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

you want him to

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

she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was

then held out a thick black macrame cord in

a painful pang as I knew what was in

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

said, her grey eyes

her fingers back around the black

"It's yours.

should keep it to

up my hand then slammed the shining black rock

it to me and I'm loaning it

it back to me when

a losing battle

and

you to go back to

but didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and

I tell you my five years old daughter was a 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 my genius daughter's

demand as she moved on her knees so she

swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers

before she accidentally choked me as the thread

to everyone who would just look in my

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 to run from one place to another because

this makes

as she

just then I heard my phone pinging with an

focused on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I

my cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer

as she

always be

blinked the tears away and said, "So are

nose and in return she kissed the

"I love you."

love you too,

back and ruffled her

and I said, "Now, go back

laid down and I tugged the blanket over

I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

the bedside drawer and made my way toward the bedroom door

"Yes, baby?"

be

swallowed the knot

will be back

closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to her

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

of the time, my mother would interrupt 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

knew that

was pregnant when he threatened me and told

didn't know even now

tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance

to help me, 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 were resentful, cold and filled with

phone, I knew it even before I

I wasn't prepared

be there in the

Don't wear any panties."

feel half naked so I wasn't

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

mentioned that he will be here soon so I decided to wait for him

I can

intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge?

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

of me when