I do not own any of the characters from The Phantom of the Opera, although I do rather enjoy borrowing them from time to time.
A/N Thanks for all of the name suggestions, quite a lot of you chose Madeline from Susan Kay's Phantom. But I went with a name that at least to me sounded very haughty and pretentious, Simone; a big thank you to Pertie for her idea. As always thank you for taking the time to read and review, we passed the 100 mark!
Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!
Author - ToryD
Beta – Potosynthesis (Back from vacation! Yea!)
Choices
Chapter 6
"Oh… my… God!" Meg said a little too loudly as she grabbed Christine's hand to get a better look at the engagement ring. "This thing must be worth a fortune!"
"Meg." Christine admonished her friend softly as she found herself the focus of the entire cafeteria.
"Well, gee Christine, it's not everyday I get to see a ring like that." Meg said with a small amount of hurt in her voice.
Christine felt instantly guilty for chastising her excited friend. "I'm sorry Meg; I just don't want everyone to know just yet."
Meg, taking a bite of her tofu and watercress sandwich frowned at Christine's statement. "But why? I mean you are marrying one of the worlds most sought after bachelors. He's rich and handsome, well at least the part we can see is handsome. And did I say that he is rich?" She said with mischievous gleam in her eyes.
"It's not that, I haven't had the opportunity to tell Raoul yet." She said with an anxious expression on her face.
Meg who had just taken a bite of her sandwich started to choke as she processed Christine's words. "Christine…" Reaching for her bottle of spring water, she took a drink to dislodge the lump of tofu that had gotten stuck in her throat. "What are you thinking? You have to tell him before he hears it from someone else!"
"I know, I know! He just left the country and won't be back until next week. It's not like I can tell him over the phone." Christine said with a distraught tone.
Meg shook her head at the impossible situation that her friend had gotten herself into. "I don't normally condone a breakup over the phone, but in this case, I think you had better break the news to Raoul before he reads it in one of the gossip rags."
Nodding her head Christine agreed that it was just a matter of time before the press got wind of her and Erik's engagement. "Yes, you're right. I will call him this evening. Oh God Meg, he is going to be so hurt."
"Better to hear it from you though Christine." Meg said softly.
Christine gave her friend a sad smile as they both turned their attention back to the lunch that neither of them felt like eating.
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"I want to meet with all of the executives of Daae Industries this afternoon, make the necessary arrangements." Erik instructed Nadir as he crossed the lobby of his US headquarters.
So, Erik's plan had worked and now that the young Ms. Daae had consented to become his bride, Erik was on the warpath to rescue Daae Industries, Nadir thought to himself. "Do you want them here or for us to go there?"
Erik considered Nadir's question. "Hmm, better make it here; we wouldn't want them to be too comfortable on their home turf. Also get me all of the financials on the company for the past year."
"You got it boss." Nadir said as he enjoyed seeing Erik once again in command.
Erik smiled a calculating and menacing smile. "It is time to shake up the powers that be over at Daae Industries."
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Cara threw off her down comforter to storm to the door to her apartment. "GO AWAY!" She shouted through the door at the unwanted visitor.
Janelle looked sideways at Marcel, her very flamboyant gay male friend. "Looks like we need an intervention here." She said raising one of her perfectly arched eyebrow.
"Girl, you never said anything more true in your life." Marcel responded with a bobbing of his flawlessly styled shoulder length hair.
Raising her expertly manicured hand, she knocked again. "Cara, honey it's me, Janelle. Marcel is with me. Please open the door."
Cara gasped, as she looked at herself in the mirror, for the reflection bore little resemblance to her normally stunning appearance. "Well that's what getting dumped will do for you." She said sadly at her reflection. Reaching out she unlocked the door to allow her friends to see the devastation that Erik Desmond had caused.
Janelle put her hand to her mouth to hold in the cry of shock that threatened to escape at her friend's appearance. "Oh Cara," she said sadly as she embraced the broken young woman.
Cara instantly began to sob uncontrollably. "I really loved him Janelle. Why didn't he love me?" She asked a drivel of mucus began to run from her nose causing Marcel to wince in disgust.
Janelle gave Marcel a scowl as she gently led the distressed Cara to the soft white leather couch. "Oh honey, Erik Desmond is a complete idiot to not see what a gorgeous woman you are."
