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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
- 36
- 37
- 38
Chapter 37

“I would prefer something more elegant for the occasion, Monsieur.” Olivier coolly informed the man who stood before him, holding a file which contained his plans for the engagement party. Marianne was looking absentmindedly out of the window, thinking to herself what a tragic joke Olivier’s behavior was.

The Baron turned towards his future bride and brought a pattern for a cake over to her so that she would choose for herself. The moment Olivier reached her, Marianne took a step back, shaken out of her reveries, frightened he would get violent again as her hands flew around her belly instinctively, the need to protect her baby imperative.

“Do not even think of creating a scene my dear or I assure you will regret it later…” he whispered, the threat clear in his voice, as he grabbed her lower arm tenaciously and held her firmly in place. “Which one do you prefer my love?” he inquired, raising his voice so that the caterer would hear him as well. “You have to choose now, so that Monsieur Cristof will be able to prepare the food arrangements in time.”

“I do not care…” Marianne managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. “I do not wish to choose anything for this charade…” her eyes darkened with fear mixed with anger. “And I am not ‘your love’!” she hissed between clenched teeth.

Olivier pulled her towards the next window, as if he were her enamored fiancé, anxious to discuss the matters of their engagement in a more private manner. “Be careful Marianne. I am afraid you do not understand who I am or what I am capable of. Do not challenge me to demonstrate to you how quickly I can remove the life out of your pathetic lover’s monstrous body. One slight misstep from you, the mere suspicion that you tried to inform him of our “deal” and the next thing you know, you will be bringing flowers to his grave!” He had lost control and he was now squeezing Marianne’s arm so forcefully that she instinctively tried to break free from him much like a trapped animal. She rubbed the spot on her arm and noticed the bruise that was already beginning to form on the pale flesh.

“Please, you are hurting me!” she whined and he found himself feeling uncomfortable in the presence of the man who was still waiting by the door of the salon.

“You do not mean that, my dear.” Olivier tried to laugh off her plea, in an effort to convince the caterer that there was no need for apprehension. “Oh Marianne, I love you so much that some times I lose control of my actions. But let us not keep Monsieur Cristof waiting. Choose now my love.” … ‘or you will regret it’, his eyes finished his sentence as he regarded her disdainfully.

Marianne, unable to hold back her tears, turned her gaze towards the window and reached her arm out to Olivier, holding a piece of paper in her hand. “This one.” she answered as coolly as she could muster.

As soon as the caterer left a few minutes later, Olivier pulled the bell in order to summon a servant to the room.

“Oh Marianne, my dear Marianne, I am only trying to please you. You do not have to make things difficult for you more than they already are. No one needs to get hurt, or for that matter, die.” Olivier’s voice echoed in the quiet room. “Now… I am going to town. I have to make some further arrangements for our engagement party. I assure you that the whole town will remember it in the years to come. I will spare no expense for our engagement or our wedding. Everything is going to be perfect!”

Before Marianne could turn to him and express her honest opinion regarding his plans, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.” Olivier said.

“Did you call, Baron?” a servant bowed his head and waited for his master’s instructions.

“Yes, prepare my horse. I have to leave.” he instructed without taking his gaze off of Marianne’s form.

“Immediately my Lord.” the servant bowed his head again and closed the door behind him.

Olivier approached Marianne by the window. When he was inches from her, he leaned in and whispered softly to her. “When are you going to understand that all I do, I do for you my love? Do not speak back to me like you did before in the presence of strangers ever again, or I cannot guarantee that bastard child of yours will live much longer!”

Marianne felt a chill run down her spine at his threat and tried to catch her breath. She was determined not to let him see right through her and show him how deeply she feared him. She simply nodded her head in response as her eyes remained fixed on the horizon that stretched out before her.

Satisfied by her submissive demeanor, Olivier smiled to himself and spoke in a soothing voice. “Would you like to join me in town? That way you can oversee all of the preparations for our engagement party and make any alterations you deem worthwhile.” he offered cordially.

“Thank you Olivier, that is very considerate of you.” she replied trying to remain calm, “but I have a terrible headache. I believe the best thing for me to do would be to go back to my estate and perhaps take a long walk to breathe some fresh air.” she continued, turning to look at him.

