Where the Chips Fell

By Adriel Chevalier

This is a twisted love affair driven by severe codependency. It is based on a true story and contains the causes and roots of the main character's disorder that compelled very dysfunctional relationships. However, unforeseen events ultimately led to his healing and triumph over his emotional disease. The book has explicit descriptions of the incredible euphoria caused by the codependency that acts much like an addictive drug. It contains detailed accounts of sexual and emotional bliss that drove him in a relentless pursuit of a woman who completely overwhelmed him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Adriel Chevalier
• Release date: Jun 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463258163

Adriel Chevalier

Adriel Jacques Chevalier descended from a French family that migrated to the Netherlands before immigrating to the United States. His family's vocation centered around the jewelry and watchmaking business for generations. However, Adriel was never adept with handling the delicate parts of tiny machinery. Instead, he turned his interests to the software industry that was just becoming popular in his young, adult life. He found that logic and problem solving better suited his skills, and he excelled in his field.Adriel's elder sister had taught him to read and write at the age of three. Due to boredom suffered from structured learning, he sought to educate himself from his youth. In his adult life he spent decades studying ancient history and various writings, mostly centering around Christian and Judaic literature. Some of his studies he opted to conduct in the pre-translated, original language to gain a clearer understanding.Always frustrated with the structure and politics of organized religion, he sought relationships according to the instruction of the Messiah, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst." Adriel recognized that the Messiah's name was synonymous with his authority, which is Truth, and that any group larger than three brought annoying problems.Adriel and his fellows departed from the mainstream teaching of the established religions and embarked on a journey that led them on a quest for intrinsic Truth. Through many enlightening revelations and miraculous experiences, Adriel came to recognize that much of what is taught today concerning the Creator and his anointed one is rubbish. He forsook the erroneous cliches, rhetoric and discrepancies of the religious culture and embraced Truth, which is available to any man anywhere at any time.Although it was contrary to Adriel's belief system to share his findings in a rhetorical document, in his latter years he decided to envelop them into works of fiction to be enjoyed by others. He has developed several stories with elements of actual experiences and enlightenment for others to enjoy and ponder.

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Adriel Chevalier Books

False Antichrist - 2016

The Gold of Ophir - 2018

Noah’s Portal - 2019

Zanzibar - 2020

The Precinct Murders - 2020

Where the Chips Fell - 2020

COVID-21 - 2020

The Templar Secret - 2020

The Geneticist - 2021

Midnight Marauder - 2021

The Ribbon Maker - 2022

The Seven Peals of Thunder - 2022

To the Reader

This story deals with real life codependent personality disorders. Codependency is most often the root of many irrational behavioral problems. Often people don’t understand why they do what they do, and few of them are ever diligent enough to delve into the workings of the human psyche to learn the reasons.

My thanks to Father Pierre André Faustier, who provided insight into the main character’s disorders. I insisted that Father Faustier narrate this book because I had chosen not to get involved in this case.

As always, many of the events contained herein pertain to true experiences. The names and locations have been altered, and any similarities to persons living or dead are merely a coincidence.

My love to each of you,

Adriel

WHERE THE CHIPS FELL

Adriel Jacques Chevalier

Copyright © 2020 Adriel Jacques Chevalier

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9780463258163

CHAPTER ONE

Setting the Stage

ANTON CARTIER WAS languishing in a French prison when I first met him. He was being detained for trial on the suspicion of murder of one of the more prominent citizens of Paris, and his future appeared to be hopeless. However, his story began long ago in his childhood. He was the youngest of three siblings and greatly favored by his mother. His brother and sister would disappear each morning to walk to the schoolhouse three blocks from his home. The day belonged to him and his mother, and she pampered him extensively. They had developed an incredible emotional bond, and they reveled together as they enjoyed breakfast in front of the television and playtime for most of the day. She would then bathe and groom him before his father and siblings returned for the evening. After dinner, he would cuddle with his mother on the couch as the family watched their favorite television programs.

