"No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly."- Oscar Wilde.

If you don't someone you're everything, then you don't give someone the power to leave you with nothing. Every time I stare out my window over Paris all I can think about is him; Christian. I sometimes wonder why he would leave me but every time I do the sharp pain in my chest returns, it's like a huge whole that's been ripped open; sometimes I find it hard to breathe, I find myself having to remind myself to take a deep breath. I would have to wrap my arms around my stomach as if I was trying to keep myself from falling to pieces.

There was a knock on the door, I sighed slightly ''come in'' my voice was barely a whisper but the door opened.

''Satine?'' it was Willow my younger sister. I didn't turn around to look at her instead I sat on the window sill and pulled my knees up under my chin.

''Satine, you can't stay in here forever'' I heard the door close behind her ''please,'' she begged, I could hear the pain in her voice; she's not used to seeing her older sister, who is normally so confident, sitting around moping.

''go away Willow.'' I hissed, I just wanted to be alone for awhile.

''no!'' I jumped a little at her raised voice turning to look at her face, she seemed angry ''I will not go away! You can't do this forever, we need you here'' she shook her head and moved closer to me ''the Moulin Rouge needs you..... I need you.'' I couldn't help but feel guilty; I had abandoned Willow these past few weeks, I had barely looked at her face lately, her eyes looked tired and her skin pale; her blood red hair was loosely curled and she was wearing one of my old dresses, she looked much older than 17.

I looked in her green eyes ''I'm sorry.''

Willow shook her head again ''Satine, I know your sad and I know that you miss him but....'' she sat next to me ''he's gone.... he left you because he couldn't understand that this is your home.'' Her words pierced my chest, I held my knees tighter to my body, Christian left because I choose this place, and he left me because I wouldn't leave. But I belong here, I couldn't leave Willow; without my Willow wouldn't be able to survive, Harold would get his greedy hands on her and I wouldn't let that happen, not to Willow.

''I love you Satine and it's hurting me to see you like this'' she was looking out the window now, the moonlight shining on her beautiful face, ''but the show must go on.''

I winced at her words ''been speaking to Harold have you?'' I spoke dryly, I know Willow didn't deserve my attitude but I couldn't hold it in any longer. Willow sighed and she was looking at me again ''yes, we're all worried about you.''

I laughed harshly ''worried about me? Is it not because he has about 30 men asking whereabouts I am?''

Willow rolled her eyes, she didn't like to talk about my job; she liked to turn a blind eye to what I did, it put food on the table and a roof over our heads so she never moaned about it. ''no Satine, believe it or not but we all actually love you.'' She smiled kindly at me, but it didn't reach her eyes. Willow had always been older than her years, she had always been grown up and mature. ''Please Satine, even though you're sad we're all still here, I'm still here trying to live my life'' she took a deep breath ''and my life isn't worth living if your not in it.''