Erik yelled for Squelch and Dr. Gangle. Christine was surprised at how fast the two men came calling. She wondered how they had all met and made a mental note to ask Erik at another time.

"Bring Giry here to me. Now!"

They only bowed their heads and left as quickly as they arrived.

Moments later, Madame Giry was dragged into the office.

"What is the meaning of this?! I am not one of your clowns that you can have manhandled!"

Erik ignored her ranting and told the men to leave. He then shook his head at Madame Giry. "Tell me what kind of a mother are you?" How could you know what was going on with Meg and never tell me, much less allow such a thing to happen? Did you really think I would want that of her or of anyone? I sold my soul and my self-respect when we came here to make our way but I never asked that of either of you, nor would I have wanted that! I would never have dreamed of such a thing. Even a monster such as myself knows better but you…...You are supposed to be the respected one. How can you still stand to look at yourself?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know, Giry! I know all about how we managed to get supplies on time, even when the bills were paid late. I know about all the permits and inspections that were cast aside and yet we still remained opened for business. You used your own flesh and blood as a bargaining chip. You whored her to the highest bidder and for what? So she could dance in a vaudeville show? So you could go about pretending you still had influence and authority? Pretending that I needed your skills far too much to ever do this alone?"

"I never did any of those things! You think I would use my child like that? We came here for you. I gave up everything and this is how I am repaid?"

"No more of your lies, woman!" Erik stopped himself from tearing her limb from limb. He knew the only reason he was refraining himself was because Christine was there watching it all. "If that was what was needed to make this place a success, I would have burned the park down myself. Besides, we don't need those deals and favors anymore! Phantasma is a real operation and will be managed properly moving forward."

"By whom? You and that little girl, Molly? You may have the brains but not the charms, Erik and that girl is a fool. She will be eaten for breakfast the first time the bills fall late."

"It won't work. I won't fall for this again. You were supposed to be my friend. Instead you have used my fears and my deformity to hold me prisoner. No, I wasn't in a cage but you kept me chained. You made it seem as if they would be more lenient with a woman and a child and to let you feel useful again. I fell for it then because of our past but no more. As of today, my debt to you is paid in full."

"Who do you think you are? You are a freak of nature. A child of the streets and sewers. You would have died years ago if I hadn't rescued you and given you shelter from the world." She then looked over at Christine. "You never would have found your precious little angel, if not for me either."

"Don't you dare speak her name or even look at her. This is between us." Erik warned.

"You are not a father. You know nothing of what someone will do just so their child can get what they think will make them happy. Meg made her choices. I did not condone any of them."

"But you knew what she was doing! Why didn't you ever tell me? Good God, did you encouraged her?"

"What would you have done? Would you have even heard me? Since when do you care about Meg's virtue? All you ever cared about was Christine. It's been this way since she was a child. I told you, Erik that people matter. All people, not just the ones who you deemed as worthy."

She scoffed. "Now because you have had a few weeks of playing family man with the Vicomte's wife and son you think you know what it is like to be a parent? You haven't the faintest idea. To stand by and watch your child make mistake after mistake and find it in yourself to still love them even though you can't bear to look at them anymore! Knowing it was your choices that drove them down to such a path of self-loathing. All she ever wanted was your favor and what did I do? I told her to do whatever she could to stand out to you. Well, has she stood out to you now, Erik?"

"You can't possible mean that she…"

"She idolized you. She would have done anything to seek your approval. She cried and cried for months to me, wondering what she could do to even get you to come and watch her perform."

The left side of Erik's face went pale. "I….I never meant to hurt her. I stayed out her way because I didn't want to scare her. I gave her the lead because…."

"You wanted to appease her but not because you thought her worthy. You gave her crumbs, while you saved all the glorious feasts for Christine."

Erik swallowed hard. "That does not condone her actions or your part in them."

"There you go again. The only means that justify the ends are yours. Ten years and you have learned nothing. You still have no heart. You have no home and you will never have a face."

Unable to stay silent any longer, Christine stood up and shouted. "Shut your mouth, right now you wicked old, goat! Shut your mouth or I will!"