However, one day his world of paradise came to a crashing halt. His father suffered a heart attack and was unable to work for several months. Out of necessity, this caused his mother to find employment in order to keep food on the table and pay the bills. Anton’s world had been turned upside down. He was too young to understand the gravity of a heart attack. All he knew was that because of his father his relationship with his mother had suffered an unforgivable intrusion.

This drove an incredible wedge between him and his father. In order to compensate for time lost with Mommy, he often begged her to sleep in his bed for the night. However, he would be outraged to awaken in the morning alone. He tried his best to steal whatever time he could with her on the weekends, and before long the wedge that drove him from his father was fueled by animosity on both sides. The guilt that his mother felt for having to leave Anton to go to work exacerbated her favoritism, and Anton soon found throughout his formative years that he could often get away with practically anything.

Anton always felt that he was the victim of the interrupted relationship with his mother and his father’s contempt. However, he was brilliantly manipulative and managed to drive a wedge between his mother and father as well. This delighted Anton exceedingly. Although, he was totally unaware of his emotional condition and the fact that the roots of codependency had been deeply planted within his soul. This greatly influenced his passions and decisions throughout his life and caused some deplorable behavior.

To make matters worse, the fires of codependency were fanned when Anton lost his first love to another classmate in high school. Once again, his love had been stolen by another, and his heartbreak was devastating. He had given his heart to Sheila, and he had vowed to marry her, but alas, another had stepped in to steal her away. The stage had now been set to compel Anton toward a life of debauchery. He no longer trusted anyone, and he felt the undying need to compensate for his pain by stealing other men’s wives and lovers. Throughout his college years, Anton became very adept to luring women who claimed they were committed to another. He was pleasantly surprised to learn that many of them found cheating to be quite an aphrodisiac.

Anton was also favored by his mother’s sister. Aunt Matilda was overjoyed whenever Anton would walk to her house every Wednesday morning during summer vacations when he was in middle school. He would sit and sip iced tea while she regaled him with stories of her youth. He always enjoyed listening because Aunt Matilda was quite a storyteller, and her stories got better every year. However, Anton was completely unaware that due to some shrewd investments and some incredible luck, she had amassed a sizable fortune.

Anton was devastated once again in his senior year of college when Aunt Matilda passed away from a massive coronary occlusion. To his surprise, she had left him the bulk of her estate, which totaled fifty-four million dollars. That event fed his codependent fire with gasoline, as he was now independently wealthy. Not only was he exceedingly handsome, but he was exceedingly rich, which gave him all the more advantage to lure the wives of others.

For nearly two decades, Anton lived a life of seclusion. His parents and siblings had all passed away. His only interaction was with his many lovers and his dedicated housekeeper, Ms. Henderson. After Anton purchased his estate, he advertised for a maid in a periodical, and Ms. Henderson was the first to respond. She was a spinster from Oxford, England, and Anton was entertained by her accent. She was in her mid-fifties, very proper, extremely reliable, and incredibly capable. She lived at the estate with Anton, and she was in charge of everything.

Anton was wealthy enough to invest his fortune very conservatively. He skimmed an ample amount from his dividends into liquid accounts for living purposes. Anton employed an accountant who sent him monthly statements to keep him abreast of his finances. The last thing Anton wanted was to be ruled by his money. He paid as little attention to it as reasonably possible.

Anton bought a home on the far north side of town. The neighborhood was well established, and the four-acre lot gave him a comfortable space between him and his neighbors. The three-story house was grand, having seven bedrooms, seven full baths, and four half baths. What originally attracted Anton was the off-white stone that gave the edifice the look of a castle. The front door was huge and made of mahogany with large knockers that had faces of gargoyles.

The front door opened to reveal a sizable foyer with a breath-taking chandelier hanging from three stories above. The Spanish tile enhanced the majestic appearance of the entry. One of the more impressive attributes of the interior was the lavish woodwork throughout. A formal living area opened to the left. The carpeting was so plush that it threatened to throw one off balance as he walked. Three steps up from the living area was a large drawing room that was semi-circled with windows reaching from the floor to the twelve foot ceiling. White silk curtains flowed down the towering windows giving a heavenly appearance. The hardwood floors sparkled as though they were covered with glass.

