3
DAHLIA
I'd lost. Lost! I had no idea how that happened. With the original cards dealt, I'd had four diamonds. Discarding the club, I'd held my composure as Garrison dealt me the new card. Another diamond, which meant I'd had a flush. A flush! There wasn't much that could beat that. I'd felt confident I wouldn't have to marry Garrison, he'd give me my winnings and he'd keep my secret. Relieved, I'd even let my mouth curl up in a small smile as I laid my hand out on the table. The men at the table had whistled and joked with Garrison about letting me slip away.
Out of all the times we'd tried to best each other, this was the ultimate. Perhaps once and for all Garrison would find me a worthy adversary and bow out. While pleased, I'd felt something akin to sadness as well.
But my triumph
