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

you want him to

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

scampered off my lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was

a bit and then held out a

heart gave a painful pang as I knew what was in her

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

said, her

back around the black stone that had half

"It's yours.

should keep it

picked up my hand then slammed the

and I'm loaning it to

can give it back

a losing battle when

nodded and

I want you to go

down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious

my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere

a silent demand as she moved

my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as

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

to everyone who would just look

a time it was in 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 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 run from one place to another because of

this makes you

announced as

just then I heard my phone

focused on my daughter as I said with

my cheeks between her palms and brought my face

eyes fierce as she

always be

the tears away and said, "So are you,

in return she

"I love you."

you

and ruffled her

made a face and I said,

down and I tugged

down, I

"Good night, baby"

"When

"Soon."

"Good

drawer and made my way toward the

"Yes, baby?"

be

swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to

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 door, I let out a rough exhale

father, I had to ignore

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

I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact

that he had

knew I was pregnant when he threatened me

even now that

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

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

phone, I knew it even before

prepared

in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

so I

ignored his text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom

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

if I

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

was no one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped

notice of me when I came into the entrance