"So everything was a lie?"

January 24, 2005. Christine stared straight ahead as everything she knew came crumbling down. She looked up at the clock in Raoul's Subaru. It was five.

"Yes," answered a seemingly upset Raoul.

"You lied to me for a month…what about when we…"

"It meant nothing…it was just lust…"

Christine sighed. She held back her tears as she picked up a picture of the two of them together. They were in the band room, after a football game still in uniform. Christine was kissing the cheek of a smiling Raoul.

"What about in this picture? Was this a lie too?"

"I don't know…"

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? You wouldn't have told me in the first place if I hadn't wanted to know what was wrong. Why did you lie to me for a month!"

Christine had begun to cry again as Raoul tried to explain.

"I guess I thought I could love you again. But I realized I didn't love you anymore after we saw Phantom of the Opera for the first time."

The anger was burning up inside of her. How could he use her like that? TWO YEARS! They were together for two years and he didn't think enough of her to tell her the truth and be honest with her. They even saw Phantom of the Opera! Twice! He actually comforted her when she cried for Erik. She knew exactly how Erik felt now. How it felt to have your heart ripped out and stomped on by lies and deceit. She looked at the picture still in her shaking hands. She slowly ripped it up.

"Take me home…I have to return your things…"

The ride home was silent; the only noise punctuating the silence was Christine's tears of betrayal. They reached her house and Raoul parked. Christine did not get out, but started to sing a song she used to sing him,

Alone for a while,

I've been searching through the dark,

For traces of the love you left,

Inside my lonely heart…

Raoul looked at her.

"Don't sing that or I won't be able to do this…"

Christine's temper got the best of her.

"Well…we wouldn't want that would we!"

She jumped out of the car and ran to the front door. She opened the door and started to cry again. Her mother said something to her but she did not stop to reply. Christine ran up the stairs and down the hall to her room. Frantically, she searched for all of the meaningless junk that he had given her. Raoul entered the room. She grabbed a picture frame contain a happy picture of them at prom together and threw it to the ground. It shattered into a million pieces at his feet.

"Take your shit and leave!"

Raoul grabbed a few things and left. Christine fell to the ground, her body rocked with frantic sobs.

'Now I know how Erik felt…'