Marcel had to turn away to hide his amusement, for the last thing that Cara looked like in her wrinkled flannel nightgown with her hair shooting in several different directions was a gorgeous woman.
Janelle looked up to find Marcel with his back to her; she also noticed that his shoulders appeared to be shaking. Rage filled her at his insensitivity. "Marcel!" She said with a little more force than necessary. "Find Cara a tissue."
Marcel quickly went in search of the requested item as fast as his seven hundred dollar tasseled loafers would take him.
With Marcel out of her way for a minute, Janelle turned her full attention back to Cara. "Now you listen to me. You are going to go and take a shower and we will all go to Saks for a complete day of beauty. All on me of course…well on Victor's credit card I should say." She said as she thought of her very generous lover.
Cara shook her head. "No, I don't want to go out. I just want my Erik back." Her voice broke on his name and she once again dissolved into a sobbing heaping mass of a heartbroken female.
Unfortunately, this was the sight that greeted the already amused Marcel as he entered the room with the previously mentioned tissue dangling from his thumb and forefinger. Just as the uncontrollable laughter was about to erupt he was effectively silenced with one ominous look from Janelle. He mouthed the word 'Sorry" as he approached the two women.
"Marcel, I was just telling Cara about our plans for the spa." She said as she gave him a look to try to persuade the distraught Cara.
"Oh yes Cara, I have it all planned." Marcel oozed with enthusiasm. 'First we will all have a massage, and then we will indulge in a facial, followed by a mani and pedi. And then we will have our hair and makeup done. Doesn't that sound just fabulous?" He said as he shook out his professionally highlighted tresses.
Cara looked up with a sad little expression on her blotchy face. "I could use a manicure." She said in a quite tone.
Janelle hugged her friend. "Good, you go and shower while Marcel and I make the arrangements."
"Ok" Cara said as she made her way towards the bedroom.
Once Janelle heard the shower running she turned on Marcel. "How could you laugh at her?" She said through her tightly clenched teeth.
Marcel at least had the good grace to look ashamed of himself. "I said I was sorry. But Janelle honey, you have to admit that with that snot running out of her nose, she was the farthest thing from gorgeous."
Janelle tried to stay angry with her friend but found the picture that Marcel had just painted was too comical to resist. "Ok, you're right! But still she is our friend and she needs our help right now."
"Oh girl, I'm all for helping her. But you seem to have forgotten something." He said as he reached into his green Isaac Mizrahi jacket and pulled out the clipping from today's Page Six column, which headline read, 'He's taken girls…Billionaire Erik Desmond to wed Christine Daae'.
Janelle closed her eyes at the offending column. "Put that away!" She yelled at Marcel. "She can't handle that right now."
Marcel carefully folded the clipping to return it to his inside jacket pocket. "That well maybe, but have you considered what it will do to her if she hears it talked about in the spa." Marcel said with triumphant glee.
"Shit!" Janelle jumped to her feet to begin to pace the length of Cara's high-rise apartment. "I have to tell her. Damn that Erik Desmond!"
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Erik exited his executive conference room leaving twenty-two men and three women behind, each still sitting in stunned silence and fearing for their jobs at Daae Industries. Erik allowed himself a slight smile as he entered his private office with Nadir close on his heels.
Nadir had seen Erik in action before, but the performance he had just witnessed would surly never be topped. "Don't you think that you were a bit hard on them?" He asked.
Erik sat down behind his desk and accessed his email. "No, they are responsible for running Daae Industries into the ground. I believe that I was somewhat lenient with them. After reviewing their grievous expense reports and outlandish salaries, I think that they are all lucky to still have a job."
Nadir shook his head. "Ok boss, what's next?"
Erik considered his next move. Now that he had a handle on Daae Industries, he needed to move forward with Christine. "Send Christine three dozen red roses. Have the card signed 'Dinner tonight. Will pick you up at 8:30. Erik.'"
Nadir was shaking his head. "You know Erik; you really are an arrogant bastard."
Erik merely laughed at his assistant's characterization.
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Christine was running late after an unexpected meeting with one of her student's mothers. As she passed the security desk, she waved to Sam.
