Since that fateful day, a805Please respect copyright.PENANABtH6BqgsPM
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 805Please respect copyright.PENANAykdTQ1FqjV
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 805Please respect copyright.PENANACzZ5BumuiV
ever since. 805Please respect copyright.PENANALWfUhkvjPs
Life was getting a whole805Please respect copyright.PENANAN1JB322tJe
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,805Please respect copyright.PENANAY6Yc5g09AM
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 805Please respect copyright.PENANA8omiVAwwI8
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 805Please respect copyright.PENANAncvLSyEyNM
he felt like a stranger in his own home.805Please respect copyright.PENANAgAZummehfW
Only his grandmother and805Please respect copyright.PENANAFVdDy7L0jZ
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 805Please respect copyright.PENANAlefzliXNwy
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 805Please respect copyright.PENANAVJ1ZVSR3Tb
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.805Please respect copyright.PENANA7vHqZAWkHL
Coming to his father, he805Please respect copyright.PENANAmV4D5ZPMvC
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAmWGrdHMh4T
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 805Please respect copyright.PENANAWYB93TtHrG
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 805Please respect copyright.PENANAHAWppa98bq
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 805Please respect copyright.PENANADbbRVdZ0l4
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 805Please respect copyright.PENANAb1gK2JG092
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart805Please respect copyright.PENANAuJ4uTLYqwF
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 805Please respect copyright.PENANAlQShByzFrm
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 805Please respect copyright.PENANA27Ia3XYKZH
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.805Please respect copyright.PENANAuTOPebKlsY
As Leo sat in the car 805Please respect copyright.PENANA1s7TA5ecvJ
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he805Please respect copyright.PENANAbUDkA7iYuE
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 805Please respect copyright.PENANA7FPyDkgvyu
"You and my sister still hate each other."805Please respect copyright.PENANAtrM22qhoPj
Was that it? Was that 805Please respect copyright.PENANA26X97443at
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 805Please respect copyright.PENANA7rE9lOG2v8
out? Did he really hate her that much?805Please respect copyright.PENANAuKD2csI97M
Well, judging by the way805Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8DlQ7zcxP
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 805Please respect copyright.PENANAQhbcAWx8TH
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 805Please respect copyright.PENANAkrGw5Rgvoj
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?805Please respect copyright.PENANAZYpY8xRNaU
Carly. It's pretty 805Please respect copyright.PENANAT94NvP9h12
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 805Please respect copyright.PENANA8L1kTco64r
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 805Please respect copyright.PENANAVMYI2YTSGL
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.805Please respect copyright.PENANAP7M5qgsUbI
He had to admit, it was 805Please respect copyright.PENANAbk38xM1rE1
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 805Please respect copyright.PENANAPq3kV2uhYX
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 805Please respect copyright.PENANAdOk4NRHErt
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a805Please respect copyright.PENANAmyR2zCOGb4
thing to happen.805Please respect copyright.PENANAwYoElIzrJu
Speaking of his mother, 805Please respect copyright.PENANAL7x64ugnRE
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 805Please respect copyright.PENANAYRnMrnDZD4
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the805Please respect copyright.PENANA0O79OhokA2
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and805Please respect copyright.PENANAcGqK2oIS7f
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 805Please respect copyright.PENANAC0ZiyPCcsj
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 805Please respect copyright.PENANAVJNKBRhkJm
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 805Please respect copyright.PENANApy0C87twfI
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 805Please respect copyright.PENANANHYAWxDp0L
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 805Please respect copyright.PENANAyD9gsh9Lj8
later, which he never did.805Please respect copyright.PENANAXZaDRHer8K
Leo pulled out his phone805Please respect copyright.PENANAWfZy4XwAKE
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!805Please respect copyright.PENANAkx1UBXEtyM
He wondered what it was all about now.805Please respect copyright.PENANAi2jZV7q2Ir
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 805Please respect copyright.PENANAbFQG5u1IeZ
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 805Please respect copyright.PENANAUGzXRPv5Hq
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 805Please respect copyright.PENANAzFEhEg1XRX
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to805Please respect copyright.PENANAYt5R26enCq
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 805Please respect copyright.PENANAak1Os4ve7O
so. See you at eight then."805Please respect copyright.PENANA4jrwjYNdWt
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.805Please respect copyright.PENANAt6CUtdnl03
He quickly got out of 805Please respect copyright.PENANAB5GucrxQXV
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 805Please respect copyright.PENANAcelAxd58SM
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he805Please respect copyright.PENANAloLvQVEqRV
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.805Please respect copyright.PENANA7IQjjdqydw
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.805Please respect copyright.PENANAMTYJNxcTYv
***805Please respect copyright.PENANAz3ToMusv3r
"I805Please respect copyright.PENANAOuMsuSIc4B
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 805Please respect copyright.PENANAROcfvfPsTc
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 805Please respect copyright.PENANAJsxbkOoD9m
this evening and I want things the way I like it."805Please respect copyright.PENANAslkwUrEC37
