Turning the Tables

“Maisie, this is my fault. I’ll get a job right now. I swear I’ll earn the money back.”Dad grabbed my arm, tears streaming down his face.“You old fool! How could you lose Josh, too? Do you know how hard it is to find such a good son-in-law?” Before I could stop her, Mom smacked him on the shoulder, furious.I’d heard of people gambling away money, sure. However, this was the first time a person was lost.My phone had buzzed earlier with a message from my boyfriend, Josh. [Your dad gambled me away to your cousin. Let’s break up.]He was so eager, probably wanting an excuse to dump me for ages. Now, he finally had a legitimate one.Dad opened his mouth again, but Mom swatted him before a single word came out. “Enough! You lost everything, and you still dare talk?”Then she patted my shoulder. “You’ve always been a level-headed kid. I trust you.”So, the three of us headed to my cousin Taylor’s place. The moment she saw us, a smug, gloating smile appeared.“Auntie Patricia, Unc

However, even the kindest person has a limit. Losing money wasn’t something to be ashamed of.Mom took a deep breath, steadied herself, then came over to pull me up.“Come on. We’re going home. We’re not taking part in this anymore!”I let her pull me to my feet.Taylor, seeing I was about to leave, immediately shouted, “Wait!“Let’s go big this time. Yesterday, Uncle Paul lost half a million. If you win this round, I’ll give it all back.”I pulled my arm free from Mom’s grip. “Fine. I’ll play.”“But, Maisie, do you have any money left?”I took out my property deed and said bluntly, “Let’s cut the crap. This is what you really want, right?”I had bought the house for my marriage, and though it wasn’t much, it had cost me over five hundred thousand.“No! We are not putting the house on the line!” Mom snatched the deed instantly.“Patricia, what are you screaming about? Taylor is doing you a favor by even agreeing to play with you. Who wants your tiny half-million shack? Taylo

Never expecting that someone like me, as broke as I was, would accuse her of lying, Taylor instantly exploded. She stormed into her room, came back dragging a huge suitcase, and popped it open right in front of us.Inside were stacks and stacks of cash, bundled tight.Her expression shifted back to that smug look of hers. “Well? Scared now? I’ve got more money than I can spend. What exactly are you using to fight me?”The next round started immediately.This time, Taylor went all out. She rolled four sixes and a five.“You might as well give up. There’s no way you can roll five sixes again.”However, just like she wanted, I rolled exactly five sixes. Not more, not less, and just enough to beat her.Taylor was shocked. “No way! You cheated! How can you get five sixes every time? You must be cheating!”I lifted both hands. “The dice are yours. We’re in your house. How exactly can I cheat?”It was the truth. So Taylor deflated, though she still spat venom on her way down. “It’s j

Of course, my aunt and uncle were reluctant. Those were their burial money. If they lost that too, they’d have nothing left.However, Taylor wasn’t about to give them a chance to hesitate. “Hurry up and bring it all here! I’m winning this time!”She tossed a Hermès bag and a bank card onto the table. My aunt’s face went pale with shock.“Didn’t you say that money belonged to Mr. Smith? How dare you spend it!”Whoever Mr. Smith or Mr. Johnson ‌was mattered not to me. The only thing I cared about was whether she actually had enough to keep betting.“What are you afraid of? I’m winning this round anyway! If I didn’t have confidence, would I dare put this on the table?”Taylor was brimming with certainty. So, my aunt and uncle could only convince themselves to trust her. After all, if you’re betting big, why stop halfway? Only a fool would refuse the chance to turn pennies into millions.The three of them tore the house apart looking for valuables. God knows what Taylor had been doi

Seeing that we weren’t giving in, my aunt finally stopped begging. Her expression twisted with anger, and suddenly she shot to her feet and rushed into the kitchen.The next second, she came back out holding a kitchen knife!“If you don’t leave the money here today, none of you are walking out of this house!!”The blade was sharp, catching the light with a distant glint.My parents instantly stepped in front of me, shouting, “What are you doing? Put the knife down and calm down! It’s just money. You don’t need to throw your life away and go to jail!”However, the moment Taylor saw her mom grab a knife, she panicked and grabbed one too, pointing it straight at us.“If you take all the money, we’re as good as dead! So don’t blame us if we fight for it. Put the money down!”This whole family really would rather die for cash.I raised both hands quickly. “Okay, okay, don’t be impulsive! We won’t take the money!”Even with giving up the thirty million, we’d still have the eight mil