I was going to blow this wide open.
Wide enough that everyone in the room would know.
"Dick, it's all my fault, all of it. I'm bad luck. I never should have shown up at your wedding."
Adela moved fast. While no one was watching, she slipped over to the VIP table, snatched Chloe's clutch, and pulled two paper dolls out of it.
One was marked with Chloe's birth date.
The other was marked with mine.
The doll carrying my birth date had been splashed all over with red paint.
And stabbed full of gleaming silver pins.
"If that one's a lucky charm, then how do you explain this?"
Chloe lost her composure. She swayed on her feet.
"Who said you could touch my things?"
"So you admit it? These are yours?"
"Dick, they carved my birth date into it. Do you really not understand what that means?"
He hesitated for a moment, looking at Chloe.
"Chloe, what is this? Why would something like that be in your bag?"
"Dick, I—I don't know, this is a setup. She had someone plant it in there."
She pointed at Adela, trying to pin it on her.
Good thing I'd seen all of this coming.
I'd hired a videographer just to keep a close eye on her.
The big screen lit up. From the moment she stepped out of the car at the hotel entrance—
her clutch had stayed pressed against her chest.
Never once left her body.
Not until the host announced the bride was about to enter.
Only then did she set the clutch down and slip off toward the doors when no one was looking.
"Plant it? When would I have had the chance?"
She'd hit a wall. Her eyes darted away.
"It's just a doll. I didn't mean anything by it."
"Is that so?"
Adela handed me the doll marked with Chloe's birth date.
I pulled out a lighter. The instant the flame flared up—
she panicked. "No, you can't—"
"It's just a doll. What are you so worked up about?"
Before I could finish, Dick lunged forward, snatched the doll away, and gave it to Chloe.
"Seraphina, stop putting on a show with a couple of dolls. This proves nothing."
With him defending her, Chloe found her nerve again.
I had Adela play another clip.
The moment Adela and the other bridesmaid pulled the doors open,
Chloe came shooting out from the side with a start.
But then she saw I wasn't standing outside the doors.
That I'd come out through a different one instead.
The whole of her froze in shock.
"Dick, is this what you called welcoming me in?"
"Anyone with eyes can see it. She was stealing the bride's blessing."
"Except she didn't pull it off. Steal the blessing at an empty doorway, and the whole family gets wiped out."
"Look at me, how could I forget. Her parents are long gone, so she counts as half a member of your family now."
"So tell me, if this curse actually comes true, and the wiping-out reaches your family, what then?"
The guests buzzed louder.
"So that's blessing-stealing. This woman is ruthless."
"True or not, no one wants to see that on their wedding day. Skin-crawling."
"Went for the chicken and lost the rice. Steal at an empty doorway—she won't really get the whole family wiped out, will she?"
Her every move had been caught on video, clear as day.
Chloe's whole face went sour.
Dick was stunned too.
He'd never imagined something this absurd would happen at his own wedding.
"Dick, I didn't, it's just a coincidence, I have no idea what she's even talking about."
"Why would I do something like this? Dick, you know me, I'm timid, I've always been timid. How could I ever be as vicious as she says?"
A few soft words from Chloe, and Dick wavered.
He said nothing, his mind racing.
