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 is

you want

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

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

it for a bit and then held out

as I knew what was in her small fist even before she opened

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her grey eyes

the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in Black

"It's yours.

should keep it

picked up my hand then slammed the shining black rock in

me and I'm loaning

give it back to me when

losing battle when I

nodded and

to go

down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me, I'll

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

she held out her palm in a silent demand as she moved on

my hair aside,

fingers between the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle on the

everyone who would just look

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

this makes you look the

daughter announced as she

a tight hug, just then I heard my phone

ignored my phone and focused on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I

clapped my cheeks between her palms and brought my

grey eyes fierce as she

be the best,

said,

and in return she kissed the corner of my

"I love you."

you too,

and

made a face and I said, "Now,

laid down and I tugged the blanket

down, I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

way toward the

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to sleep,

will be

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

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

would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that

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

never knew that he

knew I was pregnant when he threatened me and told

know even now that he has a

happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had

going 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 promise of

I knew it even before I opened the message icon that it would be

prepared for

will be there in

Don't wear any panties."

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

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

he will be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because

I can

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

the case as I stepped out of the elevator

notice of me when