Chapter 2

Hillary spoke up again, sounding like she was lecturing a naughty child, "Enough, Lucas. Stop making a scene. What could you possibly have to wager? Just go home already—your mom can't be left alone in the hospital."

The anger that had been building in my chest burst out of me. In a mocking tone, I snapped, "So you know my mom's in the hospital? So you clearly know that she's scheduled for brain surgery next week, and you still lost that three million dollars to Shane?

"What exactly did my mom ever do to you for you to treat her like this?"

A rare look of guilt flickered across Hillary's face, but it vanished almost instantly. She turned her head away and argued, "Money can always be earned again. Worst case, we can just borrow some money for your mom's surgery.

"Besides, that operation only has a 50% success rate. Rather than throwing that money down the drain, it's better to let Shane use it for emergencies. It's not easy for him to raise a kid by himself."

Disappointment crashed over me like a tidal wave, almost drowning me.

My mother had pitied Hillary for growing up without a father, so she always made sure Hillary had good food and nice clothes—even better than the ones she gave me.

When she found out Hillary had gastric issues, Mom searched the entire city for reputable doctors who dealt in traditional medicine. Then, every day at 5:00 am, she'd get up to brew herbal remedies for Hillary.

But now, in Hillary's eyes, Mom's life wasn't worth as much as Shane's supposed hardships. Three years of her genuine kindness had all gone down the drain.

Silently, I took off my watch and slammed it down on the table.

"Here."

The metal clanged against the tabletop, making a crisp yet heavy sound.

This was the watch Hillary had specially commissioned when we got married. The back of the watch was even engraved with our initials.

Shane took off his watch too and placed it down. It was a glittering one, clearly worth a fortune.

He deliberately laid the two watches side by side and said loudly to the crowd, "Mine was a gift from Hil.

"She sold the wedding gifts you got for her back then and used the money to have this watch made for me. It's not like certain people's watches here, which are probably just some 200-dollar bargain-bin deal with free shipping."

His words were completely unfiltered.

Everyone's eyes darted back and forth between the two watches. Shane's made mine look even cheaper, even more ridiculous.

It felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart, and I lowered my head in humiliation.

No wonder that less than a month after our wedding, when I'd asked about the whereabouts of the gifts I'd given her, she'd stammered and been evasive. She'd only said she had stored them away in a safe place.

As it turned out, she'd sold them to buy a watch for her first love. And the watch she'd tossed to me clearly wasn't worth the tens of thousands of dollars she'd claimed it was.

"Hurry up and play already! What are you stalling for?" someone shouted impatiently, eager for some drama.

I picked up the dice cup, and Shane picked up his.

His fingers flew, flipping the cup in a flashy move that drew cheers and applause. Meanwhile, I just gripped mine awkwardly and shook the cup up and down.

The stark contrast triggered another round of open ridicule and snickers.

We revealed the dice at the same time.

On his side were two fives. Ten. High.

On my side, it was one three and one four. Seven. Low.

"Wow! Shane's amazing!"

"Hillary really is an amazing teacher! Her student turned out to be just as good!"

The crowd kept praising him, and the looks they directed at me were full of gloating contempt.

Shane leaned triumphantly into Hillary's arms, looking like a cat that had gotten the cream.

"Oh, dear, your husband's luck isn't that great, Hil. What now that he's lost? Should we make him bark?"

Hillary pinched his cheek indulgently.

"Do what needs to be done. He was the one who insisted on gambling. He should learn his lesson."

Her gaze shifted to me, and all the tenderness in her eyes vanished, replaced by cold indifference.

Shane hooked my watch with his finger and twirled it in the air before whistling at me.

"Be a good boy and bark for me."

No one else in the private room said a word, but the undisguised malice in their eyes pierced me like a thousand needles.