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 prefer it if he was my

and then I watched as she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed

and then held out a thick black macrame cord in

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

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

said, her

the black stone that had half of its piece

"It's yours.

keep it

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

me and I'm loaning it to

it back

losing battle when I see

nodded and

I want you to go back to

jumped on the bed but didn't lie down, instead she bit down on her bottom lip and regarded me with a suspicious look and said, "Give it to me, I'll help

years old daughter was a freaking smartarse? The thought had crossed my mind too, instead of putting it on I'd have left

out her palm in a silent demand

the threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my hair aside,

choked me as the thread wasn't too long and the

to everyone who would just look in my

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

"See, this makes you

daughter announced as she

hug, just then I

my daughter as I said with a

my cheeks between her palms and

as

will always be

the tears away and said, "So are

and in return she kissed the corner

"I love you."

you too,

pulled back and

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

I

I

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good

bedside drawer and made my way toward the

"Yes, baby?"

be

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

be back

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 eyes to

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

time, my mother would interrupt and answer her vaguely but always painting her father in the light that would leave room

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

knew that he had impregnated

when he threatened me and told

know even now that he has a

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 him

I didn't even know how he would react when the wounds inflicted by me had festered for so long that whenever

knew it even

prepared for his demanding

in

Don't wear any panties."

half naked so I wasn't going

and made my way toward my mother's bedroom to

so I decided to wait for him downstairs because I didn't

if I can help

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

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

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