Anton’s favorite room was the enormous gourmet kitchen. It sported a gas fueled Jenn-Air stovetop in the center of the room with an overhead exhaust. A walk-in cooler provided enough space to hang and age a full side of beef. Four large ovens were available to bake several dishes at various temperatures. Huge butcher-block tables were arranged for chopping. Each block was designated for a specific use. One was for raw vegetables, one for fruit, one for raw meat, one for cheeses and another for onion and garlic. Fifty-one feet of cabinets and counters ran the perimeter of the room, separated by two doorways and a huge picture window.

A formal dining room adjoined the kitchen. It had a crystal chandelier that hung above the Louis XV dining table. French doors opened into the foyer, which made it convenient to readily seat guests upon their arrival. However, no guests were ever entertained by Anton in his home.

The bedrooms and baths were lavishly furnished and decorated. The study was lined with bookshelves from floor to ceiling, and a large fireplace stood at one end of the room with a mantle that reached from wall to wall. Anton spent early morning hours there reading his books. Although Anton did not smoke, the room also contained an antique smoking stand and a portable wet bar.

The basement provided an excellent area on the northeast side that Anton had sealed off with its only access obtained by a secret passage from his elaborate bedroom. In addition, he had a tunnel built from this area of the basement to the back of the property, which bordered a small river. The heavy brush along the river conveniently secluded an iron gate, which remained padlocked, avoiding entry to the passage. He had the entire perimeter of the lot fenced with high wrought iron and accentuated with stone pillars that matched the house.

Another large iron gate, which gave access to his driveway, was opened via remote control. He had the lot elaborately landscaped to the extent that no one could see his house from the road or from an adjoining property. The landscaping contained beautiful gardens that provided a pleasurable stroll in the cool evenings. On either side of the lot were bushes that formed tunnels. These tunnels gave his Dobermans quick access from the front to the back of the property to deter any trespassers.

Ms. Henderson was entrusted with the upkeep of the entire estate. She outlined the daily tasks for the gardener, had control of admitting vendors and workmen to the property, cleaned the house, washed Anton’s excessive amount of laundry, fed and cared for the Dobermans, and paid all of the bills for the household from Anton’s designated liquid account. Anton trusted Ms. Henderson implicitly, as well he could. Ms. Henderson did not ask personal questions. She was aware of the quirks that Anton possessed, and although she admitted to herself that at times it was a concern, he paid her handsomely, and she had no considerable expenses of her own.

The one task that Ms. Henderson was never allowed to do was cook, unless it was for herself. Ms. Henderson was a terrific cook; however, cooking was one of Anton’s other passions. Anton had personally studied the art of cooking and developed some very incredibly delicious recipes. He had discovered some exotic food combinations that created aromas and flavors that were unique and delectable. Anton had struck a deal with a specialty grocer in town, who was lucratively compensated for delivering some of the finest quality produce, meat, fish, fowl and dairy that one could find. Ms. Henderson was advised of the grocery list, but was allowed to add to it whatever she pleased. It was her responsibility to keep the freezers and refrigerators well stocked. In addition to being an unbelievably fabulous cook, Anton thoroughly enjoyed fine wines, which he had delivered to his estate by the truckload and stored in his wine cellar, another task entrusted to Ms. Henderson.

Anton also minded his own business and never asked any questions of her that did not pertain to his estate. Although Anton was extremely demanding, he was also extremely generous. Ms. Henderson was given eight hours of leave each week, which she took religiously every Sunday, plus one week of paid vacation every quarter. Often Anton would fund her vacations as a bonus for her dedication to him. Ms. Henderson had few living relatives, none of which lived in America, so her holiday time was usually spent at the estate. Anton also enjoyed holidays at home due to the fact that all of his lovers were married and spent that time with their own families. He took advantage of this time to cook for Ms. Henderson and allow her to enjoy some of his finest wines. Conversation on these occasions was kept on a very surface level and usually consisted of the discussion of food preparation and the weather.

