XXIV.
Author's Note # 1: Okay I expect to be punjabbed for this chapter. Hollie asked me to do two chapters so you all get two chapters with this update. Someone reviewed and said the story was getting sappy...well this is hardly sappy. Do not worry though! Everything will be okay in the end. Oh, by the way, I did tell you that Christine and Raoul had a purpose in the story.
A few more weeks passed and Malika had been moved into another bedroom away from Erik. Erik had grown restless from not being able to have sex. He was dying to have Malika every moment he saw her. However, he resolved to keep strong and not to do anything stupid.
He sat in his study looking over paperwork. He had to keep his mind on something other than sex. Soft footsteps were heard as he scribbled away at the paper beneath his hand. "Monsier Garnier, I have brought tea and sandwiches for you." Marie commented as she entered the room and set it next to him on the desk.
"Thank you." Erik replied, expecting her to leave.
Instead Marie placed her hands on his shoulders and began to rub his shoulders. "You must be so stressed Monsieur Garnier."
Erik growled. "Leave me alone Marie. I have no need for anything else."
She pressed her firm breasts against the back of his head. "Monsieur, you have been so tense over the past few weeks. Surely you need something."
"Nothing from you." He responded bitterly. Marie slipped her warm hands in his shirt and rubbed them over his chest, her fingers lightly scratching his chest. "Stop it now Marie."
"No." She replied quietly, her tone lustful.
Erik pushed her hands away then stood to his full height. "Leave now! I do not need services of that kind from you!"
She smiled at him then said, "If you wish."
Erik watched as she left and cursed himself. God, he was aroused and he shouldn't be. He was being a terrible husband...but one incident of infidelity would not be known. Malika would never know. He swore...as long as this pain was relieved. He strode to the door and turned to find her standing there. The look of her curvaceous body made him ache even more. "Be quick about it." He growled as he pulled her in the study and closed the doors.
xxxx
Malika felt so terrible as she walked towards the study. She had checked their bedroom that she had once shared with Erik. She could only guess he would be in the study. She hoped Erik would allow her to sleep with him tonight because she needed him. She needed to feel his warm body against hers. The bed she was in felt so cold compared to when she shared with Erik.
As she neared the study she began to hear noises. She wondered why there were noises in his study. Erik was usually so quiet. She opened the door slightly and peeked in to see something she had hoped in her deepest of hearts to never see. Tears fell down her cheeks as she saw the new maid pleasuring her husband and worse, her husband encouraging it!
Shock riddled her, then fear of being caught, then anger, then finally rage. Malika grit her teeth and pushed the door open fully so that it slammed against the door stop. The maid and her husband looked back at her in shock. Erik's jaw dropped as he looked at her expression. She stood in the door way for a few minutes as she watched the maid stand up quickly. Tears continued to stream down her cheeks. "I hate you." She announced, then turned around and fled to her room.
xxxx
"Malika!"
"I curse you to the deepest parts of Hell!"
"Malika, give me a chance to explain!"
"You do not need to explain."
"I was weak...I am sorry. I was thinking of you."
Malika whirled around and glared at him. "You were thinking of me!" She erupted in a hysterical laugh. "You were thinking of yourself...you self-serving bastard!"
Erik growled loudly then told her, "Go to bed. You will be calmer then."
"Fuck you! I will never be calm. I hate you Erik! I hate you!"
"While we are speaking of hatred, my dear wife, I hate that you cannot fulfill your duties to me. Me! Your husband! Who is more important than two unborn children." Erik roared at her.
Malika gasped as she felt renewed tears fall down her cheeks. "Oh! What are my duties to you Erik! I thought I was being a great wife."
"Obviously you think too high of yourself!"
She screamed in a rage. "I think too high of myself. Listen to you! Monsieur I-can't-show-my-face! No! You won't! You are too much of a child too!"
He laughed bitterly. "I would say you are a child as well to participate in name-calling." Malika turned around and headed for her bed, but felt Erik catch her hand. "I am not finished with you yet!" He growled lowly in her ear, "I am far from finished."
"Well I am...I do not wish to speak to an infidel!"
Malika felt his hand collide with her cheek. She placed her hand to her cheek. "Never call me that."
"Let me go." She said as she tried to pull from his grasp.
"No. I am not finished!"
"Do go on then!"
"If you weren't pregnant then this would never have happened!"
"So it is my fault! Let me explain the process of conceiving Erik...first a man and a woman get together and then they have sex and then they have a baby. A woman cannot have a baby by herself. God didn't want it that way!"
He growled loudly then finally said coldly, "Only whores get pregnant."
"Then you must believe all women to be whores...why don't you go back to the whore who was pleasuring you and allow her to perform my duties for you."
"Jealous?"
"Of a maid?"
"Yes!"
She pulled his mask off and threw it against the wall. "Do tell me Erik. What are my duties!"
He growled loudly, "You are to take care of the household and foremost, me!"
"Selfish bastard!"
He slapped her again sending her flying against one of her bedposts. Erik immediately regretted doing so. She looked at him with sad and hurt eyes. Tears fell down her cheeks as she cried out, "I can't believe how cruel you are! I can't believe you would betray me. I want to die! Leave me alone!"
Erik felt terrible all of the sudden. What had he done? How could he hurt his wife so badly? He turned away silently and left the room. After shutting the door he could hear her cries of anguish and despair.
xxxx
Erik realized on his way back to his room that he had forgotten to get his mask. He sighed loudly and turned around to go back to her room. What had he done? He kept repeating this like a mantra. He felt terrible for hurting her in the way he did. He slowed his strides as he approached her room and slowly opened the door. He found his wife sleeping on the bed, curled in a fetal position.
"Oh Cherie...I would take it back if I could." Erik whispered softly. He sighed softly then walked over to where his mask lay and picked it up. He heard what sounded like the mattress shifting. He looked up to see her sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Why?" She asked as she stared at the wall.
"I cannot explain why Malika. I am a bad husband and a weak man."
Malika turned her head to stare at him. "I begged you to come to me if you needed me Erik. I love you and I will always do whatever I can to relieve your pain. You know that."
"I was a fool."
"You can say that again." She muttered quietly.
"Forgive me." He pleaded with her as he took her hand in his.
"I don't know if I can." She suddenly pulled him against her, his arms wrapped around her waist. "Why Erik!" She burst out in tears. He felt her bury her head against his shoulder.
"Please cherie...forgive me. I am sorry." He nuzzled her neck softly while reaching up to stroke her hair softly.
"I don't know if I can forgive you."
"What can I do to gain your trust? I will do anything."
"Fire that maid." She said bitterly. "Then...I don't know. Let me think for a while."
"I will do anything for you. I will do anything to regain your trust cherie." Erik told her then kissed her cheek softly. Malika pulled away from him.
"Don't. I do not want to be touched right now."
He pulled away from her as she regarded him with sad and bitter eyes. "I am sorry."
"Please leave me alone for a while."
He nodded then turned and left the room. Once outside he put on his mask and began walking off to go fire the maid.
Author's Note # 2: Thank you for the reviews. I appreciate it.