30/06/2025
CORDELIA
A Chilly Haunt From The Past
Episode 3
Mary fidgeted and hesitated a bit as she stepped into the gate of the gambling house,she had meant to come here to say goodbye to everybody,but she is afraid of relapsing and falling back into the ditch she had crawled out from just yesterday.What if she's not strong enough to resist the urge as she soon as she sights the life sucking machines
''No'' she muttered under her breath,she is here to do one thing and one thing only,to say goodbye and after this,she won't be stepping her foot anywhere near here anymore,her kids need her to be a better person and for them,she would do anything
Her past vain fantasies has gone on for too long and she is going to put a stop to it today
She walked into the hall and headed towards a section filled with the friends and acquaintances she had made here
She touched a lady seated at the poker table on the back and the woman turned to her
''Mary hi'' the woman hooted loudly when she saw her ''what kept you,you're late today''
Mary frowned a bit and chuckled sadly when she heard the remark,it was really disturbing for her to learn that she had sunk so low and she had become such a regular here so much that her absence,even for some hours now seems so strange
''Do you wanna play poker today?'' she asked,as she gathered the game chips on the table and pulled them towards herself ''or you're sticking with cards?''
''Gina,i.......''
''Or slots'' Gina cut her short ''you might be lucky with that,i think we can all see that cards and poker are just not your thing'' she chattered on ''i'm feeling lucky about the slot machines today'' she said ''what do you think?'' she made to stand up
''Gina,i came to say goodbye'' she stated
The woman lowered herself back to her seat as Mary took the seat beside her,evading the table with her eyes,less she falls into the temptation of trying to gamble again
''What do you mean'' Gina asked,in a soft voice
''I realized that....'' she was saying when a raucous noise emerged in the hall,as a set of machines and gambling tables were brought in ''what are those?'' she asked,distracted
''The new machines'' Gina replied
''What new machines'' she asked curiously
''They announced it this morning'' she stressed ''they're adding a new gambling machine,they call it the spinning spinner or the spin o spin'' she explained ''they've not unveiled it yet''
Mary sighed and touched her forehead in dissatisfaction ''sorry i asked that,i don't need to know really'' she sighed
''Why are you being so uptight'' Gina scoffed ''hey Pauline,come listen to this'' she called another woman who was just returning from the slot section and the woman moved towards them
''I almost lost all my money at the slot'' the woman hissed as she got to them ''can you believe that?''
''No,can you believe this'' Gina said with some exaggeration ''Mary said she came here to say goodbye to us and gambling''
Pauline turned to face Mary ''really?'' she paused
Mary nodded ''yes,i'm not here to play today'' she affirmed ''i can't dwell on these life sucking games of probabilities anymore'' she said ''i came here to say goodbye'' she stressed ''forever'' she emphasized
The woman paused for a moment ''i knew there had to be something wrong when Mary failed to show up this morning'' she said ''so you're planning to leave forever'' she faced her
''Yes'' she asserted ''i'm quitting gambling''
''Well,good for you but how are you gonna pay your debts?'' she questioned
''Yeah,thats true'' Gina added ''i won three thousand off of you at cards yesterday and before that,you owed me a thousand bucks''
''You owe me six thousand bucks Mary'' Pauline said ''added to what you owe Gina,thats about ten thousand dollars'' she pressed on ''and that is just the littlest among your debts,you owe practically everybody here,how are you gonna pay''
She sighed deeply,gambling had really ruined her more than she realized ''i'll pay you all your money'' she said ''one way or the other'' she stressed ''i'll get a job and with my abilities......''