Sam watched as Christine rushed past him. "Ms. Christine, we have a delivery for you." He called after her.
Christine retraced her steps towards the security station and waited for Sam to return from the small office behind his station. All she saw was a large and beautifully arranged bouquet of stunning red long stem roses.
Sam peaked around the large arrangement. "Someone must think your something special Ms. Christine." He said with an amused tone.
Smiling she took the unwieldy vase and turned towards the elevators. "Thanks Sam." Finally managing to get her flowers into her apartment, she reached for the card. "Dinner tonight. Pick you up at 8:30. Erik" she read aloud. "Just who does he think he is?" She said in an annoyed voice. Looking at her watch, she saw that it was already 7:00. "Damn you Erik! Well you are just going to have to wait. I need to put things right with Raoul first." Sinking into the soft suede covered chair she closed her tired eyes and tried to think of a way to tell Raoul that she was to marry Erik.
Sighing resignedly, she reached for her phone. Dialing Raoul's cell phone, she half hoped that he wouldn't answer. Of course, he answered on the second ring.
"Christine, I have been so worried since I talk to you last. Please tell me what is going on." He asked anxiously from the other side of the world.
Christine silently cursed Erik and his interference in her life. "Raoul, I have something to tell you." She paused as she tried to gather the courage to hurt one of the few people in the world who truly loved her.
Raoul frowned at her nervous tone. "Christine, you're scaring me. Please just tell me what's wrong."
Christine felt as if she were breaking in two as she continued with her next sentence. "Oh Raoul, I don't know how to say this." She paused as the tears began to fill her eyes. "I have agreed to marry Erik Desmond." She whispered into the phone.
Sinking onto the hotel room bed, Raoul felt as if someone had punched him in his stomach. "Erik Desmond!" He yelled the name into the phone. "What in hell are you talking about Christine? When I left you two days ago you said you only were acquainted with him, and now you are going to marry him?"
Christine felt her heart stop at the pain and anger in his voice. "I'm so sorry Raoul. I never meant for you to be hurt." She said in a tortured whisper.
Raoul gave a humorless laugh. "Hurt Christine, you never meant for me to be hurt." He paused as he let the anger at her betrayal take full reign. "You were going to be my wife Christine! You were going to be the mother to my children! Hurt Christine, you don't know the meaning of the word." He spat into the phone.
Christine put her hand to her mouth to hold in her anguished cry. "Please Raoul, let me explain. I…"
"Explain Christine?" He asked in a menacing tone. "Explain how you lied when you promised me that we would share our lives together? Hmm, or explain how that you don't even have the decency to tell me to my face? Is that what you want to explain?"
Christine was sobbing into the phone. "Oh Raoul, please…I'm so sorry."
Raoul closed his eyes against the tears that were threatening to fall. "I can't talk to you right now. I…I just can't." He said in such a dejected tone that Christine began to fear for him.
"No, don't hang up. Raoul…wait" the only answer to her plea was the soft click of Raoul's phone and then the unmistakable sound of a dial tone. "Oh God, no." She whispered as she looked at the phone in her hand. Pushing the button to disconnect her phone she sank down onto her floor and began to cry for the bright future she was to share with her sweet Raoul. A future that was now nothing more than a fleeting unattainable dream.
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Cara threw the glass across the room to smash into her marble fireplace. "Who the fuck is Christine Daae?" She sneered at her two friends.
Janelle watched as Cara digested the news of Erik's upcoming nuptials. "She is apparently the daughter of some construction magnet." She said with a sigh.
Marcel frowned at a smudge on his newly manicured hand. "He died very recently; there was an article about him in the Sunday newspaper. I believe that there was a picture of Christine in it." He informed the other two women.
Cara all but plowed over Janelle to reach the stack of papers that were piled neatly next to the sofa. "Here, look for the article." She said as she handed Janelle a section of the Sunday paper.
Janelle thumbed through the society pages quickly. "Here it is!" She cried excitedly earning a cross look from Cara.
Cara pulled the paper from her friend's hands to look into the face of her new enemy. "So, this stupid little twit is the one who stole Erik from me." She said in a hate-filled tone.