Olivier’s gaze softened and she was horrified at how volatile his temper was. “That is fine my dear. I will return back to you the soonest possible.” He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly and escorted her out of the house, assisting her to board her own carriage before leaving the estate himself.

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His fingers were caressing the ivory keys of his organ ever so gently when he suddenly sensed a strange tension run through his body, making him press down on the keys fiercely, interrupting the melancholy melody violently.
Erik frowned and buried his face in his hands. Frustration washed over him as he allowed his gaze to wander over the elegant objects around him. When he had purchased the mansion, he had decided almost immediately on the use of this particular space to be turned into a music room. It would be one of the few things in his new environment which would solemnly remind him of his tempestuous past. He had even covered the large windows with heavy black drapes, so that he could pretend he was still in his old home whenever he felt the need to drown in his solitude.

The sunlight made him feel out of place. Why did he have to pull down the drapes? It was all about her. He had felt he had to be as clear as possible when he had proposed to Marianne. He had to be and in fact he felt almost like a new man. He had been reborn under the light of her love, her warmth, her radiance. Marianne, his Marianne, was even brighter than the sun in his eyes. He couldn’t hide her in the darkness. Instead he had finally opened his heart and allowed her to pull him out of his solitude.

Erik turned his gaze towards the window, squinting his eyes as the blinding light blurred his vision momentarily. He could bear it no longer. His heart had been immersed in the darkness once more and this time he knew there would be no escape for him.

He couldn’t stand it any longer. He couldn’t tolerate even his own self. His apprehension, a maddening state of mind, made him feel like a caged animal. He felt trapped, betrayed for the second time in his life. He paced up and down in the grand room. Everything seemed unbearable to him. He ran his hand through his unruly hair. How could he allow devastation to claim him twice? He was supposed to be a genius, yet he had been caught up in the same mess for the second time in his life.

Erik stood in the middle of the room staring at his reflection on the surface of the window in front of him. His appearance was truly betraying his condition; his hair tangled and falling on his face, his body covered in sweat, making his shirt and trousers cling to his flesh.

He smiled to himself bitterly; he was the one wearing a mask but everyone else around him was in disguise; hiding everything that lay in their hearts and minds. Two women had sealed his fate. Christine had almost been the end of him. Marianne would in fact be the end of him. The white porcelain mask found itself lying in one of the corners of the room as Erik ripped it swiftly from his face and threw it away in anger. The sudden movement sent a jolt of pain through his shoulder although his recovery had been rapid. He touched the fresh wound on his shoulder with his hand and frowned; his arm would heal but this last turn of events in his life would surely be the ultimate strike for his heart.

And now what? He was free to do as he chose to. However, he continued staring at his reflection upon the glass surface. He realized that he would never be free as long as he still loved Marianne. How much abuse could he suffer? How could he just let the woman who held his heart walk away as simply as that?

His breathing became harsher as his anger began to overflow from his pores. Staring back at his own eyes on that window, surrounded by the light of the magnificent autumn day, made it even harder for him to breathe; his chest rising and falling from his efforts to catch his breath and those eyes, those tortured eyes looking back at him pitifully.

How could she have given herself to him body and soul so willingly, professing her everlasting love to him? Wasn’t this the same room in which Marianne had accepted his hand in marriage with such enthusiasm? She had been the one who had taken off his mask. She had been the one who had caressed his distorted face with a loving expression on her face…

Her face… He was thinking of her so much it hurt. He felt lost without her. They had begun planning their future together, dreaming of creating a large family… and then Marianne one day had proven to be one of the greatest performers in the world. She had said she needed to get away from him and now she was marrying another man. A handsome, rich, noble man. How could this be possible? His own eyes were telling him one single truth; he was doomed.

The only thing he would have liked right then and there would be to see her beautiful face one last time. He wanted to see her one last time to beg her to come back. He didn’t want to feel lonely anymore. What would she do if she realized he was unable to hold on any longer?

How could she expect him to live alone from now on, now that he had tasted the sweet essence of her love? How could he endure his empty bed, knowing she would be sharing the bed of another man? She had allowed him to make passionate love to her; no one had the right to take her away from him.

