Linda Benefiel of Fuquay-Varina said she was overwhelmed and will never forget the feeling of winning.
[Ads /]
"It was surreal and just overwhelming," Benefiel said. "We're still in awe."
She said she got home from work Monday night and found a Lightning 7's scratch-off waiting for her after a long, stressful day.
"My honey bought it for me," Benefiel said. "He said for some reason that one stood out to him."
Benefiel said her partner bought the $5 ticket at the Chalybeate Store on U.S. 401 North. Once she began scratching and saw her prize, she said she yelled for him to come and look.
[Ads /]
"He got so excited and said, 'We won $200?'" she recalled. "I told him, 'No, we won $200,000. Next thing I know we were both crying."
After state and federal taxes Benefiel took home $145,501. She said the money will go toward paying off their mortgage.
RELATED | North Carolina lottery exceeds $1 billion in annual net earnings for first time