Janelle and Marcel both jumped to either side of Cara to get a better view of Christine. "She looks very young." Marcel said as he looked upon the smiling young woman in the picture.
Janelle though that the girl in the picture was quite breathtaking, not that she voiced her opinion.
"Fucking bitch!" Cara yelled as she tore the paper into several pieces. "She will not have him. He is mine!"
Janelle and Marcel exchanged a look of concern for their anger-filled friend. "Cara, you need to calm down and think for a moment."
Cara scowled at Janelle. "Calm down! Would you be so calm if it was Victor that Little Miss Fucking Bitch Daae set her sights on? Hmm?" She questioned viciously.
Janelle gave Cara a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry Cara, of course you are upset. All I am saying is that you need to think calmly before you do anything to jeopardize your relationship with Erik."
"Relationship? What relationship? He fucking dumped me for that little bitch!" Cara said sarcastically.
Janelle and Marcel each took one of Cara's arms and led her over to the sofa. Gently pushing her down, they each took their position at her side. Marcel and Janelle exchanged a knowing smile. "Cara girl," Marcel started. "You may not think you have a relationship with Erik and he might not think that you have a relationship with him. But honey, the mistress always has the power over the wife."
Cara gave him a look of annoyance. "What in the hell are you talking about?"
Marcel looked offended by her tone.
Janelle grasped Cara's hand to bring the angry woman's attention back to her. "Cara, what Marcel is trying to say is that you have the upper hand here. This Christine looks as though she has no clue how to handle someone like Erik. He will be bored with her within a month of their marriage. So when he tires of the wholesome Christine, you will be there ready to take your rightful place."
Marcel voiced his opinion on the matter. "In the mean time, we need to learn everything we can about your competition. Find out her weaknesses. And of course you will need to find a stud to make Mr. Desmond jealous."
"Are you on good terms with any of Erik's staff? We could use some inside help as to his schedule." Janelle said thinking ahead.
Cara smiled for the first time in the last two days. She could do this. She could bide her time and win Erik back. "I do have one or two people I could call on."
Janelle and Marcel each gave each other a calculating look. "Ooh, let operation Oust the Wifey begin!" Marcel said with a cackling laugh.
Cara smiled at her friends. "I couldn't agree more. Time to plan the demised of little Miss Daae."
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Erik stood at the security desk in Christine's building awaiting her permission to come up.
Sam frowned at the sound of Christine's voice. "Ms. Christine, is everything alright?" He questioned.
Erik frowned as he overheard the security guards question. "Please…, allow me to speak with her."
Sam handed the phone over to the mysterious half-masked man.
"Christine, is everything all right?" He questioned sharply into the phone.
Christine felt her heart race at the concern in Erik's voice. "I'm fine. I just need to be by myself tonight." She said in a brave voice.
Erik tightened his hand on the phone. "Christine…" he said in an exasperated tone.
Christine closed her eyes, as she knew that he would not leave her alone so easily. "Ok, you can come up for just a few minutes. Give the phone back to Sam, and I'll tell him to let you up."
Erik handed the phone back to the big guard who was looking at him as though he was a criminal.
"Ok, Ms. Christine." He said before he hung up the phone. "She said you can go on up."
"Thank you." Erik said through his clenched teeth.
Erik pushed the elevator up button with a little more force than necessary. As the elevator carried him up the eight floors to Christine's apartment, he drew in a deep breath to try to calm his temper that was threatening to spiral out of control. Walking quickly to her door, he knocked to announce his arrival.
Christine crossed the room to open the door to the man who had caused her so much pain.
Erik took one look into her sad face and felt all of his anger wash away. "Christine," he whispered reverently.
Christine burst into tears as she heard her name on his perfect lips.
Erik quickly gathered her into his arms and held her tightly against him as she cried. He silently cursed himself for bringing her this pain, but as he cursed himself, he realized that he was as helpless as she to prevent the unstoppable force that had brought them together. Therefore he did all that he could for her, which was to simply hold her, while she poured out her grief at the unjustness of it all.
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A/N I think I love writing Marcel more than Cara! Just a small note…I will be raising the rating to an M soon, hope that won't offend anyone. I think that this story definitely warrants a deeper look into Erik and Christine's relationship. Please let me know what you think in the reviews. Thanks!