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

want him

nodded, "I would

bed and pulled the basket

then held out

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

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

said, her grey

around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in

"It's yours.

should keep it to

the shining black rock in my palm and closed

gave it to me and I'm loaning it

back to me

battle when

nodded and said,

you to go

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,

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

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

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

before she accidentally choked me as the thread

to everyone who would just look

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

this makes you

as she

tight hug, just then

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

my cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer

eyes fierce as she said,

always be the best,

tears away and said, "So are you,

and in return she

"I love you."

you

and

face and I said, "Now, go back to

laid down and I

I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

"Good

and made my way toward the bedroom door

"Yes, baby?"

be

broken heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the

will be back

she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her

to ignore her

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

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

never knew that

I was pregnant when he threatened me and told me

didn't know even now that

gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten

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

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

I wasn't prepared for his demanding

there in the

Don't wear any panties."

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

way toward my mother's bedroom to check

decided to wait

I can

try 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

the case as I stepped out

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