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

want

nodded, "I would prefer it if

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

for a bit and then held out a thick

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

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

said, her grey eyes

shook my head and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had

"It's yours.

should keep it to

my hand then slammed the shining black

it to me and I'm loaning it

it back

losing battle when

nodded and

want you to go back

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

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

held out her palm in a silent demand as she moved

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

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

everyone who would just look in

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

makes you look the

as she

then I heard my phone pinging

as I said

palms and brought my

grey eyes fierce as she said, "You

be the best,

away and said, "So are

nose and in return she kissed the

"I love you."

love you

pulled back and ruffled

made a face and I said,

and I tugged the blanket over

I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

way toward

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my

and I swallowed the knot in

will be

away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a rough exhale and closed

to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I

interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that would leave room for

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

that

he threatened me and told me

even now that

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

would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful, cold

my phone, I knew it even before

I wasn't prepared

in the next

Don't wear any panties."

made me feel half naked so I wasn't

way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I turned toward

decided to wait for him

if I

I would 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 door behind

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

of me when I came into the entrance