Since that fateful day, a806Please respect copyright.PENANAhlMMF82qgJ
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 806Please respect copyright.PENANAm0BHhDt5lv
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 806Please respect copyright.PENANAkZMqSLZtat
ever since. 806Please respect copyright.PENANAjrKmQpI6hg
Life was getting a whole806Please respect copyright.PENANAkXQJGATYlz
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,806Please respect copyright.PENANAGSDZlTNTIq
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 806Please respect copyright.PENANA9PPlZUOTNP
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 806Please respect copyright.PENANAccHJRhZwvB
he felt like a stranger in his own home.806Please respect copyright.PENANA9rKYX8qvxy
Only his grandmother and806Please respect copyright.PENANAyYx3UH8yfw
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 806Please respect copyright.PENANAxwFkXeEEWg
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 806Please respect copyright.PENANAnIQGzuhk7o
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.806Please respect copyright.PENANAE0Xos9DLjl
Coming to his father, he806Please respect copyright.PENANAHji1zUfkiz
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 806Please respect copyright.PENANAT2JQ6kIFN7
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 806Please respect copyright.PENANALqGVFqzbVq
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 806Please respect copyright.PENANAJWA2DsEAaW
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 806Please respect copyright.PENANAhQ12cajr3V
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 806Please respect copyright.PENANAgJiA5Nm1v7
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart806Please respect copyright.PENANA6CMwDLQixB
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 806Please respect copyright.PENANAm89fpV7bNZ
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 806Please respect copyright.PENANA7DbNJSOz5s
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.806Please respect copyright.PENANATzDC1Ueiv5
As Leo sat in the car 806Please respect copyright.PENANARrzFNDz9Pb
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he806Please respect copyright.PENANAPU8NEFAZ2S
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 806Please respect copyright.PENANAaRgl7V7jD3
"You and my sister still hate each other."806Please respect copyright.PENANAiGNOkDTa5u
Was that it? Was that 806Please respect copyright.PENANApPixCPCdRx
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 806Please respect copyright.PENANAUhZBsNxixM
out? Did he really hate her that much?806Please respect copyright.PENANAifIXnmRKNV
Well, judging by the way806Please respect copyright.PENANA7pnN7eQwzI
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 806Please respect copyright.PENANA0pOd7BOVOG
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 806Please respect copyright.PENANA9j2hnooYUM
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?806Please respect copyright.PENANAXvmYzSzubA
Carly. It's pretty 806Please respect copyright.PENANAnjOZQagTwv
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 806Please respect copyright.PENANA4dI84bnADI
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 806Please respect copyright.PENANAvJvh7GzqQv
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.806Please respect copyright.PENANAjM36NFgOeg
He had to admit, it was 806Please respect copyright.PENANA7RKNaKbpZj
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 806Please respect copyright.PENANAHHMlndbw6k
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 806Please respect copyright.PENANAZA9LHaXBTY
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a806Please respect copyright.PENANA6IlpQDWYTf
thing to happen.806Please respect copyright.PENANAz5ly569ol2
Speaking of his mother, 806Please respect copyright.PENANA6OcwAX8qQ2
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 806Please respect copyright.PENANAT1zqc7jXIG
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the806Please respect copyright.PENANAIL1EKcJwhV
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and806Please respect copyright.PENANAwwqs0Tvkjl
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 806Please respect copyright.PENANAwn9Xxj1IGb
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 806Please respect copyright.PENANAuJwynjNJAn
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 806Please respect copyright.PENANANhdHwX3t0Y
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 806Please respect copyright.PENANAWgra4AocqU
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 806Please respect copyright.PENANAMubT3hsp68
later, which he never did.806Please respect copyright.PENANAi4fph9P5cK
Leo pulled out his phone806Please respect copyright.PENANAJ7OGbOAu0g
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!806Please respect copyright.PENANASEL8iF3EXG
He wondered what it was all about now.806Please respect copyright.PENANAf9MoWzpC12
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 806Please respect copyright.PENANAyzktWjH6zh
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 806Please respect copyright.PENANAL84qI2IbnE
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 806Please respect copyright.PENANAYp8864ZNLF
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to806Please respect copyright.PENANATwDHQebL6v
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 806Please respect copyright.PENANAPDDnUvjbwE
so. See you at eight then."806Please respect copyright.PENANA033SKUPahH
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.806Please respect copyright.PENANAhEjtVqcPv2
He quickly got out of 806Please respect copyright.PENANAUoyxHwjyiQ
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 806Please respect copyright.PENANAk8YLuVvtN2
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he806Please respect copyright.PENANAccXpm8ytkP
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.806Please respect copyright.PENANACuQPGQEQUh
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.806Please respect copyright.PENANAGmyRdxGoZo
***806Please respect copyright.PENANAfG9HrjXiAW
"I806Please respect copyright.PENANA9AkjV7allu
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 806Please respect copyright.PENANAmPOiai0a4Z
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 806Please respect copyright.PENANAs2RIa9y76C
this evening and I want things the way I like it."806Please respect copyright.PENANADYpNaYtz1s
The806Please respect copyright.PENANAjpy3Gff3k3
