All Chapters of The Dice Game I Could Never Win: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

Julian stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. He glanced at me."Is the itinerary done yet? Chloe just sent a few more trending restaurants. Add them to the list.""There's no need," I said, looking at him with a calm voice."What do you mean, no need?" Julian paused mid-towel."Nothing. I’m just tired and want to rest." I turned toward the closet and began flipping through my clothes.Julian walked over and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind."If you're tired, get some rest. I’ll let Chloe figure out her own itinerary." He rested his chin on my shoulder. "Don't be mad. Tomorrow after work, I'll go to the mall and buy you that skincare set you've been wanting as an apology, okay?"He was always like this. Slap me in the face, then offer a sweet treat. He thought a tiny crumb of favor would make me swallow every grievance, just like before."No need," I said, gently pulling away from his embrace.---The next evening, Julian came home carrying

Chloe quickly waved her hands. "Forget it, Julian. Let her go instead.""Enough," Julian cut her off, his voice firm. "We aren't changing the rules every time. She can't just throw a tantrum whenever she doesn't get her way."A few nearby guests turned to glance in our direction."When have I ever thrown a tantrum?" I asked."Please, don't cause a scene here.""You know how important this meeting was to me.""There will be other opportunities."Austin checked his watch. "Mr. Wade, we really need to go."Without asking me another word, Julian turned and led Chloe through the doors.I stood completely still, watching the doors close right in front of me.---Fifteen minutes later, Chloe walked out alone. Mr. Vance had already left through a side exit.Julian retrieved a glass of warm milk from the bar and handed it to me."Your stomach has been acting up. Drink a little. Don't drink on an empty stomach."I took the glass. He remembered my weak stomach, yet he had forgotten

At nine-seventeen, Julian’s call came through just as I landed in Aspen.I didn't hear it ring.Ten minutes later, another message popped up.[Evelyn, where are you? Boarding is closing soon.]Right after that came a relentless barrage of missed calls.I rolled my black duffel bag through the crowded arrival terminal.This time, I wasn't late.I had simply stopped running to his side.I sat outside the airport for half an hour before finally turning on my phone screen.[Did you go to the wrong terminal?][Answer your phone.][Chloe, stop playing around. She's still waiting.]I stared at that last sentence.He still thought I was just throwing a scene to get his attention.I flagged down a taxi and gave the driver the address of the lodge I had booked in advance.My phone rang again.This time, I answered."Where are you?"His voice was heavy. In the background, I could hear airport announcements and Chloe’s hushed attempts to soothe him.I looked out at the unfamil

After the holiday ended, I officially reported for duty at the Aspen branch.During my first week, I took the bus in the wrong direction and spent half an hour wandering around in a pouring rainstorm.In the past, I would have called Julian right away.He always knew the fastest route to get me home, and he would always say, "How do you still get lost so easily? Just stay put and let me pick you up."This time, I simply checked the bus routes on my phone, transferred twice, and arrived ten minutes late.When I arrived, the receptionist told me the team lead was waiting for me in the conference room.I pushed the door open and met the man assigned to guide me.Liam Jason.He didn't interrogate me about why I was late. He simply slid a glass of warm water across the table."Drink some water first. The rain's heavy today, so travel conditions are bad.""Thank you."He handed me my onboarding paperwork without flipping the pages for me or dictating which form I had to read first