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 him to

my own, I nodded, "I would prefer

as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys

a bit and then held out a thick black

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

"Wear this.

lucky

her

shook my head and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece

"It's yours.

keep it

picked up my hand then slammed the shining

to me and I'm loaning it to

it back to

losing battle

and

to go

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 it

The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the

in a silent demand as she moved on her

my hair aside, then her small fingers got

she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came

to everyone who would

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

makes

daughter announced as she

tight hug, just then

and focused on my daughter as I said with a pout,

between her palms and brought my face closer

grey eyes fierce as she

always be

tears away and said, "So are you, my

return she kissed the corner of my

"I love you."

love you too,

back and

I said,

and I tugged the blanket over

down, I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

"When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good

from the bedside drawer and made my way toward the bedroom door when her

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

another scratch and I swallowed the knot

be

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 and

about her father, I had to ignore her questions

would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father

think my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from

knew that he had impregnated

he threatened

now

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

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

my phone, I knew it even before I opened the message icon that it would be

prepared for his demanding

be there in

Don't wear any panties."

feel half naked so I wasn't

and made 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

I can help

a daughter from her mother in the name

out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as

inwardly as people started to take notice of me when I came