Since that fateful day, a659Please respect copyright.PENANAk8SqKGuUPc
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 659Please respect copyright.PENANAew2pVJwlvs
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 659Please respect copyright.PENANAaQgXdd1rRZ
ever since. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAsU1g5xJTzP
Life was getting a whole659Please respect copyright.PENANAUVIhEb2K1V
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,659Please respect copyright.PENANAeVpy8v16UA
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 659Please respect copyright.PENANAXQJDekBBJI
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 659Please respect copyright.PENANATjGh6AQH3c
he felt like a stranger in his own home.659Please respect copyright.PENANAHJOK6UH6EQ
Only his grandmother and659Please respect copyright.PENANAcWhE8z1d7Q
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 659Please respect copyright.PENANA14YW1hOyeE
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 659Please respect copyright.PENANAvE7B9M7XHW
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.659Please respect copyright.PENANAVy4chzSaY7
Coming to his father, he659Please respect copyright.PENANALeD6vcAcJQ
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAV4SMPZvE6U
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 659Please respect copyright.PENANA9ju10KC2ST
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 659Please respect copyright.PENANAB6HwV8l1Wa
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 659Please respect copyright.PENANAON5uKgb9df
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 659Please respect copyright.PENANAQYzpy03waK
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart659Please respect copyright.PENANAMYFum0TG9S
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 659Please respect copyright.PENANAQSxlxvk0Jj
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 659Please respect copyright.PENANAJGsYcKXx2T
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.659Please respect copyright.PENANA7TWQmlHROv
As Leo sat in the car 659Please respect copyright.PENANAdmBj03We6b
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he659Please respect copyright.PENANAkit2mQUOgf
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 659Please respect copyright.PENANA14kxt0JWCN
"You and my sister still hate each other."659Please respect copyright.PENANAq8lHD6UKZt
Was that it? Was that 659Please respect copyright.PENANAVBEvxT9WvS
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 659Please respect copyright.PENANAD0OvgWKQHq
out? Did he really hate her that much?659Please respect copyright.PENANAB9ep8DsClG
Well, judging by the way659Please respect copyright.PENANANlnvb2Gq9f
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 659Please respect copyright.PENANAbAyC8K2U4H
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 659Please respect copyright.PENANAKQ7dsduJxY
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?659Please respect copyright.PENANAfJ7dThsJWy
Carly. It's pretty 659Please respect copyright.PENANAe2ju7UzXSw
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 659Please respect copyright.PENANA47Z9iuYGEc
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 659Please respect copyright.PENANATMppNYluzr
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.659Please respect copyright.PENANA6gPvmL7Jwg
He had to admit, it was 659Please respect copyright.PENANAHBfTmwT33I
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 659Please respect copyright.PENANAsSb4JUFjRe
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 659Please respect copyright.PENANAJdCIxp6Fg8
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a659Please respect copyright.PENANAJh3zJFJDgR
thing to happen.659Please respect copyright.PENANAJorX3a1Gum
Speaking of his mother, 659Please respect copyright.PENANAabCnY7Feqp
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 659Please respect copyright.PENANAb0lSdHvnFc
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the659Please respect copyright.PENANAiqACEmJ2pV
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and659Please respect copyright.PENANAYWN8xDK7cR
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 659Please respect copyright.PENANAKyTLtYvceG
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 659Please respect copyright.PENANA1ySI8oZkQM
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 659Please respect copyright.PENANATJVgmCb4T9
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 659Please respect copyright.PENANArq6dL16Nj6
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 659Please respect copyright.PENANAm00x70WdbG
later, which he never did.659Please respect copyright.PENANAV6iAqtIXE9
Leo pulled out his phone659Please respect copyright.PENANAB9hKdFkd6x
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!659Please respect copyright.PENANA72Bk2cqQqZ
He wondered what it was all about now.659Please respect copyright.PENANAC56jMWUiQe
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 659Please respect copyright.PENANAITNCCQ7BNf
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 659Please respect copyright.PENANAVbNhemuxy1
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 659Please respect copyright.PENANAcdt6TwhXU6
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to659Please respect copyright.PENANA4xRmCoLnEr
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 659Please respect copyright.PENANAxRkdRPpk7R
so. See you at eight then."659Please respect copyright.PENANAMWZMhsHBNQ
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.659Please respect copyright.PENANATkFl6q5txp
He quickly got out of 659Please respect copyright.PENANAcxSGaDBI7L
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 659Please respect copyright.PENANAx2rakw3r3R
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he659Please respect copyright.PENANAMa8kzQDQC7
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.659Please respect copyright.PENANAmR3lb0w8EW
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.659Please respect copyright.PENANAkg6nNuUc2F
***659Please respect copyright.PENANAgvPqDUEINu
"I659Please respect copyright.PENANA2YnMxS9hOU
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 659Please respect copyright.PENANAgMmnnOFLKP
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 659Please respect copyright.PENANAM6g1cBfVnl
this evening and I want things the way I like it."659Please respect copyright.PENANAaydTTAzD0g
The659Please respect copyright.PENANASWTUWR85eP
