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.

he is

you want

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

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

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

was in her

"Wear this.

our lucky

her grey

back around the black stone that had half of its piece

"It's yours.

should keep it to

up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my fingers

gave it to me and I'm loaning it

can give it back to me

battle when I

and said,

you to

jumped on the bed but didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me,

Did I tell you my five years old daughter was a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of

held out her palm in a silent demand as

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

she accidentally choked me as the

would just look

other half and the bigger part was left behind in the

this makes you look

as she came

a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging

focused on my daughter as I

cheeks between her palms and

grey eyes fierce as she

always be

the tears away and said, "So are you,

her nose and in return she

"I love you."

you too,

and

a face and I said,

I tugged

I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

way toward the

"Yes, baby?"

be my new

another scratch and I swallowed the knot

will be

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

that my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or make

the time, my mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that

away from her father which was in fact a truth

knew that he had impregnated

I was pregnant when he threatened me and told me

even now that he has a

to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if we

I didn't even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his

phone, I knew it even before I

prepared for his demanding

be there in

Don't wear any panties."

naked so I wasn't going to obey his insane

made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I

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

I

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

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

take notice of me when I came into the entrance hall near the