The only Maryland Lottery scratch-off game she ever played just rewarded a still-stunned Baltimore woman with its $50,000 top prize.

The secretary, who is a recent convert to playing instant tickets, said her big Father’s Day win helps pave the way to early retirement.

The unnamed winner describes the $50,000 Bonus Cash game as being very good to her even before her win. The 56-year-old remembers her lucky day as if it happened yesterday.

“I was picking out tickets as a gift for my son-in-law,” she explained. Before completing her purchase at J Convenience in Carney, she noticed her favorite game was among the retailer’s selection. Her husband introduced her to the fun of playing scratch-offs in December.

“The first ticket I bought was $50,000 Bonus Cash and I won,” she said. “I’ve been getting them ever since.”

Even a recent $500 win on her favorite game didn’t prepare her for the lucky scratch-off waiting at J Convenience. “I sat there in the car for 20 minutes,” she said. “My legs just wouldn’t work.”

Eventually regaining her composure, she hurried home to find her husband a bit worried about what he heard in her voice. “I was sure something was wrong with her when she called me over,” he said. “Then, she showed me the ticket and I was sure something was wrong with me!”

The win has eased the worry surrounding the couple’s pending retirements. “We keep trying to get everything in order so that we could leave and then something else would delay us. No more delays now!”

Also celebrating their big win is the lucky Lottery retailer. The store located at 8765 Satyr Hill Road earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize scratch-off in the $5 game.