Since that fateful day, a566Please respect copyright.PENANAdwYkOcS2Nr
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 566Please respect copyright.PENANAuYTEZpqDe9
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 566Please respect copyright.PENANA2u68Xx9asH
ever since. 566Please respect copyright.PENANARbQQOkuhkg
Life was getting a whole566Please respect copyright.PENANA5S9F5zuLUM
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,566Please respect copyright.PENANAdkf3W7uxmy
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 566Please respect copyright.PENANASbvkZLTo1t
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 566Please respect copyright.PENANAXzKqkIJMLD
he felt like a stranger in his own home.566Please respect copyright.PENANAVsYtDinsfc
Only his grandmother and566Please respect copyright.PENANAyGGMTq9cCD
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 566Please respect copyright.PENANAhxmchI6058
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 566Please respect copyright.PENANA2b9X4HoMI9
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.566Please respect copyright.PENANAioeVwcc2zc
Coming to his father, he566Please respect copyright.PENANAdlAr53VFhy
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7opiifjvM
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 566Please respect copyright.PENANAy9UDqHVJAd
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 566Please respect copyright.PENANAAhxIsVZW4L
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 566Please respect copyright.PENANAjYxiIa5HKJ
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 566Please respect copyright.PENANACoxlI5VoTy
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart566Please respect copyright.PENANAthRv9HjUsc
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 566Please respect copyright.PENANAevZUHodWOm
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 566Please respect copyright.PENANAYSoP0rzfUW
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.566Please respect copyright.PENANApHbq9MBNeO
As Leo sat in the car 566Please respect copyright.PENANAeOxAZCaTq4
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he566Please respect copyright.PENANAixygnlc2Lw
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAK2t8a4SEzr
"You and my sister still hate each other."566Please respect copyright.PENANAaCQm1xmsLs
Was that it? Was that 566Please respect copyright.PENANAmIXKB5eOYv
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 566Please respect copyright.PENANAcRoegpbfY2
out? Did he really hate her that much?566Please respect copyright.PENANAHwSsmhfG8n
Well, judging by the way566Please respect copyright.PENANAT1qTPWzATu
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 566Please respect copyright.PENANApLeNF58Xbx
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 566Please respect copyright.PENANAr9CONVpouq
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?566Please respect copyright.PENANAztd8yDEyju
Carly. It's pretty 566Please respect copyright.PENANAnMNbPvLyrn
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 566Please respect copyright.PENANA0dHE45iTqI
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 566Please respect copyright.PENANANLbtUCOAmt
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.566Please respect copyright.PENANALxmGOjzkCv
He had to admit, it was 566Please respect copyright.PENANAe5gAPSk5X5
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 566Please respect copyright.PENANAjXhEqmmcq5
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 566Please respect copyright.PENANAT9FKp80XEs
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a566Please respect copyright.PENANASIcIGcXtPi
thing to happen.566Please respect copyright.PENANAH1XQ6MBkiN
Speaking of his mother, 566Please respect copyright.PENANAwmCGNO1G9j
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 566Please respect copyright.PENANAfXAeCAcvnb
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the566Please respect copyright.PENANA8baMveROpF
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and566Please respect copyright.PENANAEdecMqpk8Y
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 566Please respect copyright.PENANAnWG7uUiUtr
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 566Please respect copyright.PENANAzmANFEnGno
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 566Please respect copyright.PENANAccdhBHJMLX
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 566Please respect copyright.PENANADECPrmmujA
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 566Please respect copyright.PENANAAYDwwZRCjL
later, which he never did.566Please respect copyright.PENANAg81cb9AI9B
Leo pulled out his phone566Please respect copyright.PENANA3qA5Lty7K3
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!566Please respect copyright.PENANAEIY8IF9t70
He wondered what it was all about now.566Please respect copyright.PENANA4hExFRoOM1
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 566Please respect copyright.PENANASW9ntPtnTc
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 566Please respect copyright.PENANA1kEA14OKv2
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 566Please respect copyright.PENANA86azorlU0J
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to566Please respect copyright.PENANA5h8mrhRneL
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 566Please respect copyright.PENANAud96k6c2on
so. See you at eight then."566Please respect copyright.PENANA4BRVr9J1Hi
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.566Please respect copyright.PENANAMlYLQMwOZg
He quickly got out of 566Please respect copyright.PENANA6e6zkbeAUb
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 566Please respect copyright.PENANAPwTFKBrI1y
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he566Please respect copyright.PENANASZz3rfrpN0
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.566Please respect copyright.PENANA6ZDjc0LmED
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.566Please respect copyright.PENANArJN8V3FvhG
***566Please respect copyright.PENANAwPs4LYz8MV
"I566Please respect copyright.PENANAmMsGjP2kMD
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 566Please respect copyright.PENANAuVaSXkNX0u
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 566Please respect copyright.PENANANblKX1tRqD
this evening and I want things the way I like it."566Please respect copyright.PENANAPSVZ5hGyCd
The566Please respect copyright.PENANAm8sEsYsqxK
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 566Please respect copyright.PENANACu3f4GUIdm
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs566Please respect copyright.PENANAZENyQ3vClJ
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 566Please respect copyright.PENANA1PBQ4A7roC
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 566Please respect copyright.PENANAsiEg4mf6zY
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.566Please respect copyright.PENANAAjFJr1MV8f
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.566Please respect copyright.PENