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 him to

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

then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the

and then held out a thick

what was in her small fist even before she

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her

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

"It's yours.

should keep

then slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my fingers

and I'm loaning it

can give it back

battle when I see

nodded and said,

to go back to

didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give

my mind too, instead of putting it on

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

and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy

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

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

"See, this makes you look

daughter announced as she

a tight hug, just then I

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

between her palms

eyes fierce as she

will always be the best,

away and said, "So

nose and in return she kissed the corner of my

"I love you."

you

pulled back and ruffled her

a face and I

down and I tugged the blanket

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

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

will be

pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, Closing the door, I let

her father, I had to ignore her

vaguely but always painting her

purposely keeping her away from her

knew that he

he threatened me and told me

even now that he has a

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 hadn't been interrupted and

by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they were resentful, cold and

phone, I knew it even before I opened the message icon that

I wasn't prepared for his demanding

be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

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

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

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

if I can

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

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

inwardly as people started to take notice of me when