Yet, no… He couldn’t commit the same mistake twice. There would be nothing more that he would like at the moment than to go and take her away from Olivier Dervaux. However, the scenery had changed since Raoul de Chagny had intruded in their lives. What could he have told Marianne that she had changed her mind so radically and ran off to marry Olivier? The boy had certainly achieved his goal in persuading Marianne and finally separating them for ever.

Erik felt the walls crush over him. On the one hand he wanted to stay in that room forever, alone with his music, since he felt that only his art had never betrayed him. His music would be his sole remaining consolation since life seemed to mock him cruelly and laugh in his face.

Those deep green eyes kept staring back at him. His blood boiled in his veins until he finally realized that it would be impossible for him to live without Marianne. He had to win her back; she owed him the truth. Marianne’s place was by his side. She couldn’t belong to Olivier. He pictured them together sitting on a sofa, reading and planning their perfect future together, just like he and Marianne had done so not too long ago, talking about their dreams and the family they wanted to create in unison.

The moment the image of the happy couple sharing a bed together popped into his mind, he snapped out of his hypnotic state and now on the surface of the glass he saw the reflection of a madman. No! No one would be allowed to touch his Marianne the way he had. That fatal night when they had become one, body and soul, Erik had claimed her as his forever. Marianne had already told him twice that she didn’t want anything to do with him any longer, but he wasn’t ready to accept her decision and he knew he would never be able to accept it for that matter. Marianne was his and his alone!

It was in that moment when Erik felt like he had lost his mind. He closed his eyes unable to look at himself any longer. His mighty roar echoed throughout the mansion as he took hold of the music stand and threw it out of the window causing the glass to scatter all around in a thousand little pieces.

Every servant on the premises jumped at the horrific sound, knowing perfectly well it was their master. Before Vincent managed to reach the staircase in order to run and check on his master, he saw Erik descending the steps, an enraged expression on his face. His appearance was not one of a gentleman; his shirt was half open revealing almost all of his chest and one of his shoulders. His mask seemed to be almost ready to fall off his face and his hair was a mess. Vincent removed himself from his master’s way and watched him as Erik Destler opened the front door and shut it fiercely behind him, making a couple of paintings fall to the floor due to the powerful strike.

He strode wrathfully across the woods, without even knowing or much less caring where he was heading, for all appeared to be futile in his eyes. Erik had been trying really hard to appease himself with the idea that there was nothing left to be done and that he should never let anyone else, especially a woman, deceive him ever again. He had to convince himself that this hopeless, stupid, utopic topic dream of his to find a companion in this life was not realistic; even worse it was unattainable. He had failed miserably in his first real attempt to live as a man and not a ghost...

He continued walking aimlessly among the trees, not paying any attention to the bushes and branches which kept tearing up his shirt and piercing his skin, the deep crimson of his blood staining the white fabric. He had to find a way out of this mess, but how could he find freedom if he was still a prisoner of her heart? How could he ever forget this woman who had made him feel like a true man for the first time in his life?

No, it could not be true! There had to be something hidden motivating her strange behaviour. Why had she accepted his proposal, why had she come to him so easily, almost without any hesitation and informed him that she wanted to have nothing to do with him any more?

For the first time in weeks Erik felt that he was starting to feel hatred towards her. 'No! My Marianne would never behave like that woman! My Marianne stayed by my side when I got hurt by her cousin's hand.' He froze instantly as he remembered her face the moment she had announced to him that she wasn’t strong enough to bear his children; she had stated she wanted to have a perfect, beautiful family, without having to worry about the possibility of his offsprings inheriting his deformity. He had to accept the fact that Marianne had left him, after having played so cruelly with his heart.

He deserved an honest explanation, and he desired nothing else but to have her stand before him to make her admit that it had been nothing but a game to her. Then and only then he would be able to leave her memory behind and try to live; even if it meant his would be a life spent in solitude. In fact, had that not been his original plan in the first place?

Erik had been walking in the wilderness for what seemed to him like ages and some time later he realized his footsteps had guided him towards the lake where he and Marianne has shared so many precious moments in each other’s company.

Restless like a caged bird that had broken off from his prison, he came to a halt when he noticed the frail form sitting beneath the oak tree in the distance. Before him was Marianne Pinon, her gaze lost in the horizon as she hugged her arms protectively around her torso and sobbed silently to herself. The sight was so melancholy, he almost felt sorry for the miserable woman before him.