The805Please respect copyright.PENANA9QkBGEUQk8
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 805Please respect copyright.PENANAFSQkwkpOaS
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs805Please respect copyright.PENANAAV8AwUDgyM
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 805Please respect copyright.PENANApelv8IMzNP
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 805Please respect copyright.PENANAH80DyM9AjY
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.805Please respect copyright.PENANAUbYNX7Eoi2
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.805Please respect copyright.PENANAetbJbW1kRr
Leo805Please respect copyright.PENANAbIuanAFcBr
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 805Please respect copyright.PENANABZrnCYeGtD
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him805Please respect copyright.PENANAQxgK0C59P0
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 805Please respect copyright.PENANAxi6m9a1RcB
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAR9LWlDFDiy
"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.805Please respect copyright.PENANADIROh8w2T3
"Maybe805Please respect copyright.PENANAmuVeoiJHxj
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 805Please respect copyright.PENANABKadw7rxFu
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."805Please respect copyright.PENANAQMLiskjlJE
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"805Please respect copyright.PENANANOI2PM0Dl2
"The805Please respect copyright.PENANART14Lsjzn0
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only805Please respect copyright.PENANAWIqtv5uUmD
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."805Please respect copyright.PENANAtH47Jvv7b6
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.805Please respect copyright.PENANAEhyCBGWuGY
"What is going on here?"805Please respect copyright.PENANAnX8ktAZWf5
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.805Please respect copyright.PENANAZxC5xFhU7O
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"805Please respect copyright.PENANA64NcL19pfM
"It's805Please respect copyright.PENANAwpC34Sdonj
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 805Please respect copyright.PENANAku4AEEK5wx
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"805Please respect copyright.PENANA3g8MH7gt01
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."805Please respect copyright.PENANA2zD2BbyxDe
"Now805Please respect copyright.PENANA2n9s4phXBW
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 805Please respect copyright.PENANA7SJVJIivto
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.805Please respect copyright.PENANAvrXUrwL6XH
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.805Please respect copyright.PENANAZJQpJBhrGa
"I805Please respect copyright.PENANARrh0ZZu4uC
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 805Please respect copyright.PENANAmW0Qm8AWmp
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 805Please respect copyright.PENANAXIaBgvqnxd
beating around the bush.805Please respect copyright.PENANA4wgJDMaTm7
Mrs805Please respect copyright.PENANAcc6C47jlgk
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 805Please respect copyright.PENANANLgASsk4xp
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 805Please respect copyright.PENANA0MJZxpuJxi
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.805Please respect copyright.PENANArWi994aQC8
"I...805Please respect copyright.PENANAmwjpzeVE0a
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 805Please respect copyright.PENANAf1HZ2sSx6b
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 805Please respect copyright.PENANAhccX5AAuv8
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."805Please respect copyright.PENANAxYtTSmjQX6
"So805Please respect copyright.PENANAin6QO5ZWx5
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 805Please respect copyright.PENANAqQ9dzZUyzU
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think805Please respect copyright.PENANAOLz1lur1o2
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 805Please respect copyright.PENANA3VWN7tWdaS
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 805Please respect copyright.PENANAUvKqu5pFYV
aren't the same as they were, mum."805Please respect copyright.PENANAAovg0uhrSc
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."805Please respect copyright.PENANAWLsApQGtVc
"No,805Please respect copyright.PENANAHOYfC4epVm
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,805Please respect copyright.PENANAkc5Dehozf4
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 805Please respect copyright.PENANAJdytYdQKok
I?"805Please respect copyright.PENANA96ME9k9J0e
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."805Please respect copyright.PENANAhutTLiJ9TZ
"Look,805Please respect copyright.PENANAbeHFU4wOgJ
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 805Please respect copyright.PENANAX63tlPaefo
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 805Please respect copyright.PENANA2PwidY3Qen
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 805Please respect copyright.PENANAHhmQRHREtM
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 805Please respect copyright.PENANAunlgojdjqT
you."805Please respect copyright.PENANAZUEAXLEsgi
There805Please respect copyright.PENANAZd5xpWPRlO
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 805Please respect copyright.PENANAQFnyd2TP5Q
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 805Please respect copyright.PENANA7AInT2Zkt3
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 805Please respect copyright.PENANA08Pb0obLVP
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAD86R0VSQDF
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAbe7SLtLLc3
"You805Please respect copyright.PENANAmNzdvBPOje
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 805Please respect copyright.PENANAGf8EVhPPkk
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 805Please respect copyright.PENANAWUE35uhWhp
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 805Please respect copyright.PENANAyqEbN0Dbsv
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 805Please respect copyright.PENANAEQgSqQmtun
mum, way too far."805Please respect copyright.PENANAnea2HNPUmB
Mrs805Please respect copyright.PENANAyaNBCWq7eU
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 805Please respect copyright.PENANArfwy8OQTA9
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 805Please respect copyright.PENANAHcWCd1D2Fk
