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 to

I nodded, "I would prefer it if he

bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was

held out a thick black

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

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her

back around the black stone

"It's yours.

should keep it

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

it to me and I'm loaning it to

can give it back to me when you

battle

nodded and said,

you to go back

bottom lip and regarded me

five years old daughter was a freaking 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 apparently the same thought crossed my genius daughter's

in a silent demand as she moved on her

my hair aside, then her small

the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the thread wasn't too long and

to everyone who would

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

this makes you

announced as she came

engulfed her in a tight hug, just then I heard

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

her palms and

as she said, "You

will always be the best,

and said,

kissed her nose and in return

"I love you."

love you too,

pulled back and ruffled

face and I

laid down and I tugged the blanket

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

replied "Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

be

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

be back

pulled the blanket up

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

would interrupt and answer her vaguely but 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

that he had impregnated

when he threatened me and told

now

what would've happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance

wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on me they

I knew it even before I opened the

wasn't prepared

be there in the

Don't wear any panties."

so I

my mother's bedroom to check

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

if I can

was, would he intentionally force a daughter

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

as people started to take notice of me when I came into