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

you want

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

bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled

for a bit and then held out

what was in her small

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her

the black

"It's yours.

should keep it to

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

and

give it back to

battle when I see

and

you to go back to

didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and

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

swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy

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

everyone who would just look in

shape that resembled 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 on which didn't matter later when I had to run from one place to another because of the stalker that didn't let me settle

"See, this makes

as she

her in a tight hug, just then I heard my phone pinging with an

daughter as I said with

her palms and brought my face closer

grey eyes fierce as she said,

be the

and said, "So are

in return she kissed the corner of my

"I love you."

you

and ruffled

made a face and I said, "Now, go

down and I tugged

down, I

"Good night, baby"

"When will

"Soon."

replied "Good

way toward the bedroom door when

"Yes, baby?"

be my new

heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in

be

away and pulled the blanket up to

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

always painting her father in the light that would leave

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

never knew that he had

knew I was pregnant when he threatened me and

now that

meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him

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

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

prepared for his demanding

will be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

feel half naked so I wasn't going to

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

to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him anywhere near my

if I can

I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge?

there was no one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the elevator

cringed inwardly as people started to take notice of me when I came into the entrance hall near