Since that fateful day, a660Please respect copyright.PENANABK205r8tHZ
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 660Please respect copyright.PENANAtollhN4hkC
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 660Please respect copyright.PENANARllL2PHtto
ever since. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAUtN3UJz3Rt
Life was getting a whole660Please respect copyright.PENANAUrcjBRb5Dd
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,660Please respect copyright.PENANAwSIIZwRvmA
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 660Please respect copyright.PENANA3eU81uGcsf
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 660Please respect copyright.PENANAHPRMsk5Qwb
he felt like a stranger in his own home.660Please respect copyright.PENANAe72EFEzSoJ
Only his grandmother and660Please respect copyright.PENANABcpUid7xAe
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 660Please respect copyright.PENANAo6Mz6lt5vl
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 660Please respect copyright.PENANAwAZPpfceXb
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.660Please respect copyright.PENANAYgkQAukuTB
Coming to his father, he660Please respect copyright.PENANAba0Uiuicvl
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAhn1RAiwa1r
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 660Please respect copyright.PENANAD8OXvlVYYd
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 660Please respect copyright.PENANAgttkdDaYP4
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 660Please respect copyright.PENANA0CKrn1m3Ch
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 660Please respect copyright.PENANAHojwLqGDRb
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart660Please respect copyright.PENANA81ZeSvNSil
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 660Please respect copyright.PENANAq2oK9Vf6gD
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 660Please respect copyright.PENANAStTQpGQO20
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.660Please respect copyright.PENANA2K8vdf67pX
As Leo sat in the car 660Please respect copyright.PENANAE4EbUaPrNm
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he660Please respect copyright.PENANAEkjIyg3gx3
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAwfFONnUUco
"You and my sister still hate each other."660Please respect copyright.PENANAnfK6aP1Csj
Was that it? Was that 660Please respect copyright.PENANABgppsBFg0L
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 660Please respect copyright.PENANAAta8UosdO6
out? Did he really hate her that much?660Please respect copyright.PENANAHHk1lSTP9g
Well, judging by the way660Please respect copyright.PENANAa2mW8spKH3
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 660Please respect copyright.PENANA3DilVcQpGI
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 660Please respect copyright.PENANAcvijP1M2dR
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?660Please respect copyright.PENANAFUtRzXGXQr
Carly. It's pretty 660Please respect copyright.PENANANbgmwZSk39
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 660Please respect copyright.PENANAtqrUt2ZumU
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 660Please respect copyright.PENANALD1yKdIU1J
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.660Please respect copyright.PENANAPJnOvvmwF0
He had to admit, it was 660Please respect copyright.PENANAeYb97E88te
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 660Please respect copyright.PENANAMrn9PaIm7L
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 660Please respect copyright.PENANAxXf5oPOtCL
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a660Please respect copyright.PENANAKGc1l1aql6
thing to happen.660Please respect copyright.PENANA4k9wB143c2
Speaking of his mother, 660Please respect copyright.PENANAce7T3fmb5W
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 660Please respect copyright.PENANAkwF3McshcM
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the660Please respect copyright.PENANAUmvW7d4isp
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and660Please respect copyright.PENANAruOXaI0xg1
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 660Please respect copyright.PENANAJjCBz2Jru5
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 660Please respect copyright.PENANAKVwbxWNNpj
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 660Please respect copyright.PENANA8ikMhlquHY
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 660Please respect copyright.PENANADFHKUhkt3C
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 660Please respect copyright.PENANAZCdhpB7axT
later, which he never did.660Please respect copyright.PENANASOk2tOKh2V
Leo pulled out his phone660Please respect copyright.PENANA9rrwfWyCFa
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!660Please respect copyright.PENANAtM1BmK2Dvb
He wondered what it was all about now.660Please respect copyright.PENANAdZbL6z5lw9
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 660Please respect copyright.PENANA7DmIwre33z
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 660Please respect copyright.PENANAMWItUPfmyB
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 660Please respect copyright.PENANAkg3K0r2bhv
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to660Please respect copyright.PENANA6CkLIC503b
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 660Please respect copyright.PENANAyJJcyK7bgU
so. See you at eight then."660Please respect copyright.PENANAcuttsSdch9
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.660Please respect copyright.PENANAVwN3QvJscY
He quickly got out of 660Please respect copyright.PENANA8hrR4BJ28S
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 660Please respect copyright.PENANAhblIE165lO
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he660Please respect copyright.PENANAUvTACa5nb5
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.660Please respect copyright.PENANA5Irbqyphnh
He wasn't a kid anymore and he was tired of being treated like one. It was time he gave his mother a piece of his mind.660Please respect copyright.PENANAfXCt2MNthI
***660Please respect copyright.PENANA526420zv7l
"I660Please respect copyright.PENANAdzs4caaYi4
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 660Please respect copyright.PENANAeCPavrAMEt
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 660Please respect copyright.PENANAHSQv41Qs5H
this evening and I want things the way I like it."660Please respect copyright.PENANAtATdPjACOZ
The660Please respect copyright.PENANA40REwH6Cnr
