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

want him to

pause of my own, I nodded, "I

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

for a bit and then held out a thick black macrame

painful pang as I knew what was in her small

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her

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

"It's yours.

keep it

She pursed her lips and picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm

and

give it back to

a losing battle when

and

I want you to go

didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and

my five years old daughter 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 thought crossed

silent demand as she moved on her knees so she was behind

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

choked me as the thread

to everyone who would

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

this makes you look

daughter announced as

engulfed her in a tight hug, just then I heard my phone

on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I was

between her palms

as she said,

will always be the

the tears away and said,

in return she kissed the corner

"I love you."

you too,

pulled back and ruffled

a face and I said, "Now,

down and I tugged

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will

"Soon."

replied "Good

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

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

My broken heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to sleep,

be back

up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a rough exhale and

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

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

thought that I was purposely keeping her away from

that he had

I was pregnant when he threatened me and

even now

the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if

me, 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 they were resentful, cold and filled with promise of

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

I wasn't prepared

be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

dress already made me feel half naked so

mother's bedroom

be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because

I

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

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

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