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

of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if he

lap and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the

a bit and then held out a

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

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

her

fingers back around the black stone that had half of

"It's yours.

keep it to

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

to me and I'm loaning it to

can give it back

losing battle when

nodded and

you to go back

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

of putting it on I'd have left it out in the apartment somewhere hidden but apparently the same

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

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

me as the thread wasn't too long

who would just look in

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 one place to another because of the stalker that didn't

makes you

announced as

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

as I said with a

my cheeks between her palms

as she

be the best,

tears away and said, "So are you,

and in return she kissed

"I love you."

you

back and ruffled

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

I tugged the

down, I

"Good night, baby"

"When

"Soon."

"Good night,

bedside drawer and made my way toward

"Yes, baby?"

be

the knot in my throat as

be

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

had asked me about her father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a

would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that would leave room for more

I think my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away

knew that

never knew I was pregnant when he threatened me and told me

know even now that

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

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

it even

wasn't prepared for

will be there in

Don't wear any panties."

me feel half naked so I wasn't going

my mother's bedroom to check up on

to wait for him downstairs because I didn't want him anywhere near my

if I can help

I could, until I understand what kind of man this Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in

out in the corridor but it wasn't the case

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