Two weeks had passed since Erik had last seen her. His bewildered state of body and mind seemed to subside immediately at the mere sight of her. Finally, for once in his life, his wishes would be granted and he would receive the answers he was so desperate for.

However, having the woman he so longed for mere metres away from him made him freeze right at the spot. Erik would not have wanted anything more than to enclose her in his arms, even for one last time; he thought to himself what it would be like to hold, caress and kiss her once more... In his eyes she appeared even more beautiful than he remembered if that could ever be possible. Even though she was crying, there was something about her that made her seem radiant in his eyes. Now he understood that her absence from his life would be the hardest fact to bear. He longed for her, in a way he had never felt in his life. He longed for her touch, for her sweet caresses, but most of all he craved her company...

Marianne had been one of a handful of people to treat him like a real man rather than a monster and he desperately longed for her companionship now that she too had abandoned him to wallow in the lonely abyss of his existence. More than anything he needed an explanation as to the reason she had broken off their engagement so callously. The woman he was regarding at the moment couldn’t possibly be the heartless temptress she had tried to pass herself off as. In the distance he was gazing at a broken woman, one who appeared to him like she was bearing the weight of the world at her shoulders. He needed to talk to her.

How would she respond if he approached her right now? How would she respond to his touch, if he ever dared to touch her again? 'No! Wake up!’ he tried to alert himself trying desperately not to fall under her spell again so easily. With his mind in constant turmoil, he rose to his full height and proceeded towards the place where Marianne was sitting.

As he approached her, looking at her back, he noticed that she cradled herself back and forth just like she would do with a baby. He almost felt his heart break when he heard her pained sobs; yet no, he shouldn't give in to her deceptive nature. He needed to constantly remind himself of the fact that she had abandoned him for her perfect Baron, much like Christine had done to follow her handsome Viscount. Women were all the same and he needed to never forget that. Erik fought with himself and the urge to sweep her in his arms and hold her there forever. He finally reached the place where she was and towered over her silently.

“Do you find it imperative to wander within the boundaries of my estate?” his booming voice interrupted Marianne’s thoughts and made her jump where she was sitting.

For a few moments she wouldn’t dare turn her gaze at his direction, merely lowering her hands from around her upper body and placing them on her sides stiffly.

“Am I not even worthy of your attention now? Is that it?” he pressed on, still receiving no response from her. “I asked you a question Mademoiselle!” he spat with venom.

Marianne stood from her spot and rose to her full height before him. She turned to him but still avoided his eyes. His clipped voice gave her chills with its iciness and the fury it held as he spoke to her.

“Do not worry Mademoiselle de Duchess. I am wearing my mask; I can guarantee you will not be repulsed by my abhorrent appearance.”

Her eyes met his dejectedly, unable to utter a single word. They stared at each-other for what seemed like an eternity, lost in the moment and finally she gathered the carriage to speak. “I apologize Erik. I should leave.”

“Is my presence so disagreeable to you Mademoiselle?” he sneered.

“Don’t Erik… please… I will go and leave you in peace.” she whispered as she wiped her still damp cheeks from the residue of tears.

“Why are you in such a hurry to escape my company Mademoiselle de Duchess?”

“I would hate to distress you with my presence… I really should leave…” she turned to flee away from him, unable to bear the hatred she saw shimmering in his eyes any longer. Suddenly his hand lashed out and grabbed her upper arm and a jolt of pain ran through her already strained appendage. She tried to pull away and a yelp of pain issued forth from her lips. Immediately he let go of her but still remained close enough so that she could hear him growl from the back of his throat.

“Is this what we have been reduced to then? You now despise my touch? Not too long ago you couldn’t have enough of my caresses!”

“Please Erik!” she protested and started to walk away from him but his hand shot out again taking hold of her arm and holding her firmly in place. “Erik you are hurting me!” she cried in pain.

“All I want to do is talk to you!”

“I believe we’ve said enough Erik.”

“No Marianne, you owe me an explanation!”

“Oh Erik, some things are better left unsaid…”

“I had faith in you! I believed you had the courage to speak the truth always! Now… Now you don’t even have the gall to look me in the eyes and tell me that all this time everything that happened between us was nothing but a game to you!”

“I don’t want to have this conversation…”

“I don’t give a damn about what you do or do not want my dear. I don’t give a damn about whether you feel at ease or not. You cannot simply walk away from me!”

