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.

he is

want him

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

scampered off my lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys she had gathered over the

in it for a bit and then held

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

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her grey eyes

around the black stone that had half of its piece back

"It's yours.

keep

the shining black

and I'm loaning

back to

battle

and said,

you to go back to

down on her bottom lip and regarded me with

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

she held out her palm in a silent demand as

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

me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle

everyone who would

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

"See, this makes you look the

announced as she

a tight hug, just then I heard my

my daughter as I said with a

palms and brought

fierce as she said,

be the

away and said,

return she kissed the corner

"I love you."

you too,

pulled back and

I said, "Now, go

down and I tugged the blanket

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good

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

"Yes, baby?"

be my new

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

be back

away and pulled the blanket up to her

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

interrupt and answer her vaguely but always

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

that he

never knew I was pregnant when he threatened me and

didn't know even now that he has a

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

now what ifs weren't going to help me, now I didn't even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had

unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I opened

I wasn't prepared for his demanding

in

Don't wear any panties."

me feel half naked so I wasn't going

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

here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs

I can help

daughter from her mother in the name

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

me when I came into the entrance hall near the