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

pause of my own, I nodded,

pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys she had

and then held out a

heart gave a painful pang as I knew what was in her small fist even before she opened

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

said, her grey

around the black stone that had half

"It's yours.

should keep it to

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

to me and I'm loaning

can give it back to me when

a losing battle when

nodded and

you to go

bed but didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look

five years old daughter was a freaking smartarse? The 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 thought crossed my genius

now she held out her palm in a silent demand as she

palm and she swiped my hair aside,

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 to

who would just

a shape that resembled 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

makes you look

announced as

in a tight hug, just then I

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

palms and brought my face

eyes fierce as she said,

always be

blinked the tears away and said,

and in return she kissed the corner of my

"I love you."

love you

back and ruffled

face and I said, "Now, go back to

and I

I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

"When

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be

My broken heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the

be

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

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

and answer her vaguely but always painting

keeping her away from her father

that he

when he threatened me and

know even now that he

to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if we hadn't been interrupted and he

when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long

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

prepared for his

be there in

Don't wear any panties."

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

ignored his text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her

I decided to wait for him downstairs

I

force a daughter from

corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped

notice of me when I came