Chapter 1262 Jealousy and Sulking
Upstairs, the newlyweds were enjoying their first night together, while downstairs, the party was still going strong.
Everyone had gathered for the wedding, and now that the ceremony was over, no one was in a rush to leave.
The men formed a circle, talking business.
The women gathered in another corner, chatting about kids and family matters.
The younger crowd was split into groups, some playing bridge, others engrossed in video games.
Stella had been watching Francis and his friends play a game when she noticed Randy approaching. She shot him a cold glare before heading over to join Fannie and her group.
Randy was puzzled.
Seeing Stella approach, Fannie waved her over enthusiastically. "Stella, perfect timing! We need a fourth for the bridge."
"Sure!" Stella grinned, joining Fannie, Maria, and Riley's daughter, Nola, at the table.
"I'm not very good at this, so go easy on me," Stella said.
Nola laughed. "You've played before, at least. This is my first time playing bridge. The rules are different from what I'm used to, so you should be the one going easy on me."
Nola, Riley's youngest daughter, had been pampered all her life. She was delicate and sweet, with a voice to match, making everyone instinctively want to protect her.
"Alright, alright, I'll go easy on you! Once you get the hang of it, we'll play for real," Stella said.
The four of them started playing, chatting as they went.
Randy could sense that Stella was upset with him, but he had no idea why.
With so many people around, he couldn't ask, so he quietly pulled up a chair and sat next to her.
When Stella noticed him sitting beside her, she gave him a blank look and shifted slightly away, making it clear she was still mad and didn't want him close.
Randy was even more confused.
As he pondered, he saw Stella about to play a King of Hearts.
"Don't play that," He whispered. "Play the Seven of Diamonds instead. The King of Hearts is important; the other team might be waiting for it."
Normally, Stella would have listened, swapped the cards, and played the Seven of Diamonds. But she was too annoyed to care.
Ignoring Randy's advice, she played the King of Hearts and shot him a defiant look.
Randy was baffled.
He had definitely upset Stella somehow.
But how? They had been fine in the car, even planning their tour stops together.
Women's moods were truly a mystery.
While Randy was lost in thought, Fannie took the King of Hearts and completed her grand slam. The Seven of Diamonds sat uselessly in Stella's hand.
Randy was speechless.
Seeing Fannie's triumphant smile, Stella's face turned red with anger. She glared at Randy.
"Next time, remember not to play your high cards too soon," Randy said.
Stella knew he was right, but hearing it from him only made her more determined to do the opposite. In the next round, she spitefully played the Ace of Spades first.
Randy leaned in and whispered, "I get that you're mad, but don't take it out on the game. Don't lose all your spending money. Even if it's just a thousand dollars a round, if you keep playing recklessly, you'll lose a lot."
Stella gave him a cold smile and a fierce glare, determined to ignore his advice.
Randy was at a loss.
Stella intended to annoy Randy, but as she kept making mistakes and losing points, she grew more frustrated.
She cursed under her breath. 'Damn. Is he doing this on purpose?'
She refused to believe it.
But reality was harsh. When Stella made another critical mistake, allowing the opponents to win again, she wanted to flip the table—and Randy with it.
It was all his fault for sitting next to her and distracting her.
Normally, she would carefully observe the cards played and calculate probabilities. But she had played the King of Hearts just to spite Randy.
Now she was paying the price.
Fuming, Stella continued to play recklessly.
Fannie couldn't stop laughing. "See? Randy was right! Bridge is about strategy and teamwork. You can't just play your high cards right away! Randy might not play often, but he's smart. He learned the rules quickly and always wins when he plays. You should listen to him if you don't want to lose."
Stella knew Fannie was right. She had played with the Langleys before, and Randy had always guided her, leading to almost no losses.
But today, she just didn't want to listen. She was too upset.
Randy advised her to play carefully, but she ignored him, playing haphazardly. Fannie and the others kept scoring high, while her points plummeted.
Randy realized she was deliberately playing poorly to spite him. To avoid further losses, he got up and left.
He thought she would play better without him there.
But by the end of the game, Stella had lost a million dollars.
Randy was stunned.
Fannie counted her chips, laughing so hard her stomach hurt. "Fifty thousand, a hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, a million dollars. I can't believe I won a million dollars!"
"I've never won this much in a thousand-dollar game! Stella, your luck is terrible today. Don't tell anyone you lost a million dollars playing bridge, or they'll laugh at you forever."
Even though a million dollars wasn't much to them, winning it in a game was a big deal.
Stella's face was dark, and she slumped in her chair, feeling utterly defeated.
She regretted letting her anger at Randy affect her game.
At first, she played poorly out of spite. After Randy left, her mood worsened, and she played even more recklessly.
She thought she had only lost a million dollars until Maria and Nola spoke up.
"Actually, she lost more than a million. I won a hundred thousand!"
"And I won fifty thousand!"
Fannie was shocked. "So, we all won, and she lost? She lost a total of one point one five million dollars?"
Stella was stunned.
Randy was stunned.
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