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 is

want him to

thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if he was

I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys

rummaged in it for a bit and then held out a thick black macrame cord in

pang as I knew what was in her small fist even before she opened

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her grey

fingers back around the black stone that

"It's yours.

keep it to

my hand then slammed the shining

and I'm

back

battle

and

you to

she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to

freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out

demand as she moved on her knees so she was behind

rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her

fingers between the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread

to everyone who 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 the Aaron estate when I accidentally dropped it while trying to pack all the things I could get my

"See, this makes you

announced as

hug, just then I heard my phone pinging

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

her palms and brought

grey eyes fierce as

always be the best,

the tears away and said, "So

and in return she kissed the

"I love you."

you

and

a face and I said, "Now, go back

and I tugged the

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

"When will

"Soon."

replied "Good

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

"Yes, baby?"

be my new

heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot

will be back

and pulled the blanket up to her

father, I had to ignore her questions

but always painting her father in the light that would leave room for more

her away from her father which was in fact a truth is

knew that he

he threatened me and

didn't know even now that he has

him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the

the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful, cold and filled

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

wasn't prepared for his demanding

be there in

Don't wear any panties."

dress already made me feel half naked so I wasn't going to

text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I turned toward the apartment

to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him

I can

try as much as I could, until I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I locked the door behind me and slipped the key behind my

one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of

started to take notice of me