Blackmailed For Love

I sat down on the sofa and opened the first box of the two in the soft overhead light coming from above the tv console.

I peeled the soft tissue that glimmered in the dim light and looked at the dark purple silk nestled in there.

With hesitant fingers I picked up the silken fabric, it unfurled in my hands as I let it drop down in front of me.

It was a sleeveless and a backless dress with a slit up to just below the waistline.

I would be half naked in this dress but still the thought of wearing it lit up a spark of anticipation deep inside my lower belly.

The other box had the same colored heels with red bottoms.

It took me twenty minutes to get ready as I didn't do much except to put Band-Aids on my nipples as the dress won't allow me to wear a bra and my nîpples poked through the fabric as if begging for attention and applied a natural shade of pink lip gloss.

I looked like a virgin trying to be a seductress.

I shook my head at my own thoughts as I stepped out of the bathroom, 1 faltered when my eyes met dark greys.

My daughter was sitting up in the bed and she was looking at me with wide eyes and a curious tilt of her head.

"Anna…"

"Mama, you look beautiful."

My heart squeezed with love at her words.

I walked to her, concentrating on not falling face first because of the heels I was wearing, it was safe to say I wasn't used to such type of footwear.

"What are you doing waking up? I thought you were asleep."

I said as I sat down on the bed beside her.

"I was."

She said with a silent Duh at the end.

I bit down on my bottom lip as my lips twitched, but she slipped closer to me and said, "I had a bad dream."

I cupped her cheek and pulled her on my lap, uncaring of the expensive silk.

Cradling her against my chest, I smoothed her dark hair back and asked, "Talk to me.

What did you dream about?"

"Someone was taking me away from you."

She replied, her voice small and a slight shaking entered in her voice.

My arms tightened around her.

And I said, "No one is going to take me away from you."

2 "Promise?"

I pressed a kiss on her head.

"Promise, my little angel."

She looked up at me and asked, "Where are you going?"

I didn't know the answer to that myself, but I replied, "Dinner."

Her brows lowered and her grey eyes turned inquisitive.

"But we had pizza."

I tapped her nose.

"Yes.

But I am meeting someone."

"A boy or a girl?"

For some reason I didn't lie to my daughter.

"A boy."

She made a thoughtful face and asked, "Is he your boyfriend?"

I shook my head.

angel, he

you want him to

thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer

the bed and pulled the basket from under the

then held out a thick black

was in her small fist even before she opened her

"Wear this.

lucky

said, her grey eyes

shook my head and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of

"It's yours.

keep it

hand then slammed the shining black

and I'm loaning it to

it back to me when

losing battle

and

I want you to go back

lip and regarded me with a suspicious look

The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere hidden but

palm in a silent demand as she moved on her knees so she was

the threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside,

choked me as the thread wasn't too

would

a human heart, not the one that we drew as children but with jagged edges and veins running inside it, crystal clear and shining but now I only had smallest broken part of it, the other half and the bigger part was left behind in the cottage on

this makes

as she came

just then I heard my phone pinging

ignored my phone and focused on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I was already

palms

eyes fierce as she said,

always be

away and said, "So are you, my little

her nose and in return she

"I love you."

love you too,

and

a face and I said, "Now, go back to

I tugged the

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

"When

"Soon."

"Good

phone from the bedside drawer and made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft voice

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to sleep,

will be back

blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a rough exhale and closed my eyes to gather

my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her

time, my mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her

that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which

never knew that he had

he threatened me and told me

now that

the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth,

even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful, cold and filled with promise of

I pulled myself straight and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I opened

prepared for his demanding

will be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

made me feel half naked so I wasn't going to obey his

bedroom to check up on her before I turned toward the

he will be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him anywhere near my

I can help

Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I locked the door behind me

out in the corridor but it wasn't the case

as people started to take notice of me when I