“Why can’t you just accept the fact that I changed my mind?”

“Don’t you understand I have to know? Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

“I have already explained my decision to you Erik. Why must you insist that I keep hurting you?”

“You couldn’t have meant what you said to me that day! You are a liar Marianne! I opened my heart to you! You accepted me for who I am! You swore you would love me forever! It cannot be! Your heart cannot be so cold!”

“Oh Erik, you don’t understand… Things are not that simple!”

“But of course! A monster couldn’t possibly understand.”

“Don’t talk like that Erik. I never considered you a monster. Never!”

“If you despise me so, why then did you give yourself to me? Why did you fill me with promises? Since the first day I met you, the only thing you kept repeating to me was that you dreamed of meeting someone, to fall in love and create a family with your ‘soul mate’. I cannot believe you let me make love to you and as soon as you agreed to marry me you betrayed me to run off to another man.”

“Erik, it is all over between us. You have to finally realize the fact and carry on with your life.” With this, she pulled away from him and freed her arm turning to walk away.

“Carry on with my life? How dare you, you… harlot!” he caught up with her in two strides and his words had the desired effect, making her freeze on the spot. “What life are you talking about? You have ruined me! You knew all about my past and still you used me in order to accomplish your sick plan! Was it all about making your precious Baron jealous Marianne? Is that it? I have to hand it to you. You are a much better actress than Christine ever was…”

Marianne stepped back as he advanced on her and soon her back was pushed back against the trunk of the oak tree. “Why don’t you explain to me Mademoiselle de Duchess? Weren’t you elated but a month ago when you accepted my marriage proposal? Weren’t you as excited as I was to venture on a new life by my side?”

“Oh Erik, please don’t do this to yourself. You don’t understand!”

“I am doing this to myself? There is nothing worse that could ever happen to me. You have undone me…”

At his words Marianne finally allowed the tears she had been holding to flow freely from her eyes.

“Tell me Marianne, how could you hold me in your arms, how could you give yourself to me with such abandon, how could you tell me you loved me?”

Marianne closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the trunk, unable to look into his face any longer.

“Do you honestly think I will be moved by your tears? Especially when you ruthlessly ended our relationship as if I were nothing more than a used rag… Am I supposed to pity you?”

She opened her eyes slowly only to meet his icy gaze as he regarded her. “Please Erik… Stop…” she whimpered brokenly.

Erik lowered his voice as he spoke. “How can you do this to me? Can’t you see I love you? Can’t you see you are killing me?” His eyes softened as he kept his gaze fixed on hers and raised his hands to her face, stroking her beloved features. “Look at me Marianne… Can you honestly tell me you don’t love me?”

Determined to end this once and for all, Marianne closed her eyes and placed her hands on Erik’s firm chest to push him away but ultimately wasn’t able to do it.

“Open your eyes my love. Tell me the truth for once. Tell me you don’t miss me. Tell me you are not suffering away from me. Tell me you don’t think of me. Tell me you don’t miss me when you are lying alone in your bed at night.”

Her chest heaved as she sobbed uncontrollably and she bunched the fabric of his shirt in her fingers until her knuckles turned white from the force.

“Don’t do this to me Erik. I cannot stand it.”

“Open your eyes and tell me it was all a game to you. Tell me you don’t love me.”

Marianne shook her head unable to speak through her tears and tried to push him away but to no avail. Erik’s hands flew to her face and he tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her face to his forcefully. She fluttered her eyes open and their eyes met as they breathed heavily, each trying to control themselves. For a second Marianne thought he was going to kiss her and felt her heart stop in her chest. Erik on his part sensing that all it would take for the passion to flair between them would be to close the distance between them, tried to remain calm and grazing his lips against hers spoke in a grave voice.

“I love you Marianne. I have loved you since the first day I saw you. I don’t care anymore. If I can’t have you, my life is not worth living. Just tell me you don’t love me. Kill me, I don’t care.”

His words pierced through her heart and her breath caught in her throat. She wanted nothing more than to embrace him, never to let him go. She yearned to tell him the truth, to confide in him that she was expecting his baby, to beg him to save her from Olivier. Instead, she managed to compose herself and spoke in what she hoped was a cold tone.

