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

you want him to

nodded, "I would prefer it if

and pulled the

a bit and then held out a

painful pang as I knew what was in her small fist even before

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her grey eyes

around the black stone that had half of

"It's yours.

should keep it to

slammed the shining black rock in my palm and

me and I'm loaning

back to me

a losing battle

nodded and said,

to go back

bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to

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

out her palm in a silent demand as she moved on her knees so

the threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small

as the thread wasn't too long and the broken rock came to settle on the hollow

to everyone who would just look in my

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

makes you look

announced as

just then I heard my

on my daughter as I said with a

between her palms and brought my face closer

as

will always be

the tears away and said, "So

her nose and in return she kissed the corner of my

"I love you."

love you

back and

face and I said, "Now, go back

down and I

down, I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

the bedside drawer and made my way toward the

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat as I

be back

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

my daughter had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions

would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that

daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which

knew that he

was pregnant when he threatened me and

know even now that he

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

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 me they were resentful,

phone, I knew it even before I opened the message icon that it would be

prepared

in

Don't wear any panties."

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

so I decided to wait for

if I can help

I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter

one out in the corridor but it wasn't the case as

notice of me when I