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

want him

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

pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys she

and then held out

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

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

said, her grey

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

"It's yours.

should keep

hand then slammed the shining black

and I'm loaning it to

back to me

battle when

and

I want you to go back to

her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me, I'll help you put it

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

in a silent demand as she moved on her knees

palm and she swiped my hair aside, then

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

would just look in my

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 on which didn't matter later

"See, this makes you look the

announced as she

a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging

on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I was already the

her palms and brought my

eyes fierce as she said,

will always be the

and said, "So

and in return she

"I love you."

love you

back and ruffled

and I

I tugged the blanket over

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft voice stopped

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be

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

will be back

me 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

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

vaguely but always painting her father in the light that would leave room for more

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

that he had impregnated

I was pregnant when he

didn't know even now that

and if I had gotten the chance

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

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

prepared

will be there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

me feel half naked so I wasn't

my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I turned

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

if I can help

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

no one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as

take notice of me when I came into the entrance hall near