''Your abilities as a past math teacher?'' she scoffed,albeit mockingly ''believe it or not Mary,this is the best place where you can make the money in the quickest possible time''
''I'm done with gambling'' she stated firmly,reiterating her stance
A rowdy noise came from the entrance of the hall and they all turned to look
A man walked in,followed by two unruly looking men who seem to be his bodyguards
''Craig Whitaker'' Pauline said,drawing her breath ''i thought it was just a rumor that he would be coming today''
''Craig Whitaker?........'' Gina trailed off,expecting Pauline to expatiate further
Mary turned to look at the guy,she's completely unfamiliar with him,but to her,he seemed suspicious,up to no good with his aura and countenance
He walked into the gambling den and proceeded up to the gallery where the premium gamblers were
''Pauline,who's he'' Gina asked,curiously
''He's a loan shark'' she said ''and rumors are,he has a share in this place''
''No wonder'' Mary whispered under her breath,when she saw him,the warning gong in her head immediately sounded,he's truly someone to stay away from
An alarm rang in the hall as the new machines were unveiled and an announcement came from the main speaker,introducing people to the machine and how to play it
''Lets go'' Gina squealed,excitedly as she stood up and dragged Pauline with her ''lets go try them out'' she said as they rushed towards one of the machines which was now surrounded by some people in the room,eager to play
Mary cautiously followed after them,curious to see how the game is played though she had no intention of playing,she has made her decision and she's going to stand by it,for the sake of her family
She stood still as she watched the people play,but as time went on,strangely,she realized that once the dice is thrown towards the spinning surface,the place and number she had predicted in her mind as where the dice would fall,is where it always falls
The player would first press the spinner button to start moving,then throw the dice
It was a mathematical calculation going on speedily in her mind,she never really told her friends here but she was a prime and intellectual graduate in pure and applied mathematics,she was so good in it,such that the people that knew her then,always called her a mathlete
The angular and trigonometric calculations she did in her head,judging by the angle the player throws the dice from and the timing at which the dice is thrown,coupled with the fixed intensity at which the spinner moved,it was indubitable,she had figured it out
By the time the hour was over,she had become certain of it,she predicted every result correctly,though most of the people that have played lost their bets
''Let me try'' she proceeded to the table,lodging herself among the frustrated players
''How much are you betting?'' one of the casino staffs asked,he was the one assigned to monitor the table and make sure everything was in order
''Five hundred bucks'' she said,offering everything left in her purse,she was entirely sure she would be going home with much more
Though the reason she came here was to say goodbye,that was her objective here today but she just can't stick with that anymore,she can't bypass this chance
Yes,she had promised her kids that she would quit gambling but not right now,not here today,she would be doing this for them,she has debts to pay and if she wins something substantial here,she won't need to look for a job,before she can get the forms for Cordelia and support her college education
A wave of guilt and self consciousness swept over her as she surrendered the money with her,and when it was becoming overwhelming,she locked it out,she's doing this for her kids,she assured herself and faced the table
After this,she would never step her feet near here again
''I thought you were quitting'' Gina commented
''Well,this is the last one'' she said as she picked up her dice ''i choose three'' she said and pressed the spinner button,the round spinner began to move at the same constant intensity and after careful calculations and evaluations,Mary threw the dice
The spinner moved for some seconds longer and stopped,revealing the number the dice had fallen upon,and as predicted by Mary,it fell on three
''Yes'' she cheered
''Five hundred won'' the casino employee announced ''along with your bet,makes it a thousand'' he said,the game was meant to double whatever the bet money was
''Wow,how did you do that'' Pauline's eyes widened,along with everybody else's ''in your first spin?''
Mary ignored her words ''i'm betting the thousand'' she said and picked up the dice ''i pick seven'' she chuckled as she pressed the spinner button and threw her dice,continuing with her game in excited anticipation
*****************
As the girls worked in the bakery,Cordelia focused on the large bowl before her as she mixed and smoothened the dough
Her boss watched her for a while ''put some more salt in that'' he instructed ''we want to keep a healthy balance,thats why our customers keep coming for more''
''Okay'' she said and picked up the colorless container beside her and sprinkled some more salt in the bowl,before mixing it
The man watched for a moment longer before moving over to her ''scoot over,let me do it'' he said as he took her place and mixed the dough more rapidly ''we don't wanna waste time''
''Hey Simon'' one of the other girls called ''favoritism'' she pointed out ''that is so unfair,you would have yelled if it were somebody else'' she said ''Cordelia earns more than all of us here but you still help her with half of her duties'' she complained and pouted
''Not half of my job'' Cordelia retorted
''Whats the difference'' the only guy there spoke up
''Cordelia got here before any of you so.......'' Simon trailed off as he finished mixing the content of the bowl ''put that in the pan and get it in the oven'' he said to her
''Okay'' Cordelia smiled as she picked out the pan,poured the flour mixture in it and headed out of her workspace towards one of the ovens in the far distance
''Maybe you should be paying us more too'' she said ''you're being unfair''
''Okay well,if you don't like how i run my bakery,you're free to quit'' he remarked in a quickened speech as he walked around the room,inspecting everybody's work
The girl chuckled ''brute'' she murmured
''Its always Cordelia'' another girl pouted
Cordelia moved back towards her space and returned behind her baking slab ''hey you guys don't have to be so mean,you won't have to put up with me for much longer anyway'' she said ''i'll be quitting soon''
Simon turned back to her in a quick concession ''you're quitting?''