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 806Please respect copyright.PENANAG1XP5P5FGS
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs806Please respect copyright.PENANAOF98QJMPqy
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 806Please respect copyright.PENANAqUDXN3VeVz
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 806Please respect copyright.PENANAsfbTfYLFtd
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.806Please respect copyright.PENANArWp1mgoKlC
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.806Please respect copyright.PENANAWGy1y01VfW
Leo806Please respect copyright.PENANAumMVMQfh8S
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 806Please respect copyright.PENANAKkEOhOatnw
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him806Please respect copyright.PENANAh38JA9FLqs
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 806Please respect copyright.PENANAm9GJfCF4Kh
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 806Please respect copyright.PENANA5AwHaKgwaR
"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.806Please respect copyright.PENANArjOZp045Em
"Maybe806Please respect copyright.PENANA6cUKDpw3lE
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 806Please respect copyright.PENANAYuXlAcxhvF
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."806Please respect copyright.PENANAInFrxKCubd
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"806Please respect copyright.PENANAcY8RPyKIUx
"The806Please respect copyright.PENANAE9wP5LIO4n
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only806Please respect copyright.PENANA99r41j5nXP
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."806Please respect copyright.PENANABie6Pnm220
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.806Please respect copyright.PENANAO9wLHXQq1f
"What is going on here?"806Please respect copyright.PENANATnlI9YEoKb
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.806Please respect copyright.PENANA98kiJqrdy4
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"806Please respect copyright.PENANAb4Zl1gAXzj
"It's806Please respect copyright.PENANAZCXhZv6VpH
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 806Please respect copyright.PENANAeg5NEF1ASj
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"806Please respect copyright.PENANALFBMTHnb0p
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."806Please respect copyright.PENANAwrhbxeOYRa
"Now806Please respect copyright.PENANAmT20aygOch
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 806Please respect copyright.PENANAVN9fHif8Xe
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.806Please respect copyright.PENANAKiT9fu06zm
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.806Please respect copyright.PENANAC6MB3InWdz
"I806Please respect copyright.PENANAXGbSId8Chy
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 806Please respect copyright.PENANADOSoTxbmt1
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 806Please respect copyright.PENANAnp1On7XP4W
beating around the bush.806Please respect copyright.PENANAKgC7n5Uznf
Mrs806Please respect copyright.PENANA9cuJAsB9Cz
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 806Please respect copyright.PENANADjBdXFZNxT
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 806Please respect copyright.PENANAV3F5mHwQZS
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.806Please respect copyright.PENANAD466CgvsCV
"I...806Please respect copyright.PENANAP4CYjdq362
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 806Please respect copyright.PENANA8OMKq23h6E
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 806Please respect copyright.PENANASP0uaqVPtj
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."806Please respect copyright.PENANAbx7Xz7wSHa
"So806Please respect copyright.PENANA57uKOkHNVf
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 806Please respect copyright.PENANAJgZlgDXUYQ
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think806Please respect copyright.PENANABAX5Sq7n31
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 806Please respect copyright.PENANAkQXcoWNC9I
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 806Please respect copyright.PENANASf9NEyAJe7
aren't the same as they were, mum."806Please respect copyright.PENANAtQ0ha4w4ma
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."806Please respect copyright.PENANAzONJzL5JYh
"No,806Please respect copyright.PENANAQdhqk4cKjQ
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,806Please respect copyright.PENANARSbFZqvx9b
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 806Please respect copyright.PENANA0o3ITwE2PP
I?"806Please respect copyright.PENANAu99wkywRPC
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."806Please respect copyright.PENANAtyNCP1MlOt
"Look,806Please respect copyright.PENANAWcdWc17Fp9
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 806Please respect copyright.PENANA1rN5vP31eG
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 806Please respect copyright.PENANA548fA86JKV
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 806Please respect copyright.PENANAEdAVSljy5O
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 806Please respect copyright.PENANADJKjrndXK5
you."806Please respect copyright.PENANA0pjjixRejc
There806Please respect copyright.PENANAHoISj6OOYb
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 806Please respect copyright.PENANASbQscBIACG
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 806Please respect copyright.PENANAVBF5BepUfq
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 806Please respect copyright.PENANAAUni3SfImW
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 806Please respect copyright.PENANA1NdGKhgNWH
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 806Please respect copyright.PENANAG6SkzIZfD8
"You806Please respect copyright.PENANAYxvZPF7BHb
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 806Please respect copyright.PENANAPmf9Rv6yhC
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 806Please respect copyright.PENANAUdqZjHQbPS
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 806Please respect copyright.PENANAat8D78mvTI
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 806Please respect copyright.PENANAIksaJfk3T7
mum, way too far."806Please respect copyright.PENANAbTBr9rejRh
Mrs806Please respect copyright.PENANAqq4BYSU9Em
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 806Please respect copyright.PENANAVGt9hXSKSS
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 806Please respect copyright.PENANAesPIJcDs3U
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 806Please respect copyright.PENANAUFypSMqsDj
