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

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

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

and then held out a thick black macrame cord in her

knew what was in her

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

said, her

closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in

"It's yours.

should keep

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

me and I'm loaning

give it back to me

a losing battle when

and

I want you to

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

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

out her palm in a silent demand as she

rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as she tied

accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too

everyone who would just look in

a human heart, 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 things I could get my hands

"See, this makes you look

daughter announced as she

just then

I said with a pout, "I thought

palms and brought my

as she said,

always be the best,

and said, "So

and in return she kissed the

"I love you."

love you

pulled back and ruffled her

and I said, "Now, go back to

I tugged the blanket over

down, I kissed her

"Good night, baby"

"When

"Soon."

replied "Good

my phone from the bedside drawer and made my way

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

My broken heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in

be back

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

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

her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that

think my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact a truth

that

when he threatened me

didn't know even now

had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had

what ifs weren't going to help me, now I didn't even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by

I pulled myself straight and unlocked my phone, I knew it even

prepared

will be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

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

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

soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I

I can help

try as much as I could, until I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her

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

started to take notice of me when