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No Easy Way	By : secretlysecretly Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 7568 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 34
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Chapter 35

Marianne returned to her home as the day was dawning, the sky painted with silver hues as she wiped the tears from her eyes dejectedly. She doubted anyone would be awake at this hour but she couldn’t take any chances. After all, she was supposed to beam with joy now that she was betrothed to the dashing Baron Dervaux.

She was abhorred at the notion that she would have to smile for the whole world to see while she felt like her breath would die out at the thought of her breakup with Erik, but she knew it had to be done in order to keep Olivier satisfied and Erik safe from the Baron’s venomous rage. She sighed as she entered the house and felt her stomach cramp as she slowly made her way up the stairs which led to her bedroom. She hastened her pace as she felt a wave of nausea engulf her and ran the rest of the way, making it to her bathroom just in time to empty her stomach of its contents. Following to her ordeal, she washed her face and mouth clean and, unable to stand anymore, crumpled in a heap on the bathroom tiles, sobbing miserably in light of her twisted fate.

That was were Louise found her, seemingly hours later, running to her mistress’ side to help her to her feet, asking whether she was alright. Dismissing the girl with a slight nod, Marianne allowed the maid to help her back to her bed where she lied down, asking the girl to close the drapes and let her rest for a while.

“My lady, Baron Dervaux is downstairs and he has asked for you to join him.” Louise informed her timidly.

“Olivier is here? What time is it Louise?” she asked in a disoriented manner.

“It is well past ten Mademoiselle. Shall I inform the Baron that you are not feeling well?”

“No Louise. Ask Gerard to lead him to the salon and then please come back to help me dress.”

“Certainly Mademoiselle.” the girl said as she curtsied before her and ran off to follow her mistress’ instructions.

Some time later, Marianne was sitting at her vanity table, staring at her reflection in the mirror, wondering whether this was to be her life from now on. Would she be at Olivier’s beck and call at a snap of his fingers, despite the disgust she felt rise in her at the mere thought of seeing him again? How could she bind her life with a man she despised with her heart and soul?

Her mind kept screaming at her to run back to Erik, to care for him now that he was injured, to tell him she loved him and that it had all been a lie as she only meant to save him from the deranged man who was at that very moment waiting for her downstairs, but she knew that was not an option. With a sigh she stood from her seat and opened the door, walking down the stairs that would lead her to the man she had only contempt for.

She entered the salon and found Olivier standing by the window, waiting with his back turned to her and his hands in his pockets. He didn’t turn to look back at her, but his voice held a distinct harshness to it as he spoke.

“So kind of you to join me my love. I trust you had a good night’s rest?”

When she did not respond, Olivier slowly turned and fixed his gaze to hers, irony flashing in his eyes. “What is it my love? Won’t you run to your future husband and greet him with a kiss?”

Still Marianne wouldn’t speak, merely standing there trying to appear calm as she took in the false smile which curved his lips. He took his hands out of his pockets and made his way to her side with slow, predatory steps, circling her as a panther would its prey.

“I am afraid this will not do Marianne. You simply cannot go on without speaking to me because you blame me for breaking your bond with a mad beast. I am doing you a favor my dear. I am saving you from your own foolish self.”

“He is not a beast Olivier; you are!”

“A funny little impression that you insist upon I see…” he spoke with deceptive serenity as he grasped a handful of her hair between his fingers and let them fall back upon her shoulders. “You will have to rid yourself of such foolish notions if we are to ever find happiness together my darling.” he continued. “Otherwise, I fear you shall not be entirely happy with our arrangement…”

“Our arrangement? What arrangement is that Olivier? Do you not see that you will only make me hate you if you insist upon this ridiculous game of control you are on? Do you wish for an unwilling wife who will despise you every day for the rest of her life? Don’t you see that I only love Erik? My devotion lies with him and that is where it will remain until my dying day!” she cried, trying to make him understand.

In a split second, the hand that up to that moment had been stroking her hair softly tugged painfully at her curls, eliciting a yelp of pain from her lips.

