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

you want him to

my own, I nodded, "I would

and then 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

and then held out a

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

"Wear this.

our lucky

said, her grey

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

"It's yours.

should keep

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

to me and

can give it back to

losing battle when I

nodded and said,

to

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

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

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

her palm and she swiped my hair aside, then

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

to everyone who would

had smallest broken part of it, the other half and the bigger part was left

this makes

announced as she

just then I heard my phone pinging with an incoming

and focused on my daughter as I said with

palms and brought my face closer

fierce as she

be the best,

blinked the tears away and said,

nose and in return she kissed the

"I love you."

love you

back and ruffled

and I said, "Now, go back to

laid down and I tugged

I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will you

"Soon."

"Good

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

"Yes, baby?"

be

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

will be back

she turned away and pulled the blanket up to

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

vaguely but always painting her father

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

never knew that he had impregnated

knew I was pregnant when he

even now

him the truth and if I had

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, cold and filled

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

I wasn't prepared

be there in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

dress already made me feel half naked so

mother's bedroom to check up on her before

he mentioned that he will be here soon so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him

I can

a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I locked

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

started to take notice of me when