“Enough! I don’t have to explain myself to you! I am an independent woman, free to do as I please. Leave me alone!” Her words had the desired effect and Erik looked at her with utter disgust reflected in his eyes.

“You are indeed free to do as you please and since you have made your choice I will never bother you again. Go to your perfect fiancé. I hope you will find happiness, have many beautiful children and live in your perfect world happily ever after.”

Marianne stared at him breathless at the harshness of his words.

“Just keep one thing in mind Marianne. As perfect as your world may be, as much wealth as you can gather, however beautiful everything and everyone is around you, your life will be empty without love. You taught me that.”

He made a move to step away from her but found that he was unable to do so as her fingers were still clutching his shirt. He took her hands in his and determinedly disentangled himself from her, pushing her back against the tree and leaving her behind without turning to cast her another glance.

Marianne stood there for a few seconds and then, unable to stand any longer fell to her knees as she watched his retreating form while he walked away.

“I love you Erik. You are my life. How am I going to live without you? Why?... Why?” she whispered desperately. She hugged her arms around her torso, protecting her unborn child that was growing inside her and finally allowed her sobs to consume her.

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Erik had woken up at the first light of dawn at least five hours ago and had been lying in his bed ever since. Three days had gone by since he had last seen Marianne and he still couldn’t bring himself to stop thinking about the hurtful words they had exchanged. He had been a nervous wreck ever since. He spent his days in bed, trying to figure out what had gone wrong, chastising himself for his abhorrent behavior towards the woman who held his heart regardless of the callous way she had ended their affair.
He was alternating between self-loathing and self-righteousness, his gentlemanly side in constant battle with the Phantom who kept whispering in his ear he had every right to react the way he did, mocking him for how soft he had become and how easily the Erik of the past would have gutted the Baron to take back the woman who belonged to him.

Suddenly, a knock on the door pulled him out of his reveries. He grunted and turned on his side, pulling the covers over his head but a few seconds later a more persistent knock reached his ears.

“Master? It is I.” he heard Vincent’s curt voice call from behind the mahogany door.

“Leave me alone!” he shouted at the top of his lungs without making a move to get out of bed.

Another knock on the door reached his ears and the sound of the doorknob turning as the butler made his way into the room.

“I told you to leave me be!” he grumbled menacingly and threw the covers from his torso, raising his head to look at the insolent servant.

“Master, are you feeling quite alright? Perhaps you are suffering of influenza?” Vincent ventured again, unwavering in light of his master’s obvious ill temper.

“I am perfectly fine old man. Now leave me in peace.” Erik groaned and fell back against the soft mattress.

“It is well past 12 o’ clock Master. Perhaps you would like me to serve breakfast or instruct the cook to start preparing your lunch?” the butler pressed on.

“Are you daft Vincent? How many times must I tell you to leave me alone? I don’t want breakfast, lunch or dinner. I don’t want coffee, I don’t want tea, and most certainly I don’t want to see anyone at the moment.” he almost screamed.

“Certainly Sir. I will just leave your correspondence on your dresser. Ring the bell if you need anything.” the butler said, finally relenting and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Erik stood from his bed puzzled as to who would be sending mail to him. He had not received any correspondence for the better part of three years. Ever since he had been informed by his commissary on financial issues that Madame Antoinette Giry had passed away and her daughter had moved to the Americas with her husband warranting his hefty patronage futile, he rarely received mail anymore.

In a curious state of mind, he stepped over to his dresser by the door and took the creamy envelope between his fingers. It was marked “Attention of Monsieur Erik Destler, Rouen” and turning it over in his hands he saw the sender was none other than the Baron Olivier Dervaux. A white-hot blinding rage washed over him and Erik ripped the edge of the envelope fiercely, almost destroying the elegant stationery.

“The honour of your presence is requested in celebrating the engagement of the future Baron and Baroness Dervaux on Friday the 29th of September at 7 o’clock at the Pinon estate.”

His eyes glazed over and the envelope with the invitation fell from his hands. No! It couldn’t be possible. She was going through with it after all.

‘It can’t be… It cannot be possible! She used to tell me she loved me and I lost myself in her eyes. Marianne cannot be so twisted! Why would she send me this invitation now? Does she want to kill me? Does she derive pleasure out of watching me in pain over her loss?’

