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

of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if

leapt off the bed and pulled the basket

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

knew what was in her small fist even before she opened

"Wear this.

our lucky

said, her

closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of

"It's yours.

keep it to

her lips and picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed

gave it to me and I'm loaning it

it back

battle when I see

and said,

to go

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, I'll help you put

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

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

palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as

thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long

would just look in

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 hands on which didn't matter later when

makes

as she came

just then I heard

my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I was already the

palms and brought

as she

will always be

and said, "So are you,

nose and in return she kissed the corner of

"I love you."

love you too,

back and

face and I said, "Now, go back

I tugged the blanket

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will

"Soon."

"Good night,

made my way

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat

be back

she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I

daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I

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

my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which

never knew that he had impregnated

knew I was pregnant when he threatened me

now that

what would've happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if

now what ifs weren't going to help me, now I didn't 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 knew it even before I opened the message icon that it would be

prepared

will be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

naked so I wasn't going to obey his insane

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

soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want

I can

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

it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the elevator on the ground

of me when I came into the entrance