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

want him to

pause of my own, I nodded, "I would

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

it for a bit and then held out a thick black macrame cord

pang as I knew what was in her

"Wear this.

our lucky

her

black stone that had half

"It's yours.

should keep it

She pursed her lips and picked up my hand then slammed the shining

gave it to me and I'm

it back to

a losing battle when

nodded and

you to go back

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

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

silent demand as she moved on her

I put the threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my hair

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

everyone who would just look in my

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

"See, this makes you look the

daughter announced as she

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

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

my cheeks between her palms

fierce as she

be the

away and said, "So are

nose and in return she

"I love you."

love you

pulled back and ruffled her

made a face and I said,

laid down and I tugged the blanket

I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

"Good night,

bedside drawer and made my way

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

I swallowed the knot

will be back

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

had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I

time, my mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father

purposely keeping her away from her

knew that he had

he threatened me and told me

know even now that he has

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

now what ifs weren't going to help me, now I didn't even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever his eyes landed on

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

wasn't prepared for

in

Don't wear any panties."

already made me feel half naked so

my way toward my mother's bedroom to check

soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him

I can help

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

out in the corridor but it wasn't the case

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