Chapter Ten:
Confrontations
Christine looked at Erik adoringly and couldn't help but smile. "Oh…You know I want to…"
"Then do it,' he said as he sat up. Christine tried to ignore the familiar flutter in her when she was faced with Erik's artfully sculpted chest.
"I can't…" she argued, shaking her head. "If I left what would people say?"
"I don't give a damn what people would have to say. London has gossiped about me all my life, but do I care?"
Her face still showed she wasn't convinced.
"We could leave," he suggested. "I have a house in France. We could live there. No one would know about Raoul or our pasts. We could live any way we wanted." He stroked her cheek tenderly as he thought about the idea.
God knew she wanted to say yes and leave that minute, but all she could keep thinking about was what the Girys and Meg would think. They would be ashamed of her and never want to talk to her again. And all of society would shun Erik and her. The polite society did look upon young married women running off with societal recluses and rakes very well. Her name and reputation would be tarnished and Raoul and the Girys would all be embarrassed for even being connected to her. They would no longer be invited to social clubs or parties or balls. Besides, what would she and Erik do once they left? Would he marry her? Wouldn't she have to get an annulment? That would also bring scandal to everyone's name, and would take awhile in court. It would only make things messier.
She looked at Erik and smiled sadly. "We can't do that."
He frowned in disappointment and got up suddenly, dressing as if he was in a hurry.
"Erik, please don't be angry," she pleaded as she got up and tried to calm him.
He turned on her suddenly and grabbed her toward him, smashing his mouth on hers passionately. She felt the wind knocked out of her from Erik's possessive, hungry kiss that demanded control and surrender from her. His lips commanded her and his tongue fiercely thrust into her mouth. She felt her limbs go numb from shock and arousal. Suddenly he pulled away from her, leaving her panting and staring at him in wide-eyed amazement.
"I could give you this…everyday of your life. Do you really think Raoul could give you that? Do you think you could live without this once you've tasted it?"
She stared at him in shock.
"Don't say no to this! Forget society! Forget everyone else! They can't treat you like I can."
His words seeped into her and she tried to make sense of everything.
"I can give you more than anything you could ever desire. You belong with me."
Her eyes widened even more at his last statement. Did she really belong to him? No, not until she was married to him did she really belong to him.
She shook her head. "I can't…"
He looked furious and threw on his cloak and looked as if he prepared to leave.
"Where are you going?" She couldn't hold back the panic in her voice.
"I'm going to a judge. I'm going to tell them to have your marriage annulled, that you gave your virginity to me and that you and Raoul never consummated the marriage, that it's been a sham because you and I have been together."
"You can't do that!" she called after him as she followed him down the staircase.
"But I can…and I will."
"How could you even prove it?"
"Your virgin's blood on my sheets, that's how."
Christine stood still for a moment at the horrifying words and then continued after him desperately.
"No, don't! Please! Erik!"
He stopped on the staircase at the final step and slowly turned to look at her.
"Don't. I don't want to do that."
"What else can I do? You won't leave him."
"No, I might…I…just need time," she whispered as she edged closer to him and looked up at him innocently.
"Time?" he growled, becoming cool and angry.
"Yes, time to think and process, and…have Raoul understand that our marriage is over."
Erik suddenly looked a little more appeased and didn't scowl at her anymore. He considered her words.
"How much…time will you need?"
"Maybe a few weeks."
"Will you still come to me?"
She smiled a little devilishly. "How could I not?"
He couldn't help but smile at her flirtation. "True."
"Then…?"
"Promise me that in a few weeks you'll leave him and then you'll live with me."
"Live with you?" she asked, somewhat surprised.
He chuckled softly. "Yes."
"I promise," she promised before leaning up and giving him a warm kiss.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Christine couldn't help but smile as she snuck into the back door of the de Chagny mansion and walked through the kitchens silently. She could feel her cheeks flush with warmth at the memory of what Erik had done to her after she had promised to leave Raoul. He had been so shameless as he had thrown her over his shoulder and ravished her like an animal. He had insisted on showing her new ways of making love, ways that had seemed completely out of the question at first to Christine, but turned out to be mind-blowing. He had thrown her on top of him and had had her ride him and then entered her from behind. It was incredible. She had felt so wild and uninhibited. She chuckled a little at the way she was burning up like an innocent schoolgirl.
"Did you enjoy yourself?"
Christine had a start when the voice had spoken and taken her off guard. She turned and saw Raoul, putting a hand to her chest to steady her heartbeat.
"Oh, Raoul! I…I…"
"No need lying to me, Christine. I know where you were."
Christine looked at him and felt her beat furiously. "Uh…I…"
"You're incredibly bold, you know. I try to make love to you and you run off and sleep with that demon." He took a drink from the glass in his hand as he continued standing in the shadows. "You spent all night with him."
She looked down in shame.
"Doing what, I suppose. Making love to him? What? Did he ride you all night like the whore you are?"
Christine glared at Raoul suddenly, shocked at his insulting words.
"You have no right…"
"Oh, but I do. I told you to sleep with him once, not forty times!"
"That's what you get, Raoul, when you sell your wife. She might just enjoy her whore's work."
He shouted angrily and slapped her fiercely. She fell back from the blow onto the floor and stared up at him. Confusion, fear, hatred all mixed up into a menacing emotional cocktail that swirled within her. She glared at him.
"Look what you've done to me!" he screamed. "I was never like this! I would've never even thought of hitting a woman before, but you forced me with no other alternative!"
"How could you…? How could I have ever loved you?"
"I might ask you the same question, slut," he spat.
She jumped up at flung herself at him, beating his chest and slapping him across the face as hard as she could. But he was stronger and grabbed her wrist and twisted them. She cried out in pain and begged him to stop. He let go of her, but then slapped her again and again and again. Her face turned a bright red as he continued abusing her lovely face with the back of his hand. She grew weaker with each blow and the sting in her cheek began to numb. Her strength was leaving her.
"You think you can just screw around on me? I gave you everything you ever wanted! I was prepared to give you a life unlike any other! I sacrificed my dignity so you could live like a princess! And this is how you repay me?!"
She lay on the floor in a heap of embarrassment as he shouted at her. All she could think about was how weak she felt and how she wished Erik was there.
"You deserve nothing! You're just a common whore, like all the other cheap sluts I could have found more use in!" he yelled, taking another swig.
She was so embarrassed of herself as tears ran down her cheeks and she silently prayed for Erik to save her from this torment.
"I loved you, damn it!" he screamed. "I loved you with all my heart! I wanted to be a good husband!"
She didn't respond, but merely cry. He became furious at her spectacle and felt the rage grow even more. He kicked her in her side and she cried put again.
"Stop, Raoul, please…" she wept.
"Stop? Stop! That's all you ever say! What if I don't want to stop? What if I could for once get what I wanted?!"
He grabbed her despite her mewls of pain and propped her against the wall and began to lift her skirts.
"I'm finally going to get what I deserve," he whispered angrily.
As the realization of what he was about to do swept over her she began to fight back and kick against him, hoping he would stop. She tried to slap his hands away, but he kept them there and began to pull her undergarments down.
"No!" she screamed. "No! Stop! Help! Help me, please! Help!"
"They're all gone. They can't help you!" he whispered as he continued and began to rip of his pants. "It's just you and me now, wife."