The Gambler King's Daughter
I didnt cry. I didnt scream.
I just pushed a dice cup across the glossy wood. On the line was the new house theyd just bought, and my entire youth.
They laughed and called me crazy, but they didnt know my grandfathers nickname.
They called him the Ghost Hand.
1
The music in the bar was a physical thing, a headache hammering against my skull.
The glass of water in front of me had been sitting for a while. A fine mist of condensation clung to the glass, tiny droplets streaking down one by one, hitting the table and bleeding into a small, dark patch.
I was waiting for Leo.
Hed texted earlier, said he had something important to tell me, and named this place.
I checked my phone. 9:30 PM. He was half an hour late. I didnt push, I just waited.
A few minutes later, the door swung open, and a blast of cold night air swept through the bar. Leo walked in.
I didnt move. I just watched him.
He wasnt alone.
Sophie was with him.
His best girl friend. The one whod pull all-nighters playing video games with him, the one whod wash his jerseys, the one who would always, without fail, take his side and yell at me whenever we fought.
A cold knot formed in my stomach.
They walked to my table and sat down across from me. No one spoke.
The water dripped from the glass. Tick. Tick.
Sophie broke the silence. She took a small, official-looking document and slapped it on the table. The sound wasn't loud, but in the chaos of the bar, I heard it with perfect clarity.
Cara, she said. Leo and I got married.
I lifted my eyes and looked at Leo.
He wouldnt meet my gaze. He stared at the marriage certificate on the table, his eyes darting away, a strange mix of guilt and grim determination on his face.
I just stared at him. For a long, long time.
The music, the chatter, the clinking of glassesit all seemed to fade away. My world went silent, leaving only the tick, tick of water rolling down the side of the glass.
I didnt cry.
I didnt curse.
I didnt even tremble.
I just sat there, looking at them.
A stone had lodged itself in my throat. I couldnt swallow it, couldnt cough it up. It was hard to breathe.
I reached out, picked up the glass of water, and drained it in one go.
The water was ice-cold, a frigid path from my throat to my stomach.
I set the empty glass back down on the table, the sound louder than the slap of their certificate.
When did this happen? I asked.
My voice was calm, devoid of emotion. As if I were asking about the weather.
Sophie smiled. She leaned against Leo, her fingers tracing patterns on his arm. Just today, silly. Why else would we call you? Its a surprise.
Leo finally looked up. He met my eyes, his lips parting as if to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
I nodded.
Oh, I said. Just one word.
Then I stood up and grabbed my purse. Im leaving.
I turned to go, but a hand shot out and grabbed my wrist.
It was Leo.
Cara, you
I looked back at his hand clutching mine. His palm was slick with sweat.
I pulled my hand free, my eyes fixed not on him, but on Sophie.
Congratulations.
Then I walked away without a seconds hesitation.
I pushed open the door to the bar, and the cold wind hit me like a physical blow. I shivered, pulling the collar of my coat tighter.
The night was dark, the streetlights casting a sickly yellow glow.
I didnt call a cab. I just started walking.
I didnt know where I was going. I just needed to move.
The shops along the street were all closed, their windows dark except for the harsh fluorescent light of a lone convenience store.
I stopped in front of a vending machine, staring at the rows of colorful drinks for a long time.
In the end, I didnt buy anything.
I just stood there, looking at my own reflection in the glass.
The person staring back at me was a stranger.
Her eyes were hollow. Empty.
2
I didnt go far. I just leaned against a wall in a nearby alley and lit a cigarette.
I dont smoke. The raw burn in my throat made me cough, hard, until my eyes watered. I didnt wipe the tears away. I let them trail down my face until the wind dried them, leaving my skin feeling tight and sore.
I ground the cigarette out with my shoe and walked back to the bar.
I couldnt just leave.
Leo and I had been together for three years, since college. The down payment on the apartment we rented? My parents money. We had plans to get married next year, to put my name on the deed. The seed money for his company? Half of it came from me.
He owed me.
Sophie owed me.
This was not over.
I pushed the door open again, and the same wave of warm air, thick with smoke, alcohol, and perfume, enveloped me.
Leo and Sophie were still there.
They were drinking now, sipping from flutes of expensive champagne, the bubbles fizzing aggressively.
On the table, next to the marriage certificate, were several other documents.
As I got closer, I saw what they were. A property transfer agreement for the house. A contract for the transfer of company shares.
Were they dividing up my life as party favors?
Leo saw me and froze, a flicker of discomfort on his face.
Sophie, however, was perfectly at ease. She raised her glass to me. Back so soon? Come to your senses? Ready to have a celebratory drink with us?
I pulled out a chair and sat down across from them. The table was sticky with spilled liquor.
I placed my bag on the empty seat beside me and looked at them.
The house, the company, I said, my voice still perfectly level. Theyre mine.
Leos face was flushed. It could have been the alcohol, or it could have been shame. He cleared his throat. Cara, dont make a scene. We had a good run. Lets not make this ugly.
Sophie swallowed her champagne and laughed out loud. Ugly? Cara, are you not getting it? Youre a nobody now. You and Leo are over. All of this belongs to me.
She pointed at the contracts on the table, her face smug.
I didnt waste my breath on her. My gaze was fixed on Leo.
Leo. Say something.
He avoided my eyes, picking up his glass, refilling it, and downing it in one gulp. Cara, Sophie and I are in love. Just let us be happy. This is all just material stuff. Youre a smart girl, you can earn it all back someday.
Let them be happy. Material stuff.
The words didnt make me angry. They made me want to laugh.
I looked at them both, one feigning righteousness, the other reveling in her victory.
I dont want the house, I said. And I dont want the company.
Sophie raised an eyebrow. Oh? Giving up? Trying to be the graceful ex-girlfriend?
I have a proposal, I said, my eyes scanning them both. Lets play a game.
Leo frowned. What kind of game?
Simple. I reached out and picked up the dice cup from the center of the table. The dice rattled inside. We roll. One round. You win, I walk away from everything and wish you a long and happy life. But if I win
I paused, watching their expressions shift.
If I win, I take everything on this table. And every single valuable thing you two have on you.
Sophie looked at me like I had lost my mind. She burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking. You? Roll dice? Cara, did the shock fry your brain? Do you have any idea how much the stuff were wearing is worth?
I do, I nodded. Enough to send you both from heaven straight to hell.
The color drained from Leos face. Cara, stop this nonsense.
Nonsense? I smiled. Im giving you a chance. A chance to keep all the things you clawed away from me. What, are you scared to play?
I set the dice cup on the table and slid it toward them.
People at the surrounding tables had started to notice the commotion, their curious glances turning into hushed whispers.
Sophies laughter died. She stared at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of suspicion and challenge.
Fine. She slammed her hand on the table. Ill play. Lets see what tricks you have up your sleeve.
Leo tried to object, but Sophie cut him off. What, Leo, are you afraid? Afraid youll lose it all to her?
He clenched his jaw, his eyes locking onto mine with a warning. Cara. You asked for this.
I ignored him.
My attention was on the dice cup.
This was a game I knew all too well.
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