“Without wasting any more precious time, let’s get down to business.” After saying this, Manager Kim lowered his hand on the table to show the dice for all of us to see.

“Huh, what are those dice for?” Razi wasn’t the only person sitting around the table who had this question in mind.

“What are you proposing, Manager Kim?” Even Old Bensen was unaware of the deal Manager Kim had come up with.

He enlightened everyone by saying, “Over the course of the night while I was finalizing some documents, I’ve thought about a game most suitable to decide who gets the inheritance. Thinking purely on the stratum of fairness and non-partisanship, I’ve come to the conclusion that a simple game of chance would be the best fit.” Looking intently at the ancient one in the group, he inquired, “What do you think, Senior Bensen?”

“I trust your judgement, Manager Kim.” Bensen agreed with anything Manager Kim put forward. This level of trust was built over time in their business-friend relationship.

I looked around the table and saw that the others had no complaints. The solution that Manager Kim proposed was an easy game where participants guessed whether or not the dice would land on odd or even numbers between 2 and 12.

“I want to make this transaction less complicated as possible and more up to choice and probability.” Manager Kim showed us the empty jar. “I will put the dice inside here, give it a shake then place it face down on the counter. Afterwards, the persons participating in the beneficiary gamble will guess if the results are odd or even. Whoever loses will step away from the table and go stand in the corner so that the remaining players can duel each other until only one winner is decided.”

“Sounds fair enough,” I told the group.

Charlie glared at me when he heard me speak. “Why the hell are you speaking? You are not even a part of this family. Don’t forget that the only reason you are here is because you are Razi’s boy toy.”

“Oh.” I gave that bastard my bad eye. He was practically begging me to kill him.

“Hmm…?” Manager Kim noticed our tension and took action to mitigate the spread. “Everyone who isn’t an active participant in the gamble, please step away from the table immediately.” The guards came along to make sure that we comply with his request.

Pretty soon the rest of us who wasn’t a part of the game was standing at a distance. Now only Bensen, Razi, Clary, Diana and David remained seated around the table. It was more spacious now.

While the game went underway, Razi glanced at me a few times seeking solace. Her nervousness was blatantly evident. This just made Bensen and the others more confident. However, not so much.

Manager Kim was a very sly businessman that came up with a fair game to decide who would claim Big Red’s inheritance. Hence, Razi family members could be more at ease and accepting when one of them wins and the other loses.

“Ok, here we go.” Manager Kim tossed the dice in the jar and shook it briefly before he set it face down on the table. Glancing around the table at the players, he said, “Voice your targets.”

“Odd.” Bensen was the first to shoot his shot.

“Even.” Clary fired after him.

“Even.” David took cover behind his sister.

“Odd.” Diana strayed from their company to join Bensen.

“…” The un-deciding factor was Razi. She had yet to make up her mind. I wondered what was taking her so long to call a target. I told her already that it didn’t matter to me who won. Either way, I would still get my prize.

Clary became tired of the suspense and hollered at Razi, “Make a decision already! For God’s sake, the rest of us don’t have all day to wait on you.”

Before responding to her aunt, Razi glanced at me for advice. I simply shook my head at her. By this, she understood that I was annoyed and spoke up, “I call odd.”

Manager Kim took one last look at the players. “Does everyone stick by their final answer?” No one changed their minds so he continued, “Alright, I will now reveal the dice.”

The anticipation among the Campton family increased as Manager Kim lifted the cover to showcase the dice. “The result is… 3-odd.”

“Goddammit! I can’t believe I fucking lost.” Clary cursed an expletive before she drew back her chair and got up from around the table.

“Today isn’t my lucky day.” David looked very disappointed. He got up and joined us in the corner.

“Yes!” Diana pounded the table with her first. She expressed the most excitement among the remaining players. She settled back in her seat and gave both Bensen and Razi a cunning gaze.

“Who among them do you think is going to win?” A man behind me voiced his thoughts.

Charlie immediately answered, “My father is going to win, of course. He is the best gambler I know. There can be no other winner, otherwise, somebody’s blood will be spilt.”

“Stop talking so violently, you damn brat.” His mother put him in his place. She caught me looking over at her and glared at me. “What are you looking at?”

I didn’t waste my breath on that tired bitch. My focus was quickly redirected to the table.

“I will go again.” Manager Kim shook the jar for a few seconds before placing it face down on the table again. While the dice were still hidden, he said to the players, “Voice your targets.”

This time around, they weren’t so eager to give their answer. Bensen, Diana and Razi took a moment to think about their choices. They were aware that there was no turning back after they passed the last threshold so they thought long and hard about their next move.

“I call odd again,” Razi spoke up faster than the others. I could hear the confidence vibrating in her voice.

“Why do you look so sure about your decision?” Diana tried fishing an answer out of Razi but all she got was batted eyelashes and a silent stare.

There was some obtrusive animosity between them. Razi was supposed to call Diana stepmother but they weren’t that far apart in age. Razi saw it as an insult that her father proposed to such a slutty young lady.

“I call even.” Diana chose a different route from her stepdaughter. After voicing her choice, she folded her arms beneath her breasts, but her arms didn’t stay idle for long. Soon, she unfolded her arms, motioned her right hand toward her mouth and started chewing on her fingernail full of angst.

Only Bensen was left to make a choice. He had that West Streak aura radiating around him as he called upon his gambling instincts to tell him the right play. What seemed like a minute of deliberation, must have taken a considerate amount of effort on Bensen’s brain cells.

I noticed the geezer cracked a smile, eased back in his chair and uttered, “I call odd.”

Manager Kim glanced at the players intently. “So that is 2 odds and one even. Is this your final answer?” He waited for them to change their minds but everyone stuck to their initial choices. “Well then, I shall now reveal the dice.”

Whoosh!

Manager Kim lifted the jar from over the dice. Those who were far away, leaned forward to get a closer look at the results. However, it wasn’t necessary for me to join them to know who lost. Right after the jar was lifted, I witnessed Diana turning over her seat.

“To hell with this shit!” She took off her wedding ring, tossed it on the floor then stormed over toward the exit. “Open the fucking door and let me out!” She screamed at the security guard to release her from that place. He had to receive the go-ahead from Manager Kim first before he unlocked the door.

“On second thought, I might need that.” While the door was sliding open, Diana went back to the area where she threw her diamond ring. She picked it up then made a swift escape out of there.

Clary watched Diana’s shadow disappear before criticizing her. “She wasn’t a decent member of the family to begin with. Just Darius’s plaything to warm his crotch at night. I’m glad the thot is no longer with us.”

“Me too. She was rather hard to digest sometimes.”

“Now that she lost the inheritance, will she go back to shaking her ass in some strip club?”

“Probably not. My guess is she is going pawn the wedding ring and seek out a new sugar daddy to support her nasty lifestyle.”

“That shiny rock does worth a lot of Crowns. How much do you think she will get for it…?”

Listening to the rumours that were being uttered by the Camptons after Diana vacated the room, it sounded like nobody liked her very much. They only pretended to make her feel welcome in their family.

I was the terminator who snuffed out Big Red’s life. If Diana knew that it was me who cause her misery, what would she have done to sort me out?