“I have told you before Marianne. Don’t try my patience or I will not be responsible for my actions!” he yelled in her face. “I am doing this for your own good and, for the life of me, I cannot understand how you can still care for that monster, knowing what he is capable of!” he spat with venom.

“Olivier please…” she tried to reason with him.

“Shut up!” he yelled as he held her firmly in place with his one hand entangled in her hair and his other palm stroke her hardly on the cheek. “He is a monster Marianne! A murderer, a liar… he is…. a thing!” he cried, his voice scratchy as he yelled at the top of his lungs, trying to make her see things his way.

Unable to fight his venomous rage, Marianne simply stood there with a horrified look on her face, listening to her once childhood friend rant about how wrong Erik was for her. Tears ran down her cheeks and she stared at him blankly, too tired to fight him when he started yelling at her again for spending such a long time at Erik’s house the previous day.

“Why did you stay there so long Marianne? Was it so hard for you to say goodbye to your monster? What is it about him that makes it impossible for you to separate yourself from him? Did you tell him I’m forcing you to leave his side? Is that it?”

“No!” she cried in agony, frightened at the prospect of what Olivier was capable of in case he thought she had tried to warn Erik in any way.

“I meant it when I said I would kill him if ever you went back to him Marianne. Understand it when I say that I will stop at nothing to keep you away from that fiend!” he shouted furiously.

“I did no such thing Olivier! He was unconscious. I had to wait for him to wake up in order to do what you instructed me!” she vehemently tried to make him believe her. “It’s over! I told him so last night!”

“Damn right it’s over!” he growled with a sinister smile on his lips. He pulled her to him, embracing her reluctant form tightly, murmuring in her ear. “I love you Marianne. I know you hate me now but it’s going to be alright once you understand I am only doing this for your own good. That monster does not deserve you by any means and I will make sure he will never disturb you again. We are meant to be together my darling. Once you realize that, you will thank me for saving you from that deformed ogre.”

Hearing his disturbed ramblings, Marianne thought she could hear the iron gates to her cage close ominously around her. Olivier was dead set on keeping her away from Erik and he would use any means he had to fulfill his twisted goal. The thought instigated a flood of tears to run down her cheeks as for the first time in all these days she fully realized she was doomed to spend her remaining days by this man’s side.

Sobs wracked her body as she cried uncontrollably for all that had been lost to her. Her one time friend, the happiness she had fully embraced during the past few weeks she had spent in Erik’s arms, the man she had given her soul to… Dreams… all dreams which had turned into the hellish nightmare that had become her life.

She felt wooziness claim her senses and, before she knew what was happening, her body went limp in Olivier Dervaux’ arms.

When she woke up later she didn’t know how long she had been unconscious or how she had ended up in her bed beneath the covers, wearing nothing but her nightshift. Gazing out of the glass doors which led to her balcony, she realized it had to be early evening as she registered the first hues of twilight in the evening sky. Still dazed from her sleep, she turned to her side to make herself more comfortable and heard Olivier’s voice ring out in the stillness of the room.

“How could you do it?”

Turning her head to the direction of the sound emanating her senses, her gaze drifted to where Olivier was sitting by her bed, his expression grave as he waited for an answer from her. Clueless as to what he was referring to, she stared at him blankly for a few seconds.

“Don’t look at me with fake innocence you whore! How could you do it?” he demanded, regarding her with such loathing as if she were a piece of trash.

Knotting her brows in confusion, she ventured to speak. “Olivier, I don’t know what you are talking about…”

“Don’t lie to me you harlot! Don’t play the virgin maiden with me! You lost that right when you gave your body to that monster!” he screamed, standing abruptly from his seat.

The words hang between them for a few seconds as Marianne tried to understand how he had come upon this new piece of information and Olivier paced the floor furiously, searching for an outlet to his rage. When he realized she would not speak to him, he turned his attention back to her, fixing her with his gaze expectantly, but she met his eyes almost provocatively instead of looking down in shame as he had expected her to.

He strode over to stand by her bed, leaning over her and gripping her shoulders painfully, shaking her with all of the force he had in him.

