When I Hear You Sing.(Phantom Of The Opera)

Chapter 19- Try And Claim Me Now.

Christine Daae

     "Christine, what's wrong?"

"I'm not staying here with you, Erik. Not after what you did."

     "What did I do, exactly?" Was he an idiot? Did he think I would just completely forget that he betrayed me?

       "Oh, nothing. You just completely ruined our entire family. You've ruined our lives, Erik! I will forever be known as Erik Destler's poor wife. Oh, pity her! Honestly Erik, what were you thinking?" I cried.

      "I only left-"

       "Oh, I know why you left! I know! Don't tell me why you left because I know exactly why, Erik! I know everything! I read everything, and then I burned it," I retorted.

     "You burnt what exactly?" His eyes now filled with worry.

     "Every letter you sent me! I burned them because they were nothing but a bunch of lies! You never loved me! It was just some- some facade!" I burst into tears. My heart was already broken entirely. What else could I lose? Suddenly he grabbed my arms, making me face him.

     "Where did you burn these things? Why?" His voice sounded hurt. I didn't care. Let him have a taste of his own medicine.

      "Th- the music room. Let go of me!" I managed to pull myself out of his grasp, panting from the struggle. He swung the door to the music room open, running down the stairs. I followed him. I definitely wanted to see this.

       He gasped, staring at the ripped music sheets, and the thrown ones, and really the entire mess. He turned to me, a sudden fire in his eyes.

       "Why would you do this?" He growled. His hands were holding onto my arms. It hurt. I knew it would bruise. Erik never got this angry, not since that night at the opera house in his lair. I whimpered. "Answer me!"

      "Because of you! This is what you did to me! This is what you did to us," I wailed.

       "What did I do?" He asked, angrier this time.

        "You know what you did!" I screamed.

          "God damnit, Christine! Tell me! I can't do anything if you don't tell me what the hell I did to deserve any of this!" His hands held tighter. I was reluctant to tell him he was hurting me, afraid that he'd be glad.

      "Stop playing stupid, Erik, please! It is enough that you did it! I don't even want to say it! I can't say it! I don't want it to be true!" By now, I was a sobbing mess.

       "Christine, I am NOT playing stupid! I have no idea what I did and it doesn't help that you aren't telling me!" I couldn't take the pain anymore.

       "Let go of me, Erik! You're hurting me," I begged. His eyes became softer, and he released me. Suddenly, a cry came from upstairs. My daughters. Erik glanced at me as I ran up the stairs. He  quickly followed behind me.

       I ran into the nursery, frantic to calm my child down. It was Harmony that was crying. Presley lay content, smiling at me with her green eyes. Her eyes looked just like her grandfather's, and for that, I was grateful. It was like I had a little piece of him with me everyday.

      "Hush, Harmony, it's alright. Mother's here," I cooed.

"Th-Those are-"

"Your daughters, yes," I said simply,"This is Harmony, and she is Presley. Gustave chose the name. I thought it was beautiful."

"Very." He walked over to Presley's crib. "May I hold her?"

"Of course," I nodded. He slowly picked her up, pure joy spreading across his face.

"She's perfect," he murmured. I replied with a stiff nod. He could tell I was still upset. "Let's go talk in the living room."

"Alright." We put the children back in their cribs and walked out.

"Are you ever going to tell me what I did that hurt you so badly?" He put his hand on my shoulder, and I quickly brushed it off.

"I don't understand why you are pretending as if you didn't write me an entire letter about it," I murmured.

"I wrote a letter?"

"Could you be any more stupid, Erik? Honestly, stop this! Yes, you did write me a letter. And a pamphlet. And you know damn well what it's about!" Anger raged inside of me.

"Please, Christine. Just tell me. Help me understand what I did." His words left me defenseless. I started sobbing. This wasn't anger. This was heartbreak. Pure and unadulterated heartbreak.

"You slept with another girl. You loved another girl. I wasn't enough. I just wasn't." I started to hyperventilate. Erik hushed me, pulling me into his arms. I tried to push myself away from him, but he kept his arms locked around me.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Christine. I truly don't. I love you, and only you. You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. You are the only one who ever will. I love you more than life itself. Please, please listen to me, Christine. I love you. I love you. I wouldn't do that to you. Other women are nothing compared to the absolute angel that you are. I love you, Christine. I love you." It broke my heart. He can't say these words to me. It is all lies. All of it. He betrayed me. He betrayed me.

"No. You really don't." I was being harsh, but it was needed.

"But I-"

"No, Erik. You can't deny the letter. It happened. Don't lie to me anymore. I don't want to hear from you anymore. I don't want to see your face, besides when you get to see the children. I've been put through enough hell from you. I can't let you hurt me like this. I just can't anymore, Erik. I'm tired. I am so, so tired." I wasn't angry. I wasn't feeling anything anymore. I felt absolutely nothing.

"Christine, what are you saying?"

"I think you know what I'm saying, Erik."

"Please elaborate."

"I want a divorce, Erik."