My Fiancé's Married In A Bar, Then I Bankrupted Him

The night before our wedding, my fianc, Alexander, and his girl-bro got a marriage certificate at a nightclub.

Alexander just regarded it as nothing.

It's just a joke, babe. We'll get it annulled tomorrow. Everyone knows Chloe and I are just buddies.

But Chloe, his so-called buddy, just had to stir the pot.

"A day as husband and wife builds a hundred days of affection. What, you're all just gonna sit there and not give the newlyweds a gift?"

The whole table erupted in laughter.

One of the guys chimed in,

"Alright, fine. I've got a project out in the Hamptons. I can give it to you guys as your wedding present. But you know the rules at this table. If you want it, you gotta win it in a dice roll."

I didn't say anything, just calmly took a seat at the table.

Meeting Alexander's furrowed brow, I offered a faint, cool smile.

"A dice roll for a wedding gift? I'd like to play."

---

The table fell silent for a beat as I settled in.

Alexander reached out to pull me into his side.

"Come on, Sophie, stop making a scene. We're just drinking and having fun. You should go home and get some rest."

I subtly shifted back, evading his arm.

My expression remained neutral as I looked toward Chloe.

"Hands off. She's your wife tonight."

Alexander's face darkened, his tone turning sharp.

"I've told you a million times, Chloe and I are just friends. If there was anything between us, you wouldn't even be here."

I didn't bother responding.

I'd heard that words for too many times.

Because of Chloe,

he forgot our dates, left me on the side of the road, even rushed out in the middle of the night to pick up the drunk her.

And now, they got marriage certificate at a club.

It always came back to the same pathetic excuse,

We're just friends.

The atmosphere grew awkward. Seeing an opening, Chloe slid over.

She sat right on Alexander's lap.

"Alright, enough already."

Then she turned her smile on me.

"Sophie, Alex and I really aren't like that. We just had too much to drink tonight. We'll get the divorce papers sorted tomorrow. If you're upset, I apologize."

With that, she grabbed a bottle of wine from the table and tipped it back.

Alexander's face changed instantly.

He snatched the bottle from her with his voice rising.

"What the hell are you doing? That's too much!"

When he looked back at me, his expression was thunderous.

"Sophia. Don't push it."

I couldnt help but let out a self-mocking laugh..

"It's fine. I can take a joke. And I'm free tonight anyway. You're always saying I don't know how to have fun."

The table froze for a second before someone jumped in to smooth things over.

"That's great, Sophie! We've been wanting you to join us forever, but Alex always keeps you to himself."

It was Lucas, Alexander's old friend. He shot a look across the table.

"Alex, aren't you going to look after Sophie?"

Alexander just let out a cold snort, laying back into the couch.

He pulled Chloe back onto his lap, his hand settling possessively on her waist.

"Don't look at me. She's my wife tonight."

The group, seeing my unchanged calm smile, finally took the cue and started the hype again.

"Fine, fine! Happy wedding! So, how are we playing this?"

Chloe was in her element, a natural at working the crowd.

She laughed loudly.

"House rules! Dice roll! But since our good girl Sophie is here, and she probably doesn't know our usual game, let's keep it simple. Just go for the highest number."

"But!" she added, "Since it's a celebration, the loser drinks and has to add a little something extra to the prize pool."

The moment the crowd heard this, they started complaining.

"No way! Everyone knows you and Alex are the dice sharks around here. If you two were in a team, the rest of us are screwed!"

Alexander's hand never left Chloe's waist. He didn't glance at me once.

He just smirked.

"Then fold."

That got Lucas riled up. He pulled off his Patek Philippe watch.

"I'll start the pot! Just got this beauty last week."

The club music pulsed louder, fueling the frenzy.

Others started adding their own bits of flashrings, necklaces...

Another girl, Mia, tossed a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet into the pile.

Without a word, Alexander removed his custom Herms cufflinks.

My gaze stuck on them for a second.

Those were a commemorative gift I gave him.

Chloe, buzzing with excitement, squeezed his hand and whined,

"I want that bracelet, honey~ Win it for me."

I said nothing. I simply took off my pair of full-diamond earrings and placed them on the table.

"To congratulate the newlyweds. I'm in."

The atmosphere at the table froze for a moment..

Alexander's arm around Chloe seemed to tighten almost imperceptibly.

He frowned, his eyes on me holding a clear warning.

Chloe recovered first, giggling as she playfully shoved Alexander.

"Alright then! If Sophie wants to play, we'll have to be good hosts!"

Lucas was quick to jump in, the eternal peacemaker.

"Yeah, yeah! It's all in good fun! Sophie, rules are simple. Who got the highest number wins. The lowest drinks and has to pick something from the pot as a 'wedding gift' for the winner."

He gestured to the growing pile of luxury items.

"Of course, if you dont want to give anything, you can just drink and forfeit the gift. But where's the fun in that?"

I nodded to show I understood.

The dice cups were passed around.

Chloe shook hers with practiced, theatrical flair.

Alexander gave his a couple of lazy shakes before slamming it down, his eyes never leaving me.

I looked away from his intense stare.

My movements with the cup were clumsy, awkward even.

In a lull of the music, I heard some whispers.

"Sophie's the famous goody-two-shoes. What's she even doing here? Kind of a buzzkill."

"This is a pathetic power play. And Alex isn't even care"

My face paled.

Chloe let out a light, mocking laugh.

"Sophie, honey, you want me to show you how it's done?"

I ignored her, just mimicking the motions as best I could, gave the cup a few weak shakes, and set it down.

"Open."

The cups were lifted.

