Six hours after being forced to make one of the most difficult decisions of her life, Christine clung to Raoul and wept. Every time she closed her eyes she relived the events in Erik's home on the lake. Every time she closed her eyes, she could feel his lips, bloated and wet, pressed against hers. She could feel his deformity against her hands even as she clung to the vicomte.
For weeks she couldn't sleep, plagued constantly by dreams too horrible for her to describe, but Raoul had a suspicion he knew their content.