One of Anton’s most prized possessions was his grand piano that was majestically displayed in his drawing room. Soon after Anton had acquired the house, he visited an estate sale of a deceased widow where he found this exquisite piano. He had taken a college course in music due to his love of the art, which began while receiving piano lessons at the age of thirteen. Anton had composed a few songs over the years and delighted in practicing on such a terrific instrument. Although he never felt that he had enough time to develop his skill to a level that he considered satisfactory, he nevertheless enjoyed playing at least two hours a week.

Due to Anton’s love of cooking and a ploy to attract women, he developed The Gourmet Club that met every other Sunday afternoon at a nearby clubhouse that he rented. It was very adequately equipped with everything needed to prepare the most elaborate meals that he enjoyed bestowing on his members. Not only did he find it a convenient means by which to meet more women, he also had a passion for creating recipes and experimenting with various herbs and spices in his dishes. It seemed a shame to him to possess such an exquisite talent only to be enjoyed by him alone.

The required fee for membership to the Gourmet Club was two hundred dollars per week. Although Anton had no need to have the cost of the affair subsidized, he discovered that by requiring the members to pay this amount each week he could prevent persons from attending who did not have the proper means. Each member of the group was responsibly punctual to arrive never before a quarter till two and never after two o’clock. Anton insisted on the strictest schedule and demanded that if one could not arrive on time, she should not attend. All information concerning The Gourmet Club meeting was posted on the Internet. Each member retrieved her instructions detailing what her responsibilities were to be for the next meeting. Anton resolutely varied each member’s tasks from week to week in order to provide a variety of instructions to each, giving them a well-rounded understanding of the culinary arts in total.

The group in attendance was always small, usually six to eight, and frequently guests invited by the regular attendees would drop in. Three of the regular members of his gourmet club were currently his lovers. Since Anton only dealt with married women, it was rather simple to keep all of his covert actions hidden from everyone. None of the women wished to be exposed and therefore maintained the utmost discretion in front of the group.

Men were rarely in attendance and never visited more than once. On one occasion, Lisa had invited Ted, who was one of her coworkers. Ted seemed to be a very likable young man but didn’t fit into Anton’s purpose for his club. Ted was outgoing and pleasant and made several attempts to invite Anton to cook for one of his dinner parties. Anton had the keen ability to be cruel and sarcastic in a way that was so subtle it could only be felt at nearly a subconscious level. It was this tactic that Anton employed to discourage unwanted visitors from future meetings. In the space of about an hour and a half, Anton had made Ted feel ignorant about food and wine, an inadequate lover, and self-conscious of his appearance. If anyone in the group that afternoon had been asked what it was that Anton had said to cause Ted to feel that way, they all would have declared ignorance of hearing any such thing because Anton was so skilled in this maneuver that only the target could understand the insults. Needless to say, Ted never returned, nor did any man attend twice. This actually created a subliminal desire for Anton among the women due to the fact that no man felt comfortable in the presence of Anton’s self-confidence.

Today was Sunday, April 15, which was the last meeting of The Gourmet Club, although none knew this to be the fact, not even Anton himself. He had arranged everything with his grocer. He personally had picked the wines from his cellar that he designated for the day’s meeting. Among his selections were bottles of Chateau Lafite Bordeaux, Chateau Latour Bordeaux, Dom Perignon, Montrachet from Domaine del le Romanée-Conti, Rousseau Chambertin, vintage Port, and Jerez Sherry. In addition, Anton snagged a bottle of Hennessy Private Reserve from one of his liquor shelves. Edward, Anton’s grocer, personally delivered the groceries to the clubhouse and helped Anton unpack them into the refrigerators. Anton unwrapped the chesses, Roquefort, Gruyere, Brie, goat cheese, and Kasseri. Edward was busy unpacking the pheasant, quail, partridge, snails, lobster, scallops, elk, buffalo, and kangaroo. Next, Anton continued stocking the refrigerator with French cream and butter, duck eggs, sour cream, and cream cheese. Edward finally finished with the meats and began transferring the exotic greens, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, Portobello mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil into the refrigerator. All that was left were the herbs and spices, including Madagascan peppercorns, capers, Greek olives, shallots, several heads of garlic, and the Kopi Luwak coffee that Anton loved so much on special occasions. Anton promptly wrote a check to Edward for the groceries and included a very generous gratuity. Edward then returned home for a relaxing afternoon with his family.

