WASHINGTON — They say those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach, but a Fredericksburg, Virginia, woman would beg to differ.

Merry Thomas had just gotten off working an overnight shift early Monday morning, and she and a co-worker bought lottery tickets at the Giant at 35 Town and Country Road, in Fredericksburg.

They played the Virginia Lottery’s 20x the Money game, the Virginia Lottery said in a statement. Thomas showed her co-worker how to use the self-service ticket machine, and how to scan her ticket to determine whether it was a winner.

The co-worker won $12; Thomas won $1 million.

“Right in front of my eyes I saw this woman turn into a puddle,” Thomas’ co-worker told the Virginia Lottery when Thomas claimed her prize later Monday. Thomas said, “I’ve been freaking out since then!”

Thomas chose the one-time payout of $630,915 before taxes; the other option was the full $1 million over 30 years. The store will get a $10,000 bonus.

She told the Virginia Lottery that she had no immediate plans for the money, saying, “I just feel so fortunate. … It’s unbelievable!”