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

want him to

a thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded,

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

a bit and then held out a thick black macrame

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

"Wear this.

lucky

her grey

the black stone that had half of its

"It's yours.

should keep it to

slammed the shining black rock in my palm and closed my fingers around

to me and

back to

losing battle

nodded and said,

I want you to go

and

freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on

held out her palm in a silent demand as she moved on her

her palm and she swiped my hair

put my fingers between the thread and my neck before she accidentally choked me as the

who would just look in

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

this makes you look the

announced as she

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

and focused on my daughter as I said

clapped my cheeks between her palms and brought my face

grey eyes fierce as

always be the best,

the tears away and said, "So

her nose and in return she

"I love you."

you too,

back and ruffled

made a face and I said, "Now, go back to

laid down and I tugged the

down, I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

my way

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be my new

My broken heart suffered another scratch and I swallowed the knot in

be

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

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

and answer her vaguely but always painting her father

I was purposely keeping her away from her father

that he

knew I was pregnant when he threatened me and told me to

even now that

to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell him the truth, if we hadn't been interrupted

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, cold and

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

wasn't prepared for his

there in the

Don't wear any panties."

already made me feel half naked so I wasn't going to

ignored his text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on

be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because

if I can

force a daughter from her mother

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

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