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

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

pulled the basket from

and then held out a thick black macrame cord

knew what was in her small fist even before she opened her

"Wear this.

lucky

her grey eyes

and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in Black

"It's yours.

keep it

picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock

to me and I'm loaning

it back to me when

losing battle when

and said,

you to go

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

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

silent demand as she moved on her knees so she

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

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

to everyone who would just

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

"See, this makes you look the

as she came

tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging

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

palms and brought my face closer to

as

always be the best,

said, "So are you,

in return she kissed the

"I love you."

you too,

back and

and I said, "Now,

and I

I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will

"Soon."

replied "Good

bedside drawer and made my way toward the bedroom

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

and I swallowed the knot in my throat as

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 and closed my eyes

my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore

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

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

that

I was pregnant when he threatened me and told

didn't know even now

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

react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on

I pulled myself straight and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I opened the message icon that it would

prepared for

in

Don't wear any panties."

so I

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

I decided to wait for him downstairs because

if I can

a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I locked the

one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of

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