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 660Please respect copyright.PENANAm6HGGw7crE
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs660Please respect copyright.PENANAtzCLcFliF6
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 660Please respect copyright.PENANADOCuNXcmhV
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 660Please respect copyright.PENANA5twSP5Ujm7
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.660Please respect copyright.PENANAg86TyQEBMK
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.660Please respect copyright.PENANA9fYOeAUiws
Leo660Please respect copyright.PENANA7Hxx7bG8tx
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 660Please respect copyright.PENANAHGCNg6UifS
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him660Please respect copyright.PENANA2ZCr4RBsvC
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 660Please respect copyright.PENANAtFpeoDerKD
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 660Please respect copyright.PENANA7Ersxupxzw
"Aren't you going to say anything or are you going to keep on staring at me like you want to kill me?" Mrs McDonell asked.660Please respect copyright.PENANASssm6iaier
"Maybe660Please respect copyright.PENANA5i2sc2bzgE
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 660Please respect copyright.PENANAwDciXFEYdu
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."660Please respect copyright.PENANA9mas3MyNlg
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"660Please respect copyright.PENANAWsSCl7gKKn
"The660Please respect copyright.PENANAYo4Qv10WVu
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only660Please respect copyright.PENANAU61Y432Zsz
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."660Please respect copyright.PENANAFtV6VYMTzJ
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.660Please respect copyright.PENANABBywrOc6gp
"What is going on here?"660Please respect copyright.PENANAuoKQTvrTvk
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.660Please respect copyright.PENANAVNcsm9Yq1o
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"660Please respect copyright.PENANAZF4RGSUOR1
"It's660Please respect copyright.PENANAYxlQL4NFq3
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 660Please respect copyright.PENANARO0Jzd32dG
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"660Please respect copyright.PENANABoQEvqiunr
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."660Please respect copyright.PENANAYlYljjrRXr
"Now660Please respect copyright.PENANA7Y7AFv3J3C
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 660Please respect copyright.PENANAlSsZTBa5zs
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.660Please respect copyright.PENANAY4fGgGJdLh
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.660Please respect copyright.PENANAWWMpz0bd8z
"I660Please respect copyright.PENANADD9nDVGrxN
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 660Please respect copyright.PENANAp2OVgCc05z
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 660Please respect copyright.PENANAWsAT4zhH2A
beating around the bush.660Please respect copyright.PENANAcnjlLS87J9
Mrs660Please respect copyright.PENANAAQE7YV4u0D
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 660Please respect copyright.PENANAahmhWTTNaF
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 660Please respect copyright.PENANAiNA3NY1CYP
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.660Please respect copyright.PENANA3uyvanIQck
"I...660Please respect copyright.PENANA7VmFzDCwcC
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 660Please respect copyright.PENANAjbSYg3orYx
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 660Please respect copyright.PENANAktOG5EvP96
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."660Please respect copyright.PENANAdjrLDZYXfR
"So660Please respect copyright.PENANAG1Y9JDePgP
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 660Please respect copyright.PENANA8XnBrFKg3o
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think660Please respect copyright.PENANAIHpOiaZbiu
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 660Please respect copyright.PENANAHMbZZqmi6Z
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 660Please respect copyright.PENANAIsNZeZBcTR
aren't the same as they were, mum."660Please respect copyright.PENANAG8zTNRA3b3
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."660Please respect copyright.PENANA2b2iCtlf7w
"No,660Please respect copyright.PENANArfitxtb5Ks
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,660Please respect copyright.PENANABcnAAF8HZw
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 660Please respect copyright.PENANAVfTNxVE36t
I?"660Please respect copyright.PENANABYjIEcqKRx
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."660Please respect copyright.PENANAjEsuSWPAoV
"Look,660Please respect copyright.PENANAw1Kt9YbC6f
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 660Please respect copyright.PENANA9l54lpEsc3
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 660Please respect copyright.PENANABcBiauDWsO
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 660Please respect copyright.PENANAOp26uVhs4Y
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 660Please respect copyright.PENANAaPmVlFhUAA
you."660Please respect copyright.PENANAO6G0AaiGUi
There660Please respect copyright.PENANAwKmJqvTgbf
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 660Please respect copyright.PENANA5sGRTCkoyn
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 660Please respect copyright.PENANAAN3Ol0ODgR
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 660Please respect copyright.PENANAC0oC4WnTwK
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAvaDE8CTYT2
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAl6YsbcXTTJ
"You660Please respect copyright.PENANAUcmNOD2lS7
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 660Please respect copyright.PENANAkWjcQFPy7A
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 660Please respect copyright.PENANAmb3fLowEeQ
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 660Please respect copyright.PENANAqbdU0SWhrf
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 660Please respect copyright.PENANAmallIut95V
mum, way too far."660Please respect copyright.PENANA3S0PMMeafX
Mrs660Please respect copyright.PENANAXLmdMiU75B
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 660Please respect copyright.PENANANy0NHNOJOy
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 660Please respect copyright.PENANAeje4UAjiTN
