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

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

she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys she had gathered

for a bit and then held

a painful pang as I knew what was in her

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

said, her

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

"It's yours.

should keep it to

lips and picked up my hand then slammed the

me and I'm

it back

losing battle

nodded and

want you to

her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me,

my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere hidden but apparently the same

held out her palm in a silent demand

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

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

would just look in my

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

"See, this makes you

as

in a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging with an incoming

daughter as I said

cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer to

grey eyes fierce as she said, "You

will always be the

and said,

nose and in return she kissed the corner of

"I love you."

you

and ruffled her

a face and I said, "Now, go back to

laid down and I tugged

down, I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

"When will

"Soon."

replied "Good

made my way toward the bedroom door when

"Yes, baby?"

be my

suffered another scratch and I swallowed the

be

grey eyes closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let out a rough

her father, I had to ignore her questions

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

I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact a truth is considered

knew that he had

he threatened

know even now that he has a

wondered what would've happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if we hadn't been interrupted and

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

knew it even before I opened the message icon

I wasn't prepared for

be there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

feel half naked so I

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

will be here soon so I decided to wait for him

I can

would he intentionally force a daughter

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

cringed inwardly as people started to take notice of me when I came into the entrance hall near the