If the afternoon’s repast were to require a considerable amount of time in preparation, Anton would always begin some of the initial prerequisites to assembling each of the dishes. This he kept to a minimum as much as possible to allow the members to experience the more important phases of executing his recipes. Anton immediately began organizing and completing the preliminary arrangements before his members arrived. The rich chicken broth that Anton had simmered for several hours at home was poured into a large stockpot. Anton then began to proof the yeast for the Focaccia that was to be baked by Eileen today. He then opened several bottles of red wine to let them breathe before the members arrived.

The menu today was to begin with appetizers of escargot, steamed artichokes dipped in lemon butter, and stuffed lobster tails. Next, a thick mushroom soup was to be prepared using the deeply rich chicken broth as a base. Portobello mushrooms were lightly sautéed with garlic and butter before introducing them into the steeping broth. Minced shallots and herbs were finally added along with heavy French cream to bring the soup to its completion. Following the soup was an exotic salad prepared with greens, cherry tomatoes, cheeses and topped with an herbal dressing that consisted of one of Anton’s secret formulas. Many claimed this to be their favorite part of any meal due to the addictive flavor of the dressing. Accompanying the salad was a basket of freshly baked Focaccia, lightly basted with garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar and topped with kosher salt and rosemary. The entrée of the day was to be a platter of various meats, each prepared in a distinct manner to offer a variety of complementing flavors to satisfy the most distinguished palate. Moderate portions were served to each member in order to allow enough residual appetite to enjoy a zabaglione, which rested on a sweetened cake and was laced with various tantalizing liqueurs. This was enjoyed with the Kopi Luwak coffee that everyone so much anticipated.

Eileen was the first to arrive. Anton promptly had her begin kneading the bread dough. Soon afterward, Joann, Sandra, and Francoise arrived. They each were put in charge of the appetizers and soup. Cynthia closely followed Janelle. Anton had them prepare the exotic meats. Dessert was left for Kimberly.

Anton organized the women in the kitchen as though he were conducting a fine orchestra. With his direction and demonstration, the meal was served with each of the various dishes finishing at its proper time. The wine was poured, the appetizers were enjoyed, and the soup and salad were a delight. Anton sat back, sipping his wine, and watched as everyone shared in the gastronomic enjoyment and conversation. He was amused that he had instilled just a shade of distrust in each of them for the other. It was a delicate balance that he maintained in order to prevent them from becoming good friends apart from these meetings. Anton always demanded complete control of nearly every situation and relationship in his life. He felt a smugness and comfort at this moment and was drinking it all in.

Just as they were all about to enjoy the entrée, Cynthia began describing the recent move that she and her husband had made to a house they had purchased last month on the north side of town. Anton shot Cynthia a scowl. He always disapproved of any personal talk and encouraged everyone to concentrate on the purpose of the meeting. Cynthia missed the menacing look from Anton and continued her story. Anton had planned to chastise her later and decided to ignore her.

However, he perked up when she started explaining about her strange neighbor next door. The neighbors all tell me that he’s a recluse of some sort. No one ever sees him leaving or entering his property. It’s surrounded by this huge iron fence, and there’s so much landscaping that you can’t even see his house. A gardener shows up every day, and he has a housekeeper, but nobody has ever seen him. One neighbor said that she saw someone jogging at four o’clock in the morning and wondered if it might be him. Well, my husband, John, was so intrigued by this that he went to the county courthouse to look at the public records to see who lives there. However, it’s owned by some dummy corporation that we can’t trace.

Anton nearly choked on his Chateau Lafite Bordeaux and screamed silently to himself, "Oh, my God,