“How?” he demanded indignantly. “How could you do it Marianne? How could you share your bed with that hideous creature? Did he even take his mask off when he was joining his flesh with yours? Were you able to look into that distorted face of his and still let his touch linger upon your flesh? What kind of perversion could ever consume you to make you succumb to his sick will?” he screamed furiously as he finally let go of her upper arms and shoved her limp body against the pillows.

“You are pregnant with his child Marianne. The doctor congratulated me on the wonderful news and threw snappy comments my way while he told me he had heard the rumors regarding our wedding and had been wondering why we were in such a hurry to wed, but as soon as he examined you and discovered you were with my child he understood. He winked at me and laughed good naturedly at our restlessness. I guess he was trying to make me feel better, seeing how pale I must have been at the time.”

At his words Marianne felt the blood drain from her face. Her mind immediately drifted back to Erik. He would become a father and he would never know. She knew he wanted a family more than anything and, unknowingly, she would be giving him the greatest gift he could ever ask for, only to snatch it away instantly. Perhaps Olivier wouldn’t make her do this! Perhaps now that she was bearing another man’s child he would come to his senses and do the only humane thing; allow her and Erik to raise their child together and leave them in peace. Hope glinted in her gaze for a second before it was shuttered with the words that left Olivier’s mouth.

“You will rid of his child the soonest possible.” he stated determinedly.

Marianne stared at him in horror, unable to speak for a few moments. Seizing the opportunity her silence presented him with, Olivier continued.

“I will not have you giving birth to that hideous creature’s bastard! I shall take you to a town far away from Rouen and make sure you vacate your body from that monster’s offspring.” His eyes glinted with determination which turned to pure hatred as Marianne gathered the courage to deny him.

“I will do no such thing!” she icily exclaimed. “I would rather die than kill by baby!” she hissed through her teeth.

“You would rather spare your bastard child and have its father killed by your own hand?” he inquired ironically.

“Erik’s blood will be on your hands Olivier and you know it! I would do anything in my power to see him safe from your mad quest for victory, but you have me bound with your outrageous demands of me. I even agreed to marry you to see him our of harm’s way and, while you know perfectly well I will abide to your sick wishes, you still have the gall to command me to rid of the child… HIS CHILD which I am bearing? I will not become a murderer to my own flesh and blood Olivier!” she screamed passionately. “This child is all I have left of him; the man I loved and still love with everything I have in me!” she cried, no longer able to keep all of the pent-up anger she had for Olivier inside of her.

He was standing close to her in an instant, grasping her shoulders in a deadly grip, beyond himself with anger at her words. “You dare defy my will when you have behaved like a common harlot with that monster you claim holds your heart?” he demanded, throwing her back against the mattress. “I will see you dead before I allow him to come one step near you, do you hear?” he cried hysterically, slapping her forcefully.

Instead of trying to appeal to his pity with tears though, Marianne spoke with absolute serenity, despite the searing pain she felt wash over her at his touch.

“Then you shall indeed see me dead before I allow you the satisfaction of taking my baby’s life. I will take my own life Olivier and you shall never find peace knowing you were my murderer. If you would rather see me dead than have me fulfill your sick fantasy of myself as your obedient little wife, go ahead and hurt my child or Erik; by all means.”

“You wouldn’t dare…” he whispered in astonishment at her words.

“Oh but I would my dear fiancé, and I have only you to thank for my determination. You have left me with no choice Olivier. Without Erik and the child that grows inside of me, I have nothing left to live for…”

Olivier stared at her, trying to decipher whether she had gone mad if she thought he would allow her to keep that monster’s child when Marianne spoke again.

“You said once that I am the only one who can bring you happiness Olivier. Well, I tell you now that you have been my doom. Isn’t it ironic how our fates are so closely wound together that you can do nothing anymore to make me surrender to your will but you will lead me to take my very life with your threats?”

Instead of answering her, Olivier slapped her again with all of his might, twisting his fingers through her hair to hold her into place while he repeatedly hit her almost maniacally. He did not seize his blows until she passed out, her head lolling against his hand. He let her motionless body fall to the bed and took a few steps back from her unconscious form.

