My gaze settled on Natalie, who sat across from me watching the whole thing like it was theater.
The Canada Goose draped over her shoulders was the birthday present I'd bought Duane last year.
I'd worried he'd catch a cold being careless about the chill in winter.
When it was my turn, all I got was a ten-dollar pack of barely-there hand warmers.
I gathered my skirt and stepped straight down out of the car.
"Duane, I'm not getting in that car, and I'm not marrying you either."
Duane froze for a second, then let out a scornful snort.
"Lorraine, stop this nonsense."
"You're a leftover old maid with no job, no family, no background. I'm the only one who'll overlook all that. If you don't marry me, who do you think would want you?"
I looked at the contempt in his eyes, and my heart filled with disappointment.
Yet he was the one who'd said his woman didn't need to go out and earn money.
People would mock him for being useless, he'd said, so he wouldn't let me work.
"I'm not making a scene."
Duane opened his mouth to say more, but Natalie cut in from her seat.
"Duane, if Lori doesn't want to, just let it go. I'll get out and run around a bit to warm up."
And with that, she made a show of climbing out.
Duane immediately called out in a panic, "Nat, don't move, I'll carry you!"
Then he turned, his face cold as he looked at me.
"Looks like I've spoiled you rotten. On a day this happy you've got to go looking for trouble. Don't want to marry me? Suit yourself."
"This place is a good ten miles from your house and cabs don't come out here easy. If you're not afraid of freezing to death, then stand right here. Either way, the wedding car is getting switched!"
He ran over and lifted Natalie onto his back.
As he carried her toward this car, he spoke with a doting, helpless tenderness.
"Silly girl, would I ever let you freeze with me here?"
"You're the bride today. Your feet can't touch the ground. It means you'll never be wronged after the wedding, never have to toil or suffer."
A bitter mockery rose in my chest.
The same feet-off-the-ground rule, and for me it was about not dragging bad luck into the bridal room and ruining his fortune after the wedding.
For Natalie, it was nothing but pure tenderness.
And even so, he thought he'd spoiled me rotten.
As they passed by me, Natalie suddenly cried out, looking at me with wounded eyes.
"Lori, just because you don't want to switch cars, you didn't have to pinch me, did you? That really hurt."
Duane quickly settled her into the car, then turned and shoved me hard to the ground.
"Lorraine, what is wrong with you?"
"I'm the one who asked to switch cars. If you've got a problem, take it out on me. Do you really have to cause trouble on the most important day of Nat's life?!"
My best friend rushed to help me up. The fabric at my elbow had torn open, snow seeping in through the gash.
I held back my friend, who was about to charge over and hit him, and spoke coldly.
"There are four or five cameras right here. Go to the property office and pull the footage right now, see whether I touched her or not."
"It's obvious you hurt yourself—"
Duane thought I was making excuses, and it only made him angrier.
But the moment Natalie heard the cameras mentioned, her expression turned a little uneasy, and she tugged at his hand and gave it a shake.
"Duane, it's early in the morning, no need to bother the property office."
"Maybe it was the crystals on my embroidered gown that scraped me. You know how delicate my skin is. I might have misjudged Lori."
"Ugh, it's supposed to be a lucky day, and yet everything keeps going wrong. I don't even know if I've crossed paths with something foul."
When she said "something foul," she let her eyes land deliberately on me.
Duane nodded and said nothing more, though the look on his face when he glanced at me was still grim.
I truly couldn't stand being there any longer, so I just pulled my friend toward the gate of the complex to wait.
We hadn't waited three minutes before Duane came chasing after us.
He grabbed my wrist, his tone anxious.
"Lori, thank goodness you didn't leave."
At that, my friend shot me a startled, knowing glance.
