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

you want

own, I nodded, "I would prefer it if he was

she leapt off the bed and pulled the basket from under the bed which was filled with the few toys she had

bit and then held out a thick black macrame cord in her

I knew what was in her small fist even before

"Wear this.

lucky charm,

said, her

closed her fingers back around the black stone that

"It's yours.

keep it

the shining

gave it to me and I'm loaning

it back to me when

losing battle when I see

and said,

want you to go

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

years old daughter was a 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

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

put the threaded rock in her palm and she swiped my

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

to everyone who would just look in

the bigger part was left behind in

makes you look

announced as she

in a tight hug, just then I heard

focused on my daughter as I said with a pout, "I thought I

clapped my cheeks between her palms and brought my

fierce as she said, "You

will always be

said, "So are

in return she

"I love you."

you

and ruffled

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

laid down and I tugged

down, I kissed

"Good night, baby"

asked, "When

"Soon."

"Good night,

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

"Yes, baby?"

boy be

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

will be

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

father, I had to ignore her questions or make up a lie that

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

my daughter thought that I was purposely keeping her away from

never knew that

never knew I was pregnant when he

didn't know even now that

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 the truth, if we hadn't been

by me had festered for so long that whenever his

pulled myself straight and unlocked my phone, I knew it even before I opened

wasn't prepared

there in the next

Don't wear any panties."

already made me feel half naked so I wasn't going

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

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

I can help

intentionally force a daughter from her mother in the name of his revenge? I locked the door behind me and slipped the key behind my phone

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

me when I came into the entrance hall near