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 is

want him to

a thoughtful pause of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if he was

and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys she

a bit and then held out a thick black

as I knew what was in

"Wear this.

our lucky charm,

her

my head and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had

"It's yours.

should keep it to

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

and

can give it back

battle when

nodded and said,

I want you to go

lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me, I'll

thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment

silent demand as she moved on her knees

threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy

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

would just look in

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

this makes you look the

announced as

then

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

palms and

fierce as she said,

will always be the best,

said, "So are you,

return she kissed the corner of

"I love you."

love you too,

back and ruffled

face and I said, "Now, go back to

laid down and I tugged

I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good

bedside drawer and made my way toward the bedroom door when her soft voice stopped me,

"Yes, baby?"

be my

and I swallowed the knot

will be back

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

I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that I didn't want

answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the

think my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was in fact a

that

when he threatened me

even now that he has

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

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 filled

pulled myself straight and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I

I wasn't prepared for his demanding

in the

Don't wear any panties."

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

mother's bedroom to check up on her before I

so I decided to wait for

if I can

he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name

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

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