Chapter 26: Christine's POV

I sat in my dressing room applying makeup. I was already wearing the beautiful dress you had picked out for me, but I was covering it with a dressing robe. I was lost in thought about the performance. I had never been this stressed out over a performance. God knows what I would've done if I had understood the real importance of what I would do next.

I finished applying my makeup. "Gustave, could you hand me those diamond earrings?" I asked him.

He nodded. "Yes, mother. Here you go," he said, handing me the two pieces of jewelry that were the finishing touches on my ensemble.

"How do I look?" I asked him.

"You look gorgeous, mama! You look like somebody right out of a fairytale," he said.

I smiled at my son and gave him a short hug. "And you are a handsome young man. What do you say about spending some time with each other after the performance, just the two of us? Would you like that?" I asked and he nodded.

Just then, Raoul knocked on the door and entered. He looked so different, rather dapper and handsome, in fact. I hadn't seen him this well-groomed practically since our wedding. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't scowling like he usually did.

"Doesn't mother look pretty tonight, father?" Gustave said.

"Yes, she does indeed, Gustave. She looks as lovely as she did the very first time I came to her dressing room." He spoke so kindly. His voice was not tight with anger. He seemed to have tried to change back into the Raoul that I married, the one who didn't drink and was never angry or harsh.

I smiled and blushed a little at his sincere comment, "I should be the one complimenting you, Raoul. You look like that handsome young man at the opera house."

He smiled and turned to Gustave and said kindly, "Gustave, I need to speak with your mother privately. Could you please step outside and wait a while?" I was so amazed at Raoul's behavior that I didn't think he was the same Raoul that I had seen drunk this morning. I suspected that something was going on that I didn't know about. There was always a catch with Raoul.

Gustave obeyed his father and asked me if he could go exploring. I told him he could, but that he had to stay backstage and meet me in the dressing room when I finished my performance. He agreed happily and left.

"Christine, since the day we were wed, things started to go downhill for our relationship." He was referring to our first argument, which had occurred the day after our wedding. I tried to interrupt him, but he talked over me. "I sincerely apologize for how I've treated you and our son. I'm not worthy of asking you to do this one more thing for me, but if you still love me I know you will agree to it. If you do, I promise to be the man that you married and more."

I nodded, if all I had to do was one thing to get Raoul to act like this all of the time, I would sign my name on the dotted line without reading the fine print. "Anything, dear. Tell me what it is."

"Don't sing the song, darling. That monster has been using you as a pawn in his game this entire time," he said.

I shook my head, "But, Raoul, I can't cancel at the last minute, dear. I've promised him I would get through this; I need to get through this."

He brought his finger to my lips, shushing me gently. "There's so much you need that I didn't give you, and I feel guilty for that. But, if you leave here now for me-for us-then I will give you everything and I will do anything for you."

I stared at him, deciding if he was being sincere or not, "Do you mean it? Raoul, do you swear to me that you will become a better man?"

He nodded, "I've booked three tickets for us on a ship that leaves in an hour. Please, come with me, if not for me, then for our son." He kissed me gently for the first time since before we arrived on Coney Island. Then he left me without saying another word.

I stared at the spot where he had just stood. My choice had suddenly become ten times harder and I felt even more stress come on. I turned back toward my mirror and hung my head in my hands. Suddenly I felt your cold, but silk-gloved, hands seize my neck. I froze, afraid that you would snap my neck because of my conversation with Raoul. Instead, your kind hands caressed my neck and jaw and gently fastened a beautiful jeweled necklace around my neck.

You began to speak words in a soft, soothing voice in my ear. "He knows that he's not enough for you; that he's not worthy of you. It's time to leave him, Christine; it's time for you to be free." I reached my hands up to rest them on yours over my neck. I was entranced by your voice; it was seducing me in a way I had never experienced. "In just a few simple moments, you will stand on stage just like you did at the opera house and the audience will hush…" your lips were hovering just over my neck and, oh, how I longed for you to just kiss me. I closed my eyes, waiting. "… And then in a great whirl your voice will fill the void of the silence. The music will climax in a great crescendo… and then we will be complete." I opened my eyes and realized you had left.

The stage manager came and told that it was time for me to take my place. Raoul's words echoed in my mind, "He has been using you as a pawn in his game this entire time." I buried my face in my hands again. I wanted to cry. I wished my father could be with me to help me make the right decision. I had only had to face a choice like this once before at the opera house. I had hated you then and I had wished you dead, and now… I didn't know what I felt now.

The stage manager came again and told me that I was about to be late.

I didn't want to make this choice.

A/N: CLIIIIIIIF HANGER! HANGING FROM A CLIIIIIIIIIIFFFF! AND THAT'S WHY HE'S CALLED CLIFF HANGERRRRRRRR! (BWAHAHAHA!)