Chapter 4

The Dinner

"Cheers!" Erik says, holding up his glass. Everyone lifts up their glasses and hits them with Erik's. Their glasses come back down to the side of their plates and they all start to eat. Eva looks up at Erik and his wife and is moments away from asking the question that has been on her min as soon as she saw her.

Now was the time. "So, Ella, Erik, how did you guys meet?"

Erik slightly coughs on his food, surprised that Eva asked this question. But Ella seems delighted to ask this question.

"Uh…um…Ella…" Erik stutters and looks at his wife. She nods, knowing he wants her to tell. She turns back to Eva and puts on an obviously fake smile.

"Well, it was almost two years ago. We met at the Opera Populaire in Paris. I was a ballerina there."

Ha! Eva thinks. I am already better than her. I was the Prima Donna. Not a stupid, ballet rat.

"We met and just talked for a while and soon became best friends, long story short. Then there was a man, the patron, named Charley. Erik and I instantly knew something was wrong with him. But we didn't know how to find out. So I agreed to hang out with him a lot and see what I could find out. I didn't find out about his past because he refused to tell me, but I did find out, a couple months after, that he had confronted Erik and told him to stay away from me or that he would hurt me."

She takes her husband's hand and looks at him lovingly, making Eva burn up with envy and rage.

"Then Erik tried to leave me a letter one day and Charley was in the room at the same time, unfortunately. He beat up Erik, right then and there, for trying to speak to me. Then moments later, I came in and both men were already gone. I started to cry because I was so upset that Erik wasn't coming to see me anymore. I ran down to his lair and started yelling at him, but then I saw that he was beat up and he told me the whole story about the letters and the beating."

Ella starts to tear up a little while telling her tale, and Eva is trying to hold back her laughter at this woman.

"So then I decided to confront him. I asked him why he did that to Erik and I called him…well I can't say those things in front of the children, but I called him many things. Then all of a sudden he started dragging me and he took me in a carriage and took me into an abandoned house. Where he kept me there and-excuse me children-he raped me there."

Eva bulges her eyes and actually feels bad for her. The children perk up their heads and look at her with pity for a few moments, then the boys go back to eating their food. But, of course, Rose keeps her head up and listens.

"After he did that horrid deed, he tied me up and put me against the wall. A few hours later, Erik came a tried to fight off Charley, but he pulled out a gun and forced Erik to be tied up too. Then, just a few moments before Charley was about to shoot Erik, he told me he loved me."

Ella smiles at Erik and they kiss lightly on the lips. Eva takes a sip from her wine, trying to stop her from yelling at them to stop kissing. They release and look back at Eva.

"Then it went from there. We got married and moved here. And now, here you are." She smiles.

Eva smiles back. Rose just stares at her blankly then goes back to eating her food. Eva looks over at her kids and realizes that Gustave is just playing with his. Erik sees this too and becomes concerned.

"Gustave, are you alright?" he asks.

Gustave lifts his head and glares at the masked man.

"Gustave, please." Eva pleads to her son.

"I am not in the mood." He mumbles.

"If there is something wrong, you can tell all of us. There is nothing to hide."

Gustave slams his fork down and brings his head.

"Fine. I am mad because I am here. I am mad because my father was kept from me my whole life. I am mad because my father has a wife that isn't my mom. I am mad because my sister is a psycho. And I am mad because my brother is so quiet all of the time. I just wish it was all over!" he stands up and storms out of the room in rage.

"Oh my." Is all Ella can say.

"This is all my fault." Erik says, looking down.

"Don't talk like that, Erik. This all just a little too much for Gustave to handle right now." Eva says with a shake of her head.

"Yeah. He is a little stubborn." Rose agrees.

"You will have to excuse me, I must go speak to my son." She stand. "I apologize for all of the rude comments my son has said." She nods and shuffles out of the room to talk to her son.