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

you want him to

own, I nodded, "I

I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys she had gathered over the

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

what was in her small

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

said, her grey eyes

and closed her fingers back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere

"It's yours.

should keep it

up my hand then slammed the shining black

gave it to me and I'm loaning it to

back to

battle when I

and

to go back

the bed but didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and

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

silent demand as she moved on her

palm and she swiped my hair aside,

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

who would just look in

the one that we drew 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

makes you look the

announced as

engulfed her in a tight hug, just then I heard my

ignored my phone and focused on my daughter as I said with

between her palms and brought my face

as she

always be the best,

and said, "So

in return she

"I love you."

love you

back and ruffled

a face and I

laid down and I tugged the

down, I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

be

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

be

solemn nod and her grey eyes closed as she turned away and pulled the blanket up to

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

interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father

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

never knew that he had impregnated

when he threatened

even now that he has a

truth and if

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

it

I wasn't prepared for his

will be there in

Don't wear any panties."

naked so I wasn't

toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I turned

mentioned that he will be here 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

it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the

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