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

of my own, I nodded, "I would

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

a bit and then held out a

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

"Wear this.

our lucky

her grey eyes

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

"It's yours.

should keep it

her lips and picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock

me and I'm loaning it

give it back

losing battle when I see

and

to go back to

bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give

instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere

she held out her palm in a silent demand as she moved on her knees

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

thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle on the

to everyone who would just look in

was in a shape that resembled a human heart, not the one that we drew as children but 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

"See, this makes

daughter announced as she

in a tight hug, just then I heard

ignored my phone and focused on my daughter as I

clapped my cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer

grey eyes fierce as

always be the best,

tears away and said, "So

her nose and in return she kissed the corner of

"I love you."

you too,

back and ruffled her

made a face and I said, "Now, go

and I tugged the blanket

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

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

father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I didn't want to tell

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

my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away

never knew that he had

was pregnant when he

even now that he

truth and

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

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

wasn't prepared for his

in the next

Don't wear any panties."

naked so I wasn't going to obey

made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her

decided to wait for him downstairs because

if I can

until I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter

in the corridor but it wasn't the case

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