"And806Please respect copyright.PENANAy856TqRBB3
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 806Please respect copyright.PENANAndHVbSl3hd
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her806Please respect copyright.PENANAd8BMeDPw3N
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."806Please respect copyright.PENANAwRvDe7pDWJ
Mrs806Please respect copyright.PENANASSNJGjPlvC
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.806Please respect copyright.PENANAMmU3w0R8Ns
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 806Please respect copyright.PENANA9TefWEL0EM
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 806Please respect copyright.PENANApFoGtbt1jx
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.806Please respect copyright.PENANADoMiul878S
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"806Please respect copyright.PENANAw6XjI0vJIa
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."806Please respect copyright.PENANAKQgI8YLdT2
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."806Please respect copyright.PENANAoG6tzOwoRj
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.806Please respect copyright.PENANApbaLJbKojM
"Look806Please respect copyright.PENANAiblwRPvFX7
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 806Please respect copyright.PENANAl2dEyTkHZX
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."806Please respect copyright.PENANAwm2eEbRr2B
Mrs806Please respect copyright.PENANAywQXI6z7T6
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 806Please respect copyright.PENANAflqanDbVRM
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 806Please respect copyright.PENANAVGGDhMlanm
mother, and they too were quiet.806Please respect copyright.PENANAYWmyu1pG58
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.806Please respect copyright.PENANAV947Suhxtc
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"806Please respect copyright.PENANA6E7pPJe9Rl
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 806Please respect copyright.PENANAxMe78iY8zS
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.806Please respect copyright.PENANA2PwfkjcxEv
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 806Please respect copyright.PENANA5caxW6kuTj
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 806Please respect copyright.PENANARlHrG9RYxB
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 806Please respect copyright.PENANA7sZUBMbH5q
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 806Please respect copyright.PENANAOmxMboueGB
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.806Please respect copyright.PENANA6oodib9HGX
"Of806Please respect copyright.PENANAHWABsEnivC
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 806Please respect copyright.PENANAfIfSN5mOTU
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 806Please respect copyright.PENANAvNi0U3vBai
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 806Please respect copyright.PENANA7FTdFfaQbJ
Mr McDonell. 806Please respect copyright.PENANADDRsqjN2Up
"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. 806Please respect copyright.PENANACxSlDEiqeA
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."806Please respect copyright.PENANAjEJpMbrf34
"I806Please respect copyright.PENANArJJUYjlNnB
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 806Please respect copyright.PENANAUYfc0UfgdQ
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control806Please respect copyright.PENANAB6WEth3ypd
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."806Please respect copyright.PENANAaqzDyCGPvI
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 806Please respect copyright.PENANAxZBRzK6NAR
"Not806Please respect copyright.PENANA7rVtdLARxq
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 806Please respect copyright.PENANA0hunZBHfAY
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 806Please respect copyright.PENANAMEa0uW7xJv
announcement."806Please respect copyright.PENANAepmfQiEnpP
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.806Please respect copyright.PENANAXuTFu9Lm4K
"In806Please respect copyright.PENANAUc2MV8KL8j
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 806Please respect copyright.PENANAMTACPmBXhl
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 806Please respect copyright.PENANADpEeJwl8Zp
sisters might come to leave with us."806Please respect copyright.PENANAHzkxgiICPL
For806Please respect copyright.PENANAqtNx2QoHWw
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 806Please respect copyright.PENANA7FYixJkNxN
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.806Please respect copyright.PENANAoGsbSjmvaq
"That's806Please respect copyright.PENANAwSMaK9DKIS
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long806Please respect copyright.PENANAe10pA8zxdF
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."806Please respect copyright.PENANAuVsktZz0ro
Mrs806Please respect copyright.PENANAudZerkR5ck
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 806Please respect copyright.PENANAP7zTOVcgkU
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.806Please respect copyright.PENANAIHepnRh3wX
"This806Please respect copyright.PENANAOn18uBvPVK
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 806Please respect copyright.PENANAlT0YxUKDWw
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 806Please respect copyright.PENANAMvVbAXS2Bj
died."806Please respect copyright.PENANAwPXz96q4TR
"What's806Please respect copyright.PENANArnvbqVZT1r
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 806Please respect copyright.PENANAqIZyx7uZjZ
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 806Please respect copyright.PENANArBF0B6KoOU
"Ya,806Please respect copyright.PENANA0Fcp8g90V2
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 806Please respect copyright.PENANAPHQi2R5if6
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."806Please respect copyright.PENANAmmxeaOBAae
"You806Please respect copyright.PENANA5KBQilWLWc
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why806Please respect copyright.PENANAajqAd01B3u
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."806Please respect copyright.PENANAMxenzKaDpA
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."806Please respect copyright.PENANAfGeGIR4wxC
With806Please respect copyright.PENANAKyJQbtcxel
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 806Please respect copyright.PENANATPDD6VXJ7L
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at806Please respect copyright.PENANAxQfiuNCOFC
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.