This story,

It’s about a writer

who falls in love with a “courtesan”

but she’s already sort of “engaged” to be with the Duke

because he’s about to fund her big change in career so she can be a real actress and so Christian’s career can go off as well.So all the while she tries to make the Duke believe she’s in love with him so everyone can be happy, but she sneaks around with Christian, the writer, because they’re truly in love.

But the Duke finds out and is driven mad with jealousy!

So the Duke gives Satine an ultimatum: she either does away with Christian or his man servant, Warner, will kill him. So, Satine, who just finds out she’s dying of consumption anyway, is convinced she must send him away to save him and can’t go with him.

So, she has to convince him that she doesn’t love him so he can leave town and be safe from the Duke. Christian is heartbroken and can barely stand it, but gets the notion that she still loves him, so he has to find out if it’s true or not and goes to her show to confront her.

so he finds her back stage and is trying to “pay his whore” as the curtain suddenly opens and the crowd, which includes the Duke sees them.convinced that it’s true, and she doesn’t love him, Christian begins to leave.

but Satine knows she’s heartbroken as well, and sings their song to get him back. Christian realizes that this is the song that represents their love and goes back to her. The Duke is sent packing, too since no one likes him anyway. 

but a force greater than jealousy and more powerful than love, in the end, keeps them separated as Satine finally dies in her lovers arms from consumption.