The phantom's daughter

Chapter thirty seven

"What?" Erik asked, taken by surprise. Victoria looked at him in all seriousness. "How do you know about how that?"

"Don't change the subject." She clenched her fists in anger. "Did you kill Stephan Thompson because you wanted to punish me for being with him and Elijah when I was supposed to be home?" She held her ground. Erik looked at her in surprise, a look Victoria tried to figure if it was surprise that she would accuse him of such a crime, or surprise that she figured it out all by herself. His silence gave her the answer she needed. "Why papa?" She asked, her tone shifting completely from anger to hurt.

"They were going to take you away from me." He took a step toward her, but she backed away from with each step he took. "I couldn't let that happen. You're all I have left in this damned world Mon ange." He practically begged.

"The only person who would make me leave you, is you papa." Victoria's jaw clenched slightly. "You can't shelter me from the world and expect me to become my own person." She stepped closer to him. "What happened when you get older, or if you were to die? What would happen then? You won't be there to protect me then." She held her head in her hands, feeling a little light headed. Erik went to step forward to help her but she pushed him away.

"Victoria, let me help you." He told her, he looked as though he was crying, but his face was hidden behind his mask.

"No!" She yelled. "I can take care of myself, and I don't need your help anymore!" She yelled again, her voice echoing. Erik's tears stopped suddenly and were replaced by anger.

"You think you can survive in this world on your own? Then good luck." He snapped. "You think he'll be there for you? Well I have news for you little one, he won't be there. The only people, people like us can depend on, are ourselves." He gritted his teeth, Victoria tried to think of something to say, but nothing came to her.

"You don't know that." She finally said.

"Oh, I don't?" He laughed humorlessly. "What about that village you went to on your 16th birthday?" He asked.

"You mean the one you lied to me about?" She asked, hostility in her voice. "I know about everything, how could you do that to me?" It was her turn to start crying. "You know what that did to me!" She cried.

"It was the only way to protect you." He tried to explain, his voice softened again.

"From what? You paid them to say those horrid things to me!" She didn't bother to wipe away the many tears that rolled down her cheeks. "The only thing I need protection from is you!" She finally yelled. Erik stopped in his tracks, as if Victoria had slammed him with a sack of bricks.

"None of this would have happened if you hadn't wanted to leave." He said after a few minutes of silence. "Didn't I tell you not to go out? Didn't I?" He looked directly at her.

"You did... You did..." She opened her mouth to say more, but he cut her off.

"Didn't I say the world was cruel? Didn't I?" He argued.

"You did, you did." She tried to fight more but he wouldn't let her.

"Then tell me how this happened, what I did wrong? Tell me, why?" He hissed under his breath. "Can we just go home and forget this dreadful night?" He practically begged, he tried to reach out and touch her face, but she backed away from him again.

"Didn't you say that you were different? Didn't you?" She turned on him. She remembered the stories she was told by the workers of the opera house, about a ghost who used to terrorize it. She never thought it could have been her own father.

"I am...I am... "He began to backpedal.

"Say you aren't that person, say it..." She hissed, stepping toward him.

"I am...I am..." He repeated, looking down.

"Then tell me how to act, Papa." She stepped up to him and lifted his chin so he'd look at her. "What to say, Papa? Tell me, why? All you've ever told me, every word is a lie!" She pushed him, but he only stumbled back a few steps. "Didn't you say that you'd protect me? Didn't you!?"

"I tried... I tried..." He looked defeated.

"Is that how you'd help me? Is it?" She hovered her hand over her neck in a strangling like motion.

"I tried! I tried!" He attempted to defend himself.

"Don't help me anymore, Papa. You are dead, Papa, in my eyes!" She held her hair in her hands tightly to try and relieve some of the stress. "Someone has replaced you. Papa, I hate you! Go and die!" She screamed, kicking over a music stand and storming out through the way he had come in.

"Didn't I build a house? A home? Didn't I?!" He yelled, even though she wasn't there.

'You did... You did...'

"Didn't I raise her all alone? Didn't I?" He growled, feeding his anger.

'You did... You did...'

"Then Elijah took her from me! Stole my Victoria, he's to blame! Have I failed my daughter? Then let the father die, and let the monster rise!" He looked around, opening one of draws of a nightstand and pulled out a rope, then left without another word.

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Author's note:

Oh my goodness has it really been over a month since I've updated??? Time really does fly, but I don't know why I'm so surprised since I suck at updating this story. Anyway 7 chapters left! Don't forget to vote and or comment on what you liked about the chapter/ story so far. See you in the next update, whenever that may be.