''Yes Simon'' she affirmed ''my mom said she'll pick up college forms for me'' she stressed ''i might be going off to college soon''
''Oh'' he smiled,compassionately ''so Mary's finally out of her shell'' he said as he moved closer to her slab ''how is she doing?''
''She's much better now'' she smiled,heartily
He nodded softly ''well,thats a relief'' he beamed before returning back towards the master slab in the room,he had always been a friend to Cordelia's family because he and Mary knew each other in the past,even before she got married to Colton
He had always admired her,he loved her but he never professed his love to her.When he started planning the date where he would finally confess his feelings for her,the next thing he saw was the invitation to her wedding
He was really heartbroken,but it was his fault,he failed to do the right thing at the right time.Though,it was really evident that Mary was totally immersed in her feelings for Colton
He didn't like the guy at first but then they became friendly later on.Who wouldn't get along with Colton,he was very jovial and clownish as some would say,he was really funny and full of life and zest,he was such a lovable man
He became a friend to the family and as time went on,he managed his feelings,got over it and found his own bride.Though,things later didn't work out and they had to get a divorce but they have children together,children whose custody he shares with her
Five years ago,a heart wrenching and horrible thunder struck the Jackman family and it really shook everyone of them connected to the family,Colton died under mysterious circumstances and till now,the case has not been settled,since there was no lead or clue pertaining to getting the criminal who cut his very impactful life short
After Colton's death,Mary shut everyone out,friends and family,and even her own children,but being a friend of the family,when he saw the situation of things and how hard it was for the kids with their struggles,he had offered Cordelia a job at his bakery so that in some way,she could help support her family
And now,he's actually very thankful that after five long years,Mary has recovered from the pains that had relegated and confined her in a jail of her own addiction and foible,and she has finally taken the lead in ensuring her children get a future,even though,their father is no more
''So you're leaving?'' the other guy in the room asked
''Yes'' Cordelia answered ''so even if you all hate me,can you please just be nice for the limited time i'm going to spend here with you?''
''No,we don't hate you Cordelia'' the girl answered ''we hate Simon'' she glanced at him at the far end of the room
''Yep we do'' the guy chimed
''I hate you all too'' Simon replied and they all laughed as they continued their work
***************
Mary laughed almost hysterically as she counted the money with her,it was over fifty thousand dollars,she had played the spinning spinner several times and hasn't lost even once
Everyone just watched in awe as she stacked up her money
''How did you do that?'' Pauline asked
''Can you help predict mine?''
