It's fair to say that winning the lottery is pretty much most people's dream - especially when there are millions involved.
But, there's nothing quite as devastating as the prospect of having a life-changing sum of cash at your finger tips, only to lose it before it ever reaches your bank balance.
Sadly, that's exactly what happened to one woman, who lost out on a $26 million (£18million) jackpot, after allegedly putting her ticket in the laundry.
The woman, who hasn't been named, says she matched all six numbers back in November last year, after purchasing the ticket from a shop in Los Angeles, United States.
She had 180 days to come into the store to claim her prize, however on the final day of the deadline she told the store manager what had happened.
The woman's claim has even been backed up by the store manager, who has CCTV evidence of her coming into the shop and buying the winning ticket, but sadly lottery officials have said this isn't enough for them to grant her the winnings, according to KLTA.
According to California Lottery rules, a photo of the front and back of the ticket is the only evidence which can be used in an instance where a ticket goes missing, which is why everyone is encouraged to take pictures of their numbers after purchase.
But, while loss will no doubt be a devastating blow for the woman, it is a huge gain for local schools in the area, as the unclaimed sum of cash is automatically donated to the state's public schools when no one comes forward.
If you've ever wondered what's worse than heartbreak - this is it.
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