I knew what she wanted to say, but I no longer dared to hope for anything from Duane.
And sure enough, the next second he said:
"Nat's bridesmaid can read fortunes. She says your birth chart is too strong, your bad luck too heavy, and it clashes with Nat's, which is why nothing's been going right for her."
"Now Nat's got a splitting headache because of you. The only way she'll get better is if we break the curse on you, so you're coming back with me, right now!"
Duane dragged me back to the entrance of the building.
I saw that everyone had pulled on disposable gloves, a basin of blood-red, soaked rice at their feet.
They stared at me like I was filth.
And Natalie sat in the car, brows knit tight, massaging her temples, as if her head really were splitting open.
"I've brought Lorraine. So how exactly do we break it?" Duane asked.
At that, the other bridesmaid spoke up at once:
"First, we pelt her with sticky rice soaked in black dog's blood. The harder the better. Only that will scatter the bad luck off her, so she'll never curse Nat again."
I hadn't even processed it.
Duane's groomsmen, along with Natalie's two remaining bridesmaids, grabbed fistfuls of rice and hurled it straight at my head and face.
My best friend tried to shield me, but they shoved her aside, pinned her down, and clamped a hand over her mouth.
They closed in around me. The hair I'd so carefully styled was knocked loose, and rice was dumped down my collar.
My neck and face stung as if pricked by a thousand needles, the rank stench of dog's blood clinging to me.
Shielding my face with one arm, I screamed at Duane:
"Duane, have you lost your mind? You actually believe this garbage?!"
He stood at the car door, letting Natalie lean against his waist while he rubbed her temples for her.
He didn't forget to give me a shrug.
"Better to believe it than not. I can't gamble with Nat's health."
"Besides, you really are the jinx who got your parents killed, aren't you?"
I froze, forgetting even to fight back.
My parents had died when I was very small, killed while saving a stranger.
Afterward I was sent to the children's home, and growing up I endured every kind of scorn and disgust.
Even in college, there were still people who couldn't stand the sight of me, who scrawled on the campus walls that I was the jinx who'd gotten my parents killed.
It was Duane who used his admin status to delete the posts, who blasted that behavior as gutless and low.
I thought he was different from the rest.
Turned out he was just someone who hadn't yet reached the point where I was worth driving a knife into my heart.
Now, that moment had come.
Only after the entire basin of rice was gone did the bridesmaid clap her hands.
"All right. Now all that's left is for Lorraine to kneel and kowtow ninety-nine times to Nat. Nine means forever."
"That means she, the source of all this misfortune, will submit to Nat forever, and the bad luck she's heaped onto Nat won't dare act up again. It'll vanish for good."
Plenty of residents from the complex had already been drawn out to watch the spectacle.
At those words, two of the older women couldn't bear it.
"Ninety-nine kowtows is way too many. On cold, hard brick like that, won't her head be split and bleeding by the time she's done?"
"Exactly. The poor girl looks pitiful enough. Enough's enough, don't go getting someone killed. We still have to live here."
Seeing Duane waver, Natalie's eyes reddened on the spot.
"Duane, my friend just told me, if this bad luck isn't completely cleared away, I, I might not make it through tonight... Do you really want my wedding day to become the day I die?"
"It's less than ten minutes until we're supposed to leave. I don't care if I die, but then we'd never see each other again..."
Duane was instantly frantic. "Don't talk nonsense."
He looked at me, a trace of pleading in his eyes:
"Lori, be good. Just finish these ninety-nine kowtows, and I'll let you go upstairs into the bridal suite. You won't have to freeze out here anymore."
"Wait for me to come back, and we'll go on with the wedding, all right?"
I couldn't stop the cold laugh that came out of me.
"Duane, stop dreaming."
"I'll kneel to heaven, to the earth, to my parents. I will never kneel to a cheating little tramp."
Duane's face went stone-cold.
"Lorraine, you brought this on yourself. We're short on time, and since you won't do it willingly, I'll just have someone give you a hand."
He shot a glance at his groomsmen and his friends.
They moved to force me down, to make me kowtow to Natalie.
But before a single hand touched me, all of them went flying.
They hit the ground, howling.
Several broad-shouldered bodyguards had appeared out of nowhere, ringing me in a tight wall.
The next second, a warm coat settled over my shoulders.
It was my childhood sweetheart, Samuel Gilbert, cupping my face with heartache and guilt in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Lori. Traffic was bad. I got here late."
I shook my head. "You came. That's not late."
He dropped to one knee in front of me, offering his broad back.
Samuel turned his head toward me, his voice gentle.
"Lori, climb on. I'll carry you home, to our home."
