Page 23 of Gamble with Me
I leaned my elbow on the table, covered my mouth with my palm, and closed my eyes. I didn’t know how much more I could take. Chester was charming and comforting at times, but only until he had money. If he came home empty-handed, he would becomean angry, fire-breathing monster. Zara would cry herself to sleep, and surely pee herself. And I would walk around him on my tiptoes, hoping he would leave the house to meet his friends.
Why didn’t I see it sooner? He was an abuser. He didn’t love us. He didn’t support us. He used me as an accessory and a nanny; otherwise, he had no use for me. And I didn’t need him either. I paid the bills and mortgage, Zara’s school, and after-school lessons. Throughout our marriage, he’d given me money for those things maybe four times and always acted like he did a tremendous service to us. I felt sick to my stomach from his behavior and mine as well. I was a stupid, naive bitch, and now, I paid the price for it.
But how could I leave him? Where could I get money for a new start?
A knock on the front door woke me from my depressing thoughts, and I frowned, thinking who it could be. Chester had keys, Zara was at school, and Alice was with her father at the hospital.
Swiftly, I walked to the door, opened it, and my eyes widened in surprise. On my threshold stood Malin Zhumagulov, dressed in a black motorcycle suit, with a typical stoic mask on his face. I realized I was getting pretty good at distinguishing the brothers.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Kellerman,” he greeted, checking me from head to toe. I wore simple leggings and an oversized grey sweater with brown slippers. It was my typical home outfit.
“How can I help you, Mr. Zhumagulov?” I asked, feeling a weird flutter in my chest. It was fear. I was scared he visited me to remind me to keep my mouth shut.
“You forgot your money at work,” he replied, fishing a white envelope from his suit. I blinked in confusion when he handed it to me, and I opened it with trembling fingers.
“What is this?” I mumbled, staring in bewilderment at at least three thousand dollars.
“Early Christmas.” He winked at me and turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm to stop him. I didn’t understand the reason behind this and didn’t want to owe him or his brothers anything.
“It’s too much,” I whispered, giving him the envelope back. He looked at it blankly, clearly not interested in taking it.
“For once, you should use that pretty mouth of yours and say something useful,” he stated. “A thank you would be nice.”
He turned on his heels and disappeared down the stairs without another word.
I pressed the envelope with money against my chest, tears welling in my eyes. I prayed to God for a miracle, and the devil appeared at my door. Could it be a coincidence, or was it a sign it was the right time to leave my husband and start over?
I sat on the bed in my bedroom, squeezing the gift in my hand. My mind went through all the options and started to create an escape plan. I was about to start packing when I heard the keys in the lock.
Panicking, I hid the envelope between my books and walked into the hall just in time to greet my husband. But before I could say anything, he stopped me.
“I’m not in the mood,” he rumbled, walking past me and slamming the door into our bedroom. I winced, and my heart clenched when I heard him shuffling through some stuff.
Carefully, I peeked inside, watching him throw his underwear and then his T-shirts out from the drawer, and cursed under his breath when he didn’t find what he was looking for. I glimpsed at the stack of books on the nightstand where my money was hidden and gulped. I would never see a penny if he found it.
“Give me your credit card!” he yelled out of the blue. I entered the room and stared at him as he opened my purse and emptied its contents on the mattress.
“Why?” I asked, coming closer and lifting my wallet from the carpet. It felt like there was a rock in my stomach, and my throat tightened.
“I need money!” he shouted, opening the closet. “Where is your salary from the poker night in Zhumagulovs?”
I inhaled deeply, looking at myself in the mirror while he asked the same question twice. His patience was at an end, and I could end up in trouble, but I didn’t want to give him anything. So, I chose to lie and hope he wouldn’t check the truth of my words.
“Malin said I would work for them again till the end of the month, so he kept it,” I answered, gathering my things and putting them back in my purse. “He will pay me all at once.”
“Fuck!” Chester cursed, slamming his hand against the chest of drawers. “Call him! Say that you need it!”
“I don’t have his number,” I replied truthfully, my hands trembling. Chester was angry and in some kind of trance, but he knew we didn’t have money at home. He already took everything.
“For Christ’s sake, Valeria! I need cash!” he shouted and punched the wall next to the mirror. A small lamp fell on the cosmetic table and smashed into a million tiny pieces.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, shaking in fear because it was just a matter of time until he would direct his anger at me. His knuckles bled, and his face twisted into a furious grimace when he scanned the room like he expected hundred-dollar bills to dance into his open palm.
“What’s this?” he growled. My heart stopped beating momentarily, and I had to grab the closet door for support when I gaped at him and the envelope with my money in his hand. “What thefuckis this, Valeria?”
The world spun, and my legs shook so hard I couldn’t stand properly. Chester moved toward me slowly, glaring at me as if I committed the biggest crime in history.
“That’s my savings,” I breathed. My lower lip quivered, and a lump formed in my throat.
