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

you want

a thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer

my lap and then 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 over the

bit and then held out a thick black macrame cord

a painful pang as I knew what was in

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

said, her grey

her fingers back around the black stone that had

"It's yours.

should keep it

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

me and I'm

give it back to me

a losing battle

nodded and

want you to go back to

bottom lip and regarded me with a

my mind too, instead of putting

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

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

choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle on the hollow of

who would

it 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 it while

makes you

as she came

in a tight hug, just then I heard my phone

my daughter as I

between her palms and brought my

grey eyes fierce as

be

and said, "So

and in return

"I love you."

love you too,

back and ruffled

face and I

down and I tugged the

I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

be

swallowed the knot in my throat

will be back

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

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

answer her vaguely but always painting her

her away from her father which

never knew that he

pregnant when he threatened

even now

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

how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for

phone, I knew it even before I opened

wasn't prepared

will be there in the

Don't wear any panties."

made me feel half naked so I

made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check

mentioned that he will be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him

I can

this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the

in the corridor but it wasn't the case as

me when I came into the entrance hall near