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAjvTFAEwxbX
"And805Please respect copyright.PENANASamxfNYSkW
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 805Please respect copyright.PENANAax5JpQ2btc
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her805Please respect copyright.PENANAFVVQdQ2uF0
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."805Please respect copyright.PENANAyvBowCml54
Mrs805Please respect copyright.PENANA32BQ2IGrgM
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.805Please respect copyright.PENANAd1gGH2zaAH
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 805Please respect copyright.PENANA4maTJCP3Il
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 805Please respect copyright.PENANAL8omdeEG24
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.805Please respect copyright.PENANAPXugnNYG4u
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"805Please respect copyright.PENANAhORPRWj7LW
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."805Please respect copyright.PENANAANTqofgS2p
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."805Please respect copyright.PENANA6wB3XtJfPx
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.805Please respect copyright.PENANAA5cmdZ1lH5
"Look805Please respect copyright.PENANAAEvcpChxap
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 805Please respect copyright.PENANAZJNrfnrhTi
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."805Please respect copyright.PENANAF6t6D3VrKH
Mrs805Please respect copyright.PENANACGgE707BQD
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 805Please respect copyright.PENANAmDKzy0KGJf
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 805Please respect copyright.PENANAMhAfdHtp3t
mother, and they too were quiet.805Please respect copyright.PENANAwkcpMWo8Qv
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.805Please respect copyright.PENANAQwyRrxcHQj
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"805Please respect copyright.PENANAKieLabuWLc
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 805Please respect copyright.PENANADSYiZlnN8m
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.805Please respect copyright.PENANA8bJA4Hwe2D
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAwuP7koWP5o
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAFKEAEs0cKd
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAzoKdzoyC8N
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 805Please respect copyright.PENANA3uu1jTkXkp
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.805Please respect copyright.PENANAr1JTUthpsy
"Of805Please respect copyright.PENANAnemeDrfVvp
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 805Please respect copyright.PENANA5qKwlnN0DM
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 805Please respect copyright.PENANAFztMMww8oH
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 805Please respect copyright.PENANAEPXdzJzbMd
Mr McDonell. 805Please respect copyright.PENANADnuZERvn0n
"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. 805Please respect copyright.PENANALXF0tC664O
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."805Please respect copyright.PENANA7IgE8YXnK9
"I805Please respect copyright.PENANAa2sis82uEk
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 805Please respect copyright.PENANAUa5QJxJsLi
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control805Please respect copyright.PENANA9kF48B8KSx
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."805Please respect copyright.PENANALPsyeVNrQl
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAsWrJBrwRsr
"Not805Please respect copyright.PENANAssamIyE7Wx
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 805Please respect copyright.PENANAgktBroeGZ8
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 805Please respect copyright.PENANAC1biYb6Mdh
announcement."805Please respect copyright.PENANAVkXphOEbTw
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.805Please respect copyright.PENANAeThJU7tykW
"In805Please respect copyright.PENANArkl08lZX0h
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 805Please respect copyright.PENANAARTuoWrFKQ
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 805Please respect copyright.PENANA50XpTg3SiU
sisters might come to leave with us."805Please respect copyright.PENANACE5qg7K9bh
For805Please respect copyright.PENANA51teIfdkvJ
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 805Please respect copyright.PENANAja7jH5nikn
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.805Please respect copyright.PENANAGGIF0SWeMa
"That's805Please respect copyright.PENANAL4MZIEB7CJ
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long805Please respect copyright.PENANAUcutQTXTA4
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."805Please respect copyright.PENANA1fCsTK9qrq
Mrs805Please respect copyright.PENANACc8RHsJVyI
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 805Please respect copyright.PENANAv1b84HXFrt
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.805Please respect copyright.PENANAMTCx4EAqYz
"This805Please respect copyright.PENANA0rRqxIWDMJ
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 805Please respect copyright.PENANAkLzEvQONiY
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 805Please respect copyright.PENANA9gfdfgWxly
died."805Please respect copyright.PENANAS5VoCt4e6O
"What's805Please respect copyright.PENANA8P2Hn0tU8J
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 805Please respect copyright.PENANAAFhkXwgUgq
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 805Please respect copyright.PENANAkmdWBVlFjm
"Ya,805Please respect copyright.PENANAv3zPtILVq9
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 805Please respect copyright.PENANAtyi0ZnGJV9
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."805Please respect copyright.PENANAivauF0YZEz
"You805Please respect copyright.PENANAorG2ZcTwOp
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why805Please respect copyright.PENANAjZ2Uf3OGvY
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."805Please respect copyright.PENANArJSm1gzR6P
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."805Please respect copyright.PENANAh2VGmD2CVW
With805Please respect copyright.PENANAdpvvXdWeT9
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 805Please respect copyright.PENANAa4MNFHYsUo
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at805Please respect copyright.PENANAWLOd15ULGl
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.