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

you want him

my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if he was

and pulled the basket

then held out a

I knew what was in her small fist even before she

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

said, her grey

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

"It's yours.

should keep it to

lips and picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed

me and I'm loaning it

back to me when you

a losing battle when I see

and

you to go back to

instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious

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

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

in her palm and she swiped my hair

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

would

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

this makes you look

as she

engulfed her in a tight hug, just then I

daughter as I said with

clapped my cheeks between her palms and

fierce as she said,

always be the best,

away and said, "So are

in return she kissed

"I love you."

love you too,

back and ruffled

face and I said, "Now, go back to

I tugged the blanket over

down, I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

be my

heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my

will 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 exhale and

that my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I didn't

mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father

purposely keeping her away from her father which was in

never knew that he had impregnated

when he threatened me and told me

didn't know even now that

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

the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful, cold and filled with promise of

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

prepared for his demanding

there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

made me feel half naked so I wasn't going to obey his

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

here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs

I can

he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I locked the door behind me and slipped the key behind my phone in

the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of

inwardly as people started to take notice of me when I