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 659Please respect copyright.PENANA0XnfNejlzJ
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs659Please respect copyright.PENANABvRfDTWZ5N
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 659Please respect copyright.PENANApLXKtCyyFE
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 659Please respect copyright.PENANARXdGMoX7kF
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.659Please respect copyright.PENANAiqeTMJZpDo
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.659Please respect copyright.PENANAGo0Dsep7ti
Leo659Please respect copyright.PENANAcML7VzyOM9
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 659Please respect copyright.PENANAd6PNGP9yqR
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him659Please respect copyright.PENANAIByBmVttf7
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 659Please respect copyright.PENANAOPAMR1GUT0
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAaunw69FQyj
"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.659Please respect copyright.PENANAWbDqReXvs1
"Maybe659Please respect copyright.PENANAkJ3rFwRJz0
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 659Please respect copyright.PENANAdwM6fZhS7H
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."659Please respect copyright.PENANAufkWPT8y9h
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"659Please respect copyright.PENANAAhRDJETTLf
"The659Please respect copyright.PENANAb77A3APBQ5
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only659Please respect copyright.PENANATga7KwLNzl
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."659Please respect copyright.PENANA4pW36OwPsY
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.659Please respect copyright.PENANAGcRVcxTFbT
"What is going on here?"659Please respect copyright.PENANALtbPm5izOB
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.659Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8q16bVb7g
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"659Please respect copyright.PENANA039oIZrJIb
"It's659Please respect copyright.PENANAML43ppa0up
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 659Please respect copyright.PENANAymy1xB8y89
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"659Please respect copyright.PENANAtAuOHWmRom
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."659Please respect copyright.PENANA3YWOZdsGj7
"Now659Please respect copyright.PENANA5tVvRRLt11
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 659Please respect copyright.PENANA3ChhLtt1NT
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.659Please respect copyright.PENANASbsjhXlaz4
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.659Please respect copyright.PENANACOkHilUMrm
"I659Please respect copyright.PENANAmKY6V9OWnK
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 659Please respect copyright.PENANAWVU6zvtXFI
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 659Please respect copyright.PENANAPar2zCAmpB
beating around the bush.659Please respect copyright.PENANAv7mPEyeva7
Mrs659Please respect copyright.PENANAye1l4OYX5O
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 659Please respect copyright.PENANACXLrlBLJDv
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 659Please respect copyright.PENANAFzKG2VRRra
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.659Please respect copyright.PENANA8GVaR0uSnE
"I...659Please respect copyright.PENANANpz0o8WNQV
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 659Please respect copyright.PENANAUtVACEjlFm
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 659Please respect copyright.PENANAeJUGi3RWr1
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."659Please respect copyright.PENANAqlTNHRM3rt
"So659Please respect copyright.PENANADEYE851C2G
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 659Please respect copyright.PENANADWFKt9c9QZ
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think659Please respect copyright.PENANAn3feJpvrOo
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 659Please respect copyright.PENANAViprZrfZEs
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 659Please respect copyright.PENANAME74HiXfyq
aren't the same as they were, mum."659Please respect copyright.PENANAL6okdDJnXW
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."659Please respect copyright.PENANAuxwmfRmQpk
"No,659Please respect copyright.PENANAPamgQZdwhT
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,659Please respect copyright.PENANAaoTwmtPRMZ
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 659Please respect copyright.PENANA9Re5Ds2jh9
I?"659Please respect copyright.PENANAt8y7D0lIRx
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."659Please respect copyright.PENANAEA6bQgkpv0
"Look,659Please respect copyright.PENANAtxRZwSIegZ
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 659Please respect copyright.PENANA6yihFRrk4s
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 659Please respect copyright.PENANA6bdZS526DK
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 659Please respect copyright.PENANAeEEJ7bcJlD
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 659Please respect copyright.PENANAPzDr3QD4XU
you."659Please respect copyright.PENANAd6dMx3gdbY
There659Please respect copyright.PENANAtqXblKRlmd
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 659Please respect copyright.PENANAJZrApMyvGk
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 659Please respect copyright.PENANADsraJ4janC
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 659Please respect copyright.PENANAXMtiMnccO9
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAIpg5IaeTNa
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAdhCSYOFgZJ
"You659Please respect copyright.PENANAVmbr0oOS9u
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 659Please respect copyright.PENANAdXQnYZRevt
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 659Please respect copyright.PENANAYV7Dn9Or0e
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 659Please respect copyright.PENANATfPMgQ6ZEX
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 659Please respect copyright.PENANAjhznqvnI3L
mum, way too far."659Please respect copyright.PENANA4H8HuCzkM8
Mrs659Please respect copyright.PENANAC1lWPqt0HS
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 659Please respect copyright.PENANAnUBHV6XyGT
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 659Please respect copyright.PENANANKUpCcXxSs
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAgeTjUlBvms
"And659Please respect copyright.PENANAxPaFxdmNK8
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 659Please respect copyright.PENANAgTMgTSgQju
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her659Please respect copyright.PENANAK8WxxeEcsM
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."659Please respect copyright.PENANA9zWqPvYIrB
Mrs659Please respect copyright.PENANA167uhbj1Wi
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.659Please respect copyright.PENANA6YckTM0841
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 659Please respect copyright.PENANAXtYN3D8jPi
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 659Please respect copyright.PENANAiyZv2I8VRM
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.659Please respect copyright.PENANAFTHwUQXKoO
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"659Please respect copyright.PENANACQIV1e7CKZ
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."659Please respect copyright.PENANAD9VPVWisp1
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."659Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZDwsuwBHl
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.659Please respect copyright.PENANAOV2G3QtZLn
"Look659Please respect copyright.PENANAe15OX7UiIa
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 659Please respect copyright.PENANAVbNb8TWEeQ
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."659Please respect copyright.PENANADPV1dB4XCU
Mrs659Please respect copyright.PENANAGnDPTj6Fxt
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 659Please respect copyright.PENANAby58QawJGM
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 659Please respect copyright.PENANAUYUtQeR3pz
mother, and they too were quiet.659Please respect copyright.PENANACmR5Mhdc56
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.659Please respect copyright.PENANAeAvVkrkw1n
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"659Please respect copyright.PENANA4oNBKkiWlk
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAJg39DIsp95
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.659Please respect copyright.PENANA3xbVHAoKSM
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 659Please respect copyright.PENANA4QIdi7KMzv
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAOHDL3QSrHf
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 659Please respect copyright.PENANALsBEkYTCqJ
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAsERnnQN9VD
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.659Please respect copyright.PENANAHJJLhvDhVo
"Of659Please respect copyright.PENANAWTeOK2t3bV
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 659Please respect copyright.PENANAUYCaFPp7Qu
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 659Please respect copyright.PENANAcLLME1PHkt
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 659Please respect copyright.PENANAf7lnSXQ9AU
Mr McDonell. 659Please respect copyright.PENANApnulWF0z4I
"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. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAvwIIoOQs4Z
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."659Please respect copyright.PENANAcVoWWQWxb7
"I659Please respect copyright.PENANAAIGlNRfDDT
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 659Please respect copyright.PENANA5tXrDdrcDR
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control659Please respect copyright.PENANABuQ2h6BXkQ
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."659Please respect copyright.PENANAuKeMPt6rJE
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 659Please respect copyright.PENANAuD02ssgIY8
"Not659Please respect copyright.PENANAFRDQn1upjg
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 659Please respect copyright.PENANA5CrDi2BncB
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 659Please respect copyright.PENANAqlGocgnt17
announcement."659Please respect copyright.PENANAvfYr2COxfp
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.659Please respect copyright.PENANA8YkLv21uZM
"In659Please respect copyright.PENANAgGIZz0fXxk
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 659Please respect copyright.PENANABdaBLmcQcU
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 659Please respect copyright.PENANAKDSPmYN2rc
sisters might come to leave with us."659Please respect copyright.PENANAALNadEZsZj
For659Please respect copyright.PENANAJC63lOHYrL
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 659Please respect copyright.PENANAjqPBTtvqf2
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.659Please respect copyright.PENANAKkyeX55I2D
"That's659Please respect copyright.PENANAYf4NaX6UMW
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long659Please respect copyright.PENANA8clfL1dSaq
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."659Please respect copyright.PENANAfFC8TWinNA
Mrs659Please respect copyright.PENANAI6x8FQUWTD
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 659Please respect copyright.PENANAydws2r9UGS
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.659Please respect copyright.PENANAisl6bCfqAS
"This659Please respect copyright.PENANAAfCA5ImxJh
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 659Please respect copyright.PENANAhUZ45FJXP8
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 659Please respect copyright.PENANAIHMxJc198M
died."659Please respect copyright.PENANAO8sCo4lLoL
"What's659Please respect copyright.PENANACClguBzQ61
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 659Please respect copyright.PENANApJfS3b7s75
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 659Please respect copyright.PENANA0jQyZT1xAn
"Ya,659Please respect copyright.PENANAG2LTzEuDd2
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 659Please respect copyright.PENANAWFgPLZnewz
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."659Please respect copyright.PENANAR0wgOXFCFE
"You659Please respect copyright.PENANA7UgbS3QvjL
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why659Please respect copyright.PENANA8ak65DxlIu
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."659Please respect copyright.PENANAAzBhJRvUTg
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."659Please respect copyright.PENANAW4FCgUAD76
With659Please respect copyright.PENANAvnKxnS4wqN
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 659Please respect copyright.PENANAzy1ZHp43zm
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at659Please respect copyright.PENANAfThJFrWfLO
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.