Questions flew about her,but Mary wasn't concentrating,the thoughts of her kids clouded her mind and made her delirious with excitement.With this money,she'll sponsor Cordelia through college,this is the same amount of money Cordelia joined a dancing club for,so with this already available,she would be compelled to quit
Now that she has this money,she can pick up the forms,get her daughter into a nice college and put some money down for Camille too,just in case,because though her school records are fantastic and she's working towards a merit scholarship,there's a chance that she might not get it
She contemplated playing one more time to double the money but even though,she was sure of her ability,she did not want to risk it,besides,its already getting late and Camille would probably be done with her papers for today already.They all left the house around the same time and if the girl gets home and doesn't meet her there,she would know,she had stayed behind to gamble some more.This is something she wants to keep from her children,she had broken the promise she made to them and they should not find out
Initially she had meant to branch at Camille's school to pick her up today,but that won't be happening anymore
As she eagerly counted the money she had won,she remembered the debts she owed and removed some of the money,thankfully,everything she owed here is not more than eighteen thousand dollars,and she would pay everything before leaving today
As she drifted around in her thoughts,a man moved towards her and she looked up at him,it was the same man who arrived earlier today,Craig Whitaker
He sat down on the other side of the machine and dismissed the Casino employee who ushered everyone else away ''hello Mary'' he said
Mary was taken aback a bit,his disposition and that sinister air about him,made her very suspicious
''Hi''
''I see you're very good at this'' he said,gesturing at the machine ''so i'm here to offer you a deal'' he went straight to the point
''What kind of deal?'' she engaged him further
''I'll be back here tomorrow,and i want to bet against you,here at this table'' he explained ''if you are consistent with this winning streak and win the bet,i'll give you a hundred million dollars''
Mary's ears opened and stood at alert at the mention of the money,an amount that could change her family's fortune forever,something even her future grandkids and great grankids would benefit from its legacy
She had always wanted to start a business,a business she could expand and leave to her children when its time,so as to create a generational wealth for her future generations
Even though,when Colton was alive,he was majorly contented with life,with just having enough to live comfortably,but he always dreamed of building an empire for his children's future too,that was how much he loved his family
Her lips drooped for a while ''a million dollars?''
''A hundred million dollars'' Craig asserted,correcting her
''You mean,if i make a bet and i win,just like i've been doing for the past three hours,you'd give me a hundred million dollars?''
''Immediately,yeah'' he affirmed
She lost her breath and panted silently for a while,the deal seemed too good to be true
''Are you sure about this?''
''Everybody that knows me Mary,knows that i'm a man of my words''
''And you'll stake a hundred million just for that''
''I want to see if you can maintain this lucky streak of your's''
Mary scoffed gently ''lucky streak'' she repeated after him,does this man actually think a lucky streak could have gotten her this far?,for hours,she was playing and she didn't lose any game.It was no lucky streak,it was just her own brilliance and ingenuity,but this man doesn't have to know,maybe this is her time to make it big
''Deal'' she said
''To prove to you that this is not a sham,i'll have the contract prepared and sign it,together with you'' he said
''Okay'' she said
''If you win,you get a hundred million dollars cash from me'' he explained further ''if you lose........'' he trailed off
Mary blinked cluelessly ''i don't have a hundred million to give to you''
Craig smiled,a mysterious and dark eerie smile ''i'll take something else'' he stated
Mary frowned slightly,his words were cold and ominously piercing,like there was an agenda in his mind.Her heart ran cold for a minute,fearing whatever the man had in mind for her,but then she discarded the thoughts.Whatever he may think of taking from her,he won't get it because she won't lose,this is not a lucky streak like he thinks,it was her intellectual prowess at work and she would use it tomorrow too.Her family's life is indeed about to change for the better
''You can change your mind'' he offered ''you have until tomorrow to do so'' he said sharply and stood up,before moving away
Mary's heart pricked her as it beat loudly in her chest,something doesn't seem right with that man,she thought,looking at him as he disappeared through the stairs leading to the private section.He seemed mysterious,shady,dangerous,and full of secrets and sinister agendas,something doesn't seem right,but then what could seem right about a man who's a loan shark,she thought and shrugged
He probably wants to trap her,thinking she won't be able to pull this off,maybe that was why he postponed the deal to tomorrow.He's actually hoping her supposed lucky streak would be over by then,she thought and chuckled indulgently
He would definitely become a hundred million dollars poorer tomorrow,she thought as she stood up from the chair by the gambling machine,she needs to go pay all her lenders their money
After paying off all her debts,she bid everyone in the casino goodbye and moved towards the entrance to the hall.She would stop by the supermarket on the way home,to get some groceries,so she could prepare her kids a very fancy and elaborate dinner,their fortune is about to change and they need to celebrate it,she thought and smiled to herself as she proceeded out of the gambling hall
