CHAPTER 10

Rinsing her face with some water, Christine started to realise how selfish she was being. Her attitude to Raoul when she had come back from her encounter with the Phantom was despicable.

She should remember not to take out all her despair and anger on Raoul, none of this was his fault. All he had done was love her, just like the Phantom once had.

Raoul didn't deserve this.

"I should put all this behind me" Christine realised.

As hard as it was going to be, she must put the Phantom to the back of her mind and put her heart into making Raoul happy. She was so grateful to him for loving her the way he did.

Twice, twice she had deliberately deceived him and gone to see the Phantom. She had betrayed him, without a thought. Without care.

"Things are going to change" she vowed "I will not see the Phantom again and I will marry Raoul and make him happy"

The decision made, she walked down the stairs and into the dining hall where Raoul sat, hunched on the table, an empty glass of wine stood beside him.

"Raoul?" Christine gently touched his arm.

As he raised his head, she could see the tear stains on his face.

"Oh Raoul! Please, don't cry. I'm so sorry for before, I was just tired" Christine was saddened at the thought of making Raoul so unhappy.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Raoul turned to look into her eyes and touched her face.

"Christine, what is wrong? I don't feel I can reach you anymore" frustrated, he took his hand away and walked to the kitchen.

Re-emerging with another bottle of wine, he poured himself a glass of wine and slumped back into his chair, next to Christine

"Tell me what you want me to do to make you happy and I will do it"

"Raoul, please don't drink anymore" Christine took the bottle and moved it away from him "You will make yourself sick"

"I am sick" Raoul huffed "Sick of looking into your eyes and seeing HIM in your mind, night and day"

"I admit, he has been dominating my mind lately" Christine, ashamedly looked down

"When will it ever be over?" Raoul sobbed "That night, when you came with me, away from the Opera Populaire, I thought I had won the world and that nothing would ever get in the way of our happiness"

"It won't" Christine whispered

"It is" Raoul snapped "Don't you see. He is tearing us apart, and he manages to do that without even being anywhere near us"

"I know" Christine choked back a tear

"I hear him taunting me in my dreams" Raoul placed his hand on his head in despair "He laughs at me, telling me you love him and not me. It's killing me Christine!"

"Raoul, stop this" Christine said firmly "I love you and in two weeks I will be your wife"

Raoul sighed and started to speak but Christine wrapped her arm around his neck and spoke into his ear.

"I am going to make this work Raoul. I mean it, we are going to be happy and all the dark times are going to remain where they should, in the past"

"You mean it?" Raoul questioned quietly, secretly dreading her answer

Christine raised her eyes to his and took a deep breath

"I do" she whispered.

As they embraced, Christine felt a sickly, dizzy feeling in her stomach. Trying to dismiss it, she reaffirmed her promise.

"You must believe me Raoul, I love you" she kissed him on the lips "and I WILL marry you!"