My Brothers Betrayed Me at the Card Table , So I Took Everything They Had

"Thaddeus Dickerson! You think you're a big man now, is that it? Gambling all night, not coming home, making Beverly cry?"

Mrs. Fox jabbed a finger at my face, spittle flying with every word.

Beverly stood behind her, eyes rimmed red, playing the part of the wronged little wife to perfection.

"Mom, Thaddeus won money yesterday and flat-out refused to let me hold onto it for him. I was just worried he'd go off the rails and start keeping some woman on the side..." Beverly sniffled between words.

Listening to her nearly made me laugh out loud.

That was when Great-Grandpa's voice rumbled to life again.

"Boy, quit wasting your breath on her! Fortune's riding with you now. Lay your cards on the table! By the time today's over, she'll wish she'd never been born!"

I narrowed my eyes, then walked over and dropped onto the living room couch. Lit a cigarette.

"You know what, Mom? Beverly's right. I have gone bad."

I blew a slow ring of smoke and watched Beverly through the haze. "So let's get a divorce."

The room went dead silent.

"You... what did you just say?" Beverly's eyes went wide.

"I said divorce." I gave her a flat look.

"Thaddeus! Have you lost your mind? You get a little money and suddenly you want to throw away the wife who stood by you? I'm telling you right now, not a chance in hell!"

Mrs. Fox snapped out of her shock and lunged at me, nails first, screeching like a banshee.

I pinned her with a cold stare. "Fine. No divorce. But here's the thing. Yesterday I borrowed five million dollars from loan sharks to play cards. Lost every cent. The guys I owe said they're coming this afternoon to take my hands."

"Since we're staying married, that's marital debt. Beverly, you're on the hook for it too."

"What?! Five million?!"

Both of them screamed at the same time.

"No! I'm not paying your debts!"

Beverly stumbled backward in horror. "Thaddeus, you bastard, you set me up!"

"You're the one who insisted on managing my money. Well, now there's no money left. Just debt." I stood and closed the distance between us. "What happened to 'for better or for worse'?"

"Divorce! Right now!"

Mrs. Fox grabbed Beverly by the arm and yanked her behind her. "My daughter was a pure, innocent girl when she married you! You couldn't even provide for her, and now you're borrowing from loan sharks? This marriage is over!"

Beverly was rattled, but she recovered fast.

"Fine, Thaddeus. You want a divorce? I'll give you one. But the house is mine, the car is mine, and I'm not touching a single penny of your company's debt. You walk away with nothing!"

"Deal." The word left my mouth before she even finished.

That same morning, we went to the courthouse and signed the papers.

When we walked out, my three so-called brothers happened to pull up right on cue.

Caspar spotted me first and let out an exaggerated holler. "Well, well! Thaddeus, my man, you actually went through with it?"

Humphrey didn't even bother with me. He walked straight to Beverly and slid his arm around her waist. "Babe, I always told you that broke loser didn't deserve you. Come on, the boys are taking you out to celebrate."

Beverly swatted his chest with a coy little pout. "Oh, stop it. What's the rush?"

"Thaddeus, for old times' sake, we're booking a table at the Grand Regency tonight. A little party to celebrate Beverly's fresh start. You should come have a drink." Joe pulled a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet and flicked it at my feet. "Here. Cab fare."

I looked down at that bill lying on the pavement, and something in me went so cold it came out the other side as a smile.

"Boy! Don't blow your top! Look at their foreheads, all four of them!" Great-Grandpa was cackling inside the ring. "Black as pitch! Death hanging over every last one! They're not headed to a celebration tonight. They're walking into a death trap!"

A low, quiet laugh escaped my throat.

"Sure. The Grand Regency, tonight. I'll be there."

I watched their taillights shrink into the distance, all swagger and noise, and rubbed my thumb slowly across the ring.

"Great-Grandpa, what's our next move?"

"What move? You dense boy, your fortune luck is about to burst out of you! Go buy a lottery ticket! That set of numbers I calculated for you last night, the drawing's at nine-thirty tonight! Eighty million dollars in the jackpot, and it won't wait around!"