Chapter 1

At a holiday family gathering, my cousin, Mark, suddenly pulled out a deck of cards.

"Let's play for serious stakes," he announced.

A collective gasp rippled through the room as he placed his newly acquired stock dividends on the table.

"Who's in?"

The relatives, knowing he was just trying to flaunt his wealth, immediately showered him with praise.

Just as Mark, basking in his triumph, was about to pocket the cards, I reached out and stopped him.

"I'll play."

His eyes widened in disbelief. He probably expected me to cower in silence, just like before.

But he had no idea that playing for keeps, betting everything, was exactly my kind of game.

This time, he was going to lose it all.

…

The moment "I'll play" left my lips, my mom, Brenda, tugged at my sleeve.

"Your cousin is just joking around, Alex! What are you doing?"

The other relatives chimed in, trying to talk me out of it.

Everyone knew full well Mark was merely showing off his new stock shares. A bet this huge? It was clearly beyond what any of us financially struggling relatives could afford to participate in.

Mark was the wealthiest person in our family, and this was his usual game.

This yearly charade at our holiday gatherings was nothing more than an elaborate display of his riches.

Everyone was expected to play along, offering a few compliments, and that would be the end of it. Why was I taking it so seriously?

It was a holiday, and no one wanted a scene, so they all tried to smooth things over.

But I stood my ground, my hand firm on the deck of cards Mark had brought out.

"Still playing?"

The triumphant smirk had vanished from Mark's face.

He stared at me, expressionless, and scoffed.

"Alex, you’re getting bold now that it's vacation. You were so submissive and quiet at the company, but now that you're back home, you're throwing your weight around! If I hadn't covered for you, you'd be out on your ass this year!"

Just like always, he loved to humiliate people, no matter the situation.

We worked at the same company.

He was two years older than me and had joined earlier.

He'd climbed the ranks to a junior management position by sucking up to the bosses.

When I first joined, he had me transferred to his department.

He claimed it was because we were family, and he could look out for me.

I didn't want to go, but he called my dad and convinced him to pressure me into it.

My family had no idea then that it was the beginning of my misery.

In all the years I worked under Mark, he constantly undermined me.

He’d dump the heaviest, most difficult projects on my plate, only to swoop in and steal them just as I was about to finish.

Any mistake at work, and I was the first one to face the music.

At the end of this year, he earned senior leadership's praise thanks to a project I'd worked my fingers to the bone on.

Not only did he get company stock dividends, but he was also due for a promotion.

But he’d been careless after snatching my project and made a mistake on the proposal.

Seeing that he was about to be held responsible, he immediately pushed me forward, then played the hero by pretending to defend me.

That's what he called "covering for me."

A cold laugh echoed in my mind as I recalled what he’d told me then.

"Cousin, I know you've been wronged. I'll give you a big bonus this year."

When I went home for the holidays, he did give me a bonus.

Two one-hundred dollar bills and a fifty.

Was he seriously trying to insult me with such a paltry sum, practically calling me a total idiot?

My dad, a gentle and honest man, had always told me to keep my head down and avoid conflict.

But this time, I couldn't hold back anymore.

Meeting Mark's condescending gaze, I calmly said,

"If you don't want to play, Mark, that's fine too."

It was the simplest form of provocation, yet the most effective.

He always thought he was hot stuff and expected everyone to worship the ground he walked on.

His face instantly flushed crimson.

"Fine! My cousin's getting brave, aren't we? I'll play with you today!"

He snorted, pulling the stock dividend contract he'd just put back in his bag and slamming it onto the table.

"If we're playing, the stakes need to be equal, right? Can you even afford it?"

I glanced at the contract by his hand.

Those stock dividends were probably worth around three hundred thousand dollars.

My year-end bonus was only eighty thousand.

After a moment's thought, I looked at Sarah.

Catching my eye, she didn't say a word. She simply turned and walked out the door.

Half a minute later, she came back in, carrying her purse that had been left outside.

She pulled out her Audi A3 car keys from it.

She then placed her purse on the table as well.

"The LV Alex bought me, new season. We're putting that up too."