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

of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it

she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket

then held out a thick black macrame cord in her

I knew what was in her

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

said, her

her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere

"It's yours.

should keep it to

the shining black rock in my palm and closed my

gave it to me and I'm loaning it

can give it back to me when

battle

and said,

to go back to

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

of putting it

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

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

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

to everyone who would just

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 it while trying to pack all the things I could get my hands on which didn't matter later when I had

this makes

as

engulfed her in a tight hug, just then I heard

as I said

my cheeks between her palms and brought

fierce as she said,

always be the best,

tears away and said,

in return she kissed

"I love you."

you too,

back and ruffled

and I

down and I tugged the

down, I

"Good night, baby"

"When will

"Soon."

"Good

the bedside drawer and made my way

"Yes, baby?"

be my new

scratch and I swallowed the

be

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

daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that

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

was purposely keeping her away from her father which was

never knew that

when he threatened me and told me

now that he has a

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

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

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

I wasn't prepared for his demanding

be there in the

Don't wear any panties."

naked so I wasn't

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

here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want

I can help

this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I

the case as I stepped

inwardly as people started to take notice of me when