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAgDtLMWE94B
"And660Please respect copyright.PENANAqG9l1PwS2m
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 660Please respect copyright.PENANAGbSeCxyhSi
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her660Please respect copyright.PENANAZjpZmtBuCH
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."660Please respect copyright.PENANABF0FoLIV6G
Mrs660Please respect copyright.PENANAC9DHOGUzlI
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.660Please respect copyright.PENANAFEsQF7fCVH
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 660Please respect copyright.PENANAKZqqUBQnKh
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 660Please respect copyright.PENANA9nyHy65sg2
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.660Please respect copyright.PENANA1NxcBgdK6G
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"660Please respect copyright.PENANAIsHicqEa7c
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."660Please respect copyright.PENANAy6XRTKKtJ1
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."660Please respect copyright.PENANAjZLUFS8fQy
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.660Please respect copyright.PENANAgzxU38byut
"Look660Please respect copyright.PENANAKKmfwJfmc7
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 660Please respect copyright.PENANA1KZ8B12J8u
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."660Please respect copyright.PENANAVkqmxvLPjo
Mrs660Please respect copyright.PENANAiB0lrUolMl
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 660Please respect copyright.PENANArIbfYNw7Ux
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 660Please respect copyright.PENANAB1UmlEQqBw
mother, and they too were quiet.660Please respect copyright.PENANAzuKfrgaBLL
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.660Please respect copyright.PENANA26ynWQgkUC
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"660Please respect copyright.PENANAQOco4V9pum
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAPCTdFOrizs
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.660Please respect copyright.PENANAdh98lY3lmX
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 660Please respect copyright.PENANA9fOTtaWAt4
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAzi4Ppfim5g
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAwWOynqgfLT
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAQs9igg9qce
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.660Please respect copyright.PENANAQxyk1m0RtD
"Of660Please respect copyright.PENANADWonE3j0pE
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 660Please respect copyright.PENANAdLfVTUkC0x
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 660Please respect copyright.PENANAGfGvONHj9H
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 660Please respect copyright.PENANAl8p7ed43oG
Mr McDonell. 660Please respect copyright.PENANA3kxywXAAMm
"Ya, but for how long was he going to keep this up? All I'm trying to do is help him out," said Mrs McDonell. 660Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZtYJ6A8Km
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."660Please respect copyright.PENANAvgsRtAs80i
"I660Please respect copyright.PENANASBldqggWoE
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 660Please respect copyright.PENANAOfbG6FayPi
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control660Please respect copyright.PENANAEeO2ZzaWLp
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."660Please respect copyright.PENANAmE0vwktx6F
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 660Please respect copyright.PENANApJmohibC9D
"Not660Please respect copyright.PENANAqmPQhd3vMq
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 660Please respect copyright.PENANAFrcr8nANqO
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 660Please respect copyright.PENANASa5tEpMaV9
announcement."660Please respect copyright.PENANAdEeu8ePux2
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.660Please respect copyright.PENANAuTXq2vjyW7
"In660Please respect copyright.PENANAHnTOIHXxyv
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 660Please respect copyright.PENANAcFLDrSyUaL
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 660Please respect copyright.PENANASEiVFKJNdI
sisters might come to leave with us."660Please respect copyright.PENANAICwCjTyYd5
For660Please respect copyright.PENANAOeWa9zXK7d
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 660Please respect copyright.PENANAUcYj5xbTfw
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.660Please respect copyright.PENANApFukz8IUTq
"That's660Please respect copyright.PENANAp4zrANTg25
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long660Please respect copyright.PENANAxjSqRfmNza
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."660Please respect copyright.PENANAjqPsxz0sDM
Mrs660Please respect copyright.PENANAFp8FBvPEFi
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 660Please respect copyright.PENANADdN5JBy9HM
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.660Please respect copyright.PENANA2T2TgIP3Gp
"This660Please respect copyright.PENANAxP2PT8HILs
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 660Please respect copyright.PENANAOcq8pwoYjA
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 660Please respect copyright.PENANAwHQoj2opON
died."660Please respect copyright.PENANAWpSPu9WjPa
"What's660Please respect copyright.PENANAXYr6Gi23e8
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 660Please respect copyright.PENANAwxyOZwO4UN
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 660Please respect copyright.PENANAfbKmXL90K0
"Ya,660Please respect copyright.PENANAQkFm6Su7WY
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 660Please respect copyright.PENANARO9cvasBFc
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."660Please respect copyright.PENANAVbNYj55Hzx
"You660Please respect copyright.PENANAdJ1jK9tyX8
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why660Please respect copyright.PENANAaVrWz4EqaV
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."660Please respect copyright.PENANAD7YDwalE5H
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."660Please respect copyright.PENANAnVaByYkPwA
With660Please respect copyright.PENANAWbVO5xl9vF
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 660Please respect copyright.PENANAfvLNtxSjUm
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at660Please respect copyright.PENANANJ5LaHwE1N
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.