How could she be so impertinent as to test his temper when her lover’s life was at risk? Was she daft to believe he would let her keep the child of that monster simply because she had threatened him to take her life? Although… he knew Marianne well enough to believe she would make good on her word to keep her baby safe. If she were to end her life, he would be left the sore loser. He wanted Marianne and he was determined to have her at all cost.

If it would take his endurance of her bastard child to keep her by his side, then he would grant her her wish; at least for now. After all, accidents were common among infants.

‘Let her have her precious baby; if nothing else, it will give me an excuse to expedite our wedding. Once she succumbs to me of her own free will, that child will die much like Marianne’s love for that demon will wither under the light of holy matrimony.’

When she regained consciousness, Marianne kept her eyes closed trying to appear asleep as she prepared herself to stand up to Olivier Dervaux no matter what he would do to her or how he would try to threaten her into submission. Although she was prepared to do anything to keep Erik safe, allowing the Baron to take her unborn child’s life was not an option for her. She would stand up to her nemesis and make sure he would understand he could never have her if he continued to insist on making a murderer out of her.

She heard someone clear their throat and, certain that it was Olivier, braced herself preparing for the battle that would surely follow. Looking around her apprehensively, she found him seated at his old spot, sitting serenely in an armchair at her bedside and smiling pleasantly at her. ‘He must be mad!’ were the only words that came to her mind as he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees to bring his head to her level.

“My sweet Marianne, I have contemplated carefully what you said to me and I must apologize to you. I was laboring under the light of my raging jealousy. You have to understand I almost lost my mind when I heard the doctor say you were with child; I never would have thought you would have given your body to anyone, let alone that devil, out of wedlock… Regardless, since I love you so much and since I am determined to make this work between us, I will abide to your wishes, although I have to admit I do not agree with you, and allow you to keep the baby you are carrying. Heaven forbid his offspring should bear the same facial deformity as its father; of course we will deal with such matters when and only if they should come to arise.”

Marianne stared at him in disbelief, unable to comprehend this change in his demeanor after the way he had repeatedly assaulted her earlier and speechless at his audacity to make it appear as if he were doing her a favor, saying she could keep the child that was growing inside of her. She knew there had to be a catch in this somewhere and waited with baited breath for Olivier to continue his little speech.

“You understand of course that this is a great sacrifice I am making for your sake, agreeing to raise a child that is not my own, especially when I am a sworn enemy to its father. Nevertheless, I can see how important this is for you so I will abide by your wishes to keep you happy. Of course, the way things turned out, our wedding will have to be rushed to take place before the end of this month. I propose for us to formally announce our engagement two weeks from now and marry by the end of the month, so that should give ample time to your cousin and his lovely bride to travel back to Rouen for the wedding. I believe you will be able to make all of the necessary arrangements for your wedding dress to be prepared and of course the wedding reception I will tend to myself.”

He stopped talking for a few seconds, waiting for a reaction from her but all Marianne did was nod numbly, so he carried on. “I have always been quite… shall we say traditional in my beliefs, so we shall refrain from any physical contact during the time of our short engagement. After all I am repelled, to say the least, by your body when I think of how you have shamelessly whored yourself to that beast. That is not to say we shall not enjoy the carnal pleasures of our marital bed once we are wed.” he lewdly proposed as he let his eyes roam over her scantily clad form.

Marianne looked away at his words, a lone tear trailing down her cheek at the thought of Olivier ravishing her body with his own. She had expected him to bring the matter up sooner or later, but hearing him speak so nonchalantly about such matters made her sick to her stomach. When he stood from his seat and came to stand above her by the bed, she closed her eyes trying to block his presence from her mind to retain some control.

His fingers on her jaw, pulling her head at his direction so that she would look at him, made her snap her eyes open in terror. What if he was only taunting her, giving her false hope that he would leave her be, only to rape her viciously moments later? Terrified, she met his eyes with hers, trying to read his intentions and found irony reflected there.

“When I am through with you Marianne you will be begging me to share my body with yours. Perhaps it is for the best that you rid of your virginity with that monster. I have always found that my needs are best met by the most experienced of whores.” he said, letting go of her and walking towards the door with a chuckle.
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No Easy Way