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

you want him

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

and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under

a bit and then held out a thick black macrame cord in

a painful pang as I knew what was in her

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her

around the black stone that had half

"It's yours.

should keep it

She pursed her lips and picked up my hand then slammed the shining

and I'm loaning it

can give it back to

losing battle when I see

nodded and said,

want you to go

down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a

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

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

the threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as she

my fingers between the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came

everyone who would just look in my

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 hands on which didn't matter later when I had to

"See, this makes you

daughter announced as

just then I heard my phone pinging with

as I said with a pout,

my cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer

eyes fierce as she said,

will always be

blinked the tears away and said, "So

return she kissed the

"I love you."

love you too,

and

a face and I said, "Now,

I tugged the blanket over

down, I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

"When will you

"Soon."

"Good

my way toward

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be

broken heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my

will be back

gave me a solemn nod and her grey eyes closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the

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

answer her vaguely but always painting

was purposely keeping her away

never knew that he had impregnated

when he threatened me and

know even now that he

him to tell him the truth and

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

knew it even before

prepared for his

will be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

half naked so I

way toward my mother's bedroom to check

to wait for him downstairs because I

if 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 my

out in the corridor but it wasn't the

of me when