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

want him to

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

scampered off my lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with

for a bit and then held out

heart gave a painful pang as I knew what was in her small fist even

"Wear this.

lucky

her grey

shook my head and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of

"It's yours.

should keep

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

gave it to me and I'm loaning it

give it back

a losing battle when I

nodded and

want you to go back

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

thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have

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

she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers

put my fingers between the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too

everyone who would just look

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

this makes you look

announced as she came

in a tight hug, just then

phone and focused on my daughter as I said with a

her palms

eyes fierce as she said,

always be the

said, "So are you, my little

and in return she kissed the

"I love you."

you too,

back and ruffled

a face and I

I tugged the

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my

scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat as I said,

will be

a solemn nod 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 closed my eyes to gather

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

always painting her father in

I think my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from

that he had impregnated

never knew I was pregnant when he threatened me and told me

even now

to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if we hadn't been

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,

knew it even

prepared for his

will be there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

made me feel half naked so I wasn't

made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check

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

if I can

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

one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the elevator on

of me when I came into