork and I was known there for my endless efforts be look amazing. When I finally achieved getting rid of my beer belly, I felt like the man and got even more on top of my life. Everything was going great and I even suppressed my emptiness. Yet, one day when I was coming out of the shower, I saw Cyn leaving the woman's side of the changing rooms. She looked even more amazing than the first time I laid eyes on her but for some reason, I could not find it in me to go talk to her. I spent the next week stewing over my cowardly behavior until one day I wrote it in a letter. It was cliche but the only way I could tell her how I felt without facing her. The letter read:

Dear: Cyn,

I find this hard to say, but I know for a fact I'm in love with you. I know it's weird and I understand that it's impossible for you to feel the same way, but there's something about you that just brings a man like me to peace. I found comfort in meeting you for that short time, but it was the window of opportunity that saved my life and my mother's legacy. You are an amazing and capable woman and if you were ever to give you the opportunity, I'd marry you and find any way to make you happy. I know it's dramatic to practically propose to you and promise you a lifetime of happiness, but that's the only way I know how to repay you for sobering me up and pulling me out of the depressed hole I dug for myself.

Thank you for being beautiful and mystic. I hope this letter finds you well.

- Idiot, drunken, Michael from the alleyway of your job.

Months went by after I sent that letter and I eventually gave up the hopes of Cyn ringing my doorbell one night and professing her love. I gave up and decided to open my heart up to dating and trying to find her replacement in meaningless women. One night, as I was preparing for a date with some random woman, I heard an aggressive knock on my door and knew instantly that my life was going to change forever. It was Cyn, screaming obscenities and kicking my door. She had what might have been my letter in her hand and a suitcase. Sure that the suitcase was full of a shotgun or some assault rifle to blow my brains out for being a creep, I opened the door and closed my eyes. I was waiting for the sound of a gun cock when she mushed me in the face with the letter and pushed me inside. Cyn was coming back from visiting her family for the last three months and found my letter on the guest room bed of her job. She opened it and immediately ran over to see if I was insane. While she was mouthing off about how crazy I must be, I reached in and stole a kiss. When I expected her to slap me for violating her space, she surprised me by kissing me back. I opened my eyes to see tears cruising down the sides of her delicate face. She was crying because she understood my love in the letter and it gave her the closure that her feelings of "love at first sight" weren't her imagination. She opened up to me in that moment by telling me she was also in love with me, but was heartbroken when I didn't come back for her which caused her to move on. We talked for hours that day about out feelings, life, and future. For the first time in years, I met someone who wasn't speaking to my bleeding heart to caress money out of it. I felt like my mother was smiling down on me as I fell more deeply in love with Cyn.

Of course, as all happy ending go, we got married and had kids. My mother died that year and I'd lost myself. In order to help me, she sent me a living angel that became my wife and motivation. Thus, I carried on Shantel's legacy and honored my newly found peace by expanding my boring closet company internationally into great places like hotels and mansions. I know now that my wealth is not a measurement of my success as much as my happiness is. Cyn and I have been married for 15 years now and I still sanctify the promise I made to her in that letter.

Tell the author, "Happy Birthday!" on November 21st.