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

want him

pause of my own, I nodded, "I would prefer

she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from

then held out a thick black macrame

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

"Wear this.

our lucky

said, her

back around the black stone that had half of its piece back somewhere in Black

"It's yours.

should keep

She pursed her lips and picked up my hand then slammed the

and I'm

can give it back to me

losing battle when I

and said,

I want you to go

she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give

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

demand as she moved on her knees so she was behind

and she swiped my hair aside, then her small fingers got busy as she tied

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

who would just

in a shape that resembled a human heart, not 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

"See, this makes

daughter announced as she

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

and focused on my daughter as I said

clapped my cheeks between her palms and brought my face closer to

grey eyes fierce as she

will always be

and said, "So are you, my

return she

"I love you."

love you

and

I said, "Now, go

down and I

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When will

"Soon."

"Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

this boy be

another scratch and I swallowed the knot in my throat as I said, "Go to

will be

a solemn nod and her grey eyes 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

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

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

I was purposely keeping her away from her father which was

that he had

was pregnant when he threatened me and told me to

now that he has a

wondered what would've happened if the last time I had gone to meet him to tell him the truth and if I had gotten the chance to tell

the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that

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

wasn't prepared for his demanding

in the next ten

Don't wear any panties."

made me feel half naked so I wasn't

text and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to check up on her before I turned toward the apartment

I decided to wait

if I can

Kristian was, would he intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of

the corridor but it wasn't the case as I stepped out of the elevator on the

of me