Chloe got a five and a six. Eleven.

Alexander got two fives. Ten.

Others had mixed results, high and low.

Finally, it was my turn. The cup was lifted.

A one. And a two.

Three.

The table exploded.

"Three! Holy crap, that's the lowest!"

"Sophie, your luck..."

Lucas, trying to stifle a grin, pushed a glass of amber liquor toward me.

"A bet's a bet. You should drink up. And..."

His eyes flicked to my earrings on the table.

Alexander finally spoke coldly, "If you don't know how to play, don't force it. Just drink the damn shot."

Chloe snuggled into him, beaming.

"Oh, the lowest number at start! Seems our wedding gifts are gonna cost you, Sophie. But those earrings are stunningI will take them."

She looked at the drink, then at the earrings. These were last year's pink diamonds Alexander had won for me at an auction.

He'd said he'd give me the whole world.

I wore a self-mocking smile, then gently pushed the earring toward the center of the table, right in Chloe's direction.

"A bet's a bet."

I lifted my eyes and said flatly

"My gift. For the happy couple."

Alexander's face instantly clouded over.

Chloe giggled delightedly, picking up the earring and holding it to the light.

"Thanks, Sophie dear! So pretty~"

Lucas hurried things along. "Alright, alright! Round two!"

The game continued.

Chloe rolled a nine. Not bad.

But Alexander, going next, rolled two sixes. A perfect twelve.

"Whoa! Babe, you're on fire!" Chloe squealed.

The group whooped.

Lucas explained, grinning, "House rule on a perfect score! Winners can choose anything they want in the pot."

Alexander, still not looking at me, pulled Chloe closer. "Let my wife pick. What do you want, sweetheart?"

Chloe's gaze swept over the few items left in front of me.

It landed on the plain platinum bracelet on my wrist.

"Sophie's bracelet looks unique. I'll take that."

My hand, holding my glass, trembled almost imperceptibly.

That bracelet was my grandmother's. I never took it off.

Alexander knew that.

A tense silence fell over the table. But Chloe piped up again.

"What? You said I can get anything on the table! Sophie, you're not gonna be a sore loser, are you? Or is it..."

I was gonna explain.

But Alexander cut me off. His voice was icy.

"House rules. A bet's a bet. Sophia. Hand it over."

My head snapped up.

My eyes stung. I nearly cried right there.

I'd endured all his siding with Chloe.

But I never thought he'd insult me like this.

A flicker of impatience crossed Alexander's face.

His outstretched hand didn't waver.

Even Lucas sensed this was wrong.

"A bracelet's no big deal, Chloe. I'll buy you two more tomorrow."

Chloe's face turned cold.

"The rules were set before we sat down. Don't play if you can't pay."

Alexander snorted.

"Sophia, I told you to go home. It was you who insisted on staying."

"I said, hand it over."

My hands shook.

I forced back the tears, unclasped the bracelet.

Alexander didn't even look at it, just tossed it to Chloe.

She examined it under the light for a second, then curled her lip.

"It looks not that good."

She carelessly dropped it on the table. Someone jostled the table, knocking over a wine glass.

Red wine spilled everywhere, soaking the bracelet.

My fists clenched.

I felt like I couldnt breathe.

Chloe's sweat urging broke the tension.

"Keep going! What's everyone waiting for?"

Round three. I rolled a seven. Middling.

Chloe got a nine.

Alexander rolled snake eyes. Two ones. Dead last.

Chloe giggled, "Honey, your luck's run out."

Alexander ignored her, reaching for the penalty shot.

But Chloe got there first, taking the glass from his hand and downing it herself.

She winked. "We are a couple tonight."

The table cheered.

I felt myself going numb.

Round after round, I teetered on the edge of disaster.

Shot after shot went down, piece by piece, my jewelry vanished from the table.

Even the new Chanel clutch I'd brought out tonight ended up in Chloe's possession.

My cheeks were flushed, my vision starting to blur.

My hand holding the dice cup held the faintest tremor.

To anyone watching, I was clearly drunk.

Another round.

Lucas, running the game, announced a change.

"High-low is old-fashioned. Let's switch it up! Bet on the total! Anyone who thinks you can roll over eight doubles the bets! And the pot needs a real boost!"

Chloe jumped in immediately. "I'm in! I'll put up my boutique on the Upper West Side!"

She had several properties. The boutique was one of them. Worth a pretty penny.

The group gasped. The stakes were rising.

Alexander glanced at me, then said coolly, "I'm in. I'll wager the Sander Cross."

That was his yacht. Worth millions.

More importantly, it was named for us. Sophia and Alexander.

All eyes turned to me.

"Sophie," Alexander finally said, "That's enough. You should go home."

Chloe instantly sneered.

"Alex, if she can't handle it, she shouldn't play. Maybe our Sophie's just getting warmed up!"

Her words got under my skin. I looked straight at her, my eyes sharp.

"I'm in. I'll wager... my penthouse on Fifth Avenue."

The table went dead silent. Even Alexander looked stunned.

That penthouse was one of the key assets my parents left me.

Prime real estate. Its value was far outstripped Chloe's little boutique.

The dice cups went up again.

Chloe went first. Nine.

She smirked in triumph.

Alexander. Seven.

I took a deep breath. My hand shook as I lifted the cup.

Three. Five. Eight.

I lost.

I slumped back against the couch, drained.

Chloe's triumphant whoop filled my ears.

She leaned in close, her whisper meant only for me.

"How does it feel to lose? Everything that's yours... I'm taking it."

I looked up. My face was flushed from the alcohol, but my eyes were clear and bright.

"Again."