A single lonely tear ran down his cheek as Erik’s eyes fell on the invitation once more.

‘What happened to your love Marianne? You swore you loved me, you swore you would never hurt me, you swore you would never betray me. Will nothing be enough for you? Do you want my heart on a platter to quench your insatiable ego? How could I have been so wrong about you? Why did I let myself believe your empty promises? Will you be happy once you turn the knife of your happiness by the Baron’s side in my wound? Will that finally be enough?’

Suddenly he registered the feeling of wetness on his hand and realized he was crying. Determinedly he raised his fingers to wipe his face clean of the saline moistness and his eyes hardened as he bent on one knee and picked up the invitation once more. Did she wish to make him suffer? Did she think he would keep on begging her to change her mind and take him back? Did she think he would die of a broken heart at her loss? She was sorely mistaken if she harbored such foolish notions. He might be dead inside but he refused to give her the pleasure of laughing at his gullibility.

He would attend her engagement to the perfect Baron Dervaux and congratulate the happy couple on the happy occasion. He would even go so far as to extend his best wishes for a lifetime together between her and her chosen husband.

‘Will that finally be enough?’ he thought to himself as he tucked the invitation into the torn envelope and put them away in the top drawer of his dresser.

A determined gleam in his eye, he rang the bell and summoned Vincent to prepare a hot bath for him. Less than an hour later he was dressed impeccably and on his way to Rouen in his lavish carriage. Once there, he purchased some supplies such as sheets and ink for his compositions, a new metronome to replace his old one which had been ruined during his blaze of fury of a few days ago, and of course a stand to replace the fine podium he had thrown out the window in his mad outburst.

Exiting the music store, he almost bumped into the familiar face of Corine Souris. The young lady smiled agreeably as he apologized cordially for not paying attention to where he was going and surprised him when she admitted she had noticed him while he was in the store and was purposefully waiting for him to step out.

Erik smiled politely, although somewhat uneasily at her words, but felt a cold sheen of sweat gather on his forehead at her next words.

“Monsieur Destler, I was wondering whether you will be attending your neighbor’s engagement party this coming Friday.”

“I… I only received the invitation this morning Mademoiselle and must admit I haven’t given the fact much thought.” he stammered, trying to appear nonchalant regarding the matter.

“Oh, isn’t it curious how swiftly everything happened? Of course Olivier has been trying to get Marianne to marry him for quite a few years now but I could swear she would finally remain a spinster given the way she conducted herself around the Baron. Can you imagine she is so impractical in her notions she was always talking about meeting her soul mate and binding her life with his for the rest of her life? I blame it all on those books she is always reading. Such a shame for a woman as sought after as herself to be so hopelessly romantic… It is a good thing she finally gave up her foolish notions and decided to settle down, don’t you think?”

As the air headed Corine Souris carried on with her nonsensical ramblings, Erik simply nodded his head in response, not even registering a word she was saying. They walked on side by side and when they were finally standing in front of her carriage, Erik bowed his head cordially and prepared to turn on his heel to flee the idiotic presence of the girl. He knew he would not be able to stand another minute of her company without going mad and prepared to make an escape when Mademoiselle Souris astonished him again.

“So I take it you have no escort for the night of the party Monsieur Destler?” she smiled invitingly.

“No Mademoiselle” he responded seriously, finally deciphering what was expected by the girl before him. He regarded her suspiciously for a few seconds and decided now would be a good time as any to pay back Marianne for her betrayal. “As a matter of fact, I was meaning to ask you whether you would consider escorting me to the ball.” he offered, smiling pleasantly.

The girl smiled a genuine smile and tried to appear demure as she lowered her eyes and then met his stoutly. “I would be delighted to Monsieur Destler!”

Erik smiled cordially and helped her board the awaiting carriage, standing on the sidewalk for a long time after the vehicle set off, his pleasant smile slowly turning into a sinister grimace.

He walked to his own awaiting carriage haughtily and as soon as he sat in the plush cushioned seat and heard the whip of his coachman hit the air and the vehicle was set into motion his maniacal laughter rang out in the empty space. “I wonder whether Corine Souris will be enough to give you a taste of your own medicine my love…” he whispered cynically to himself as the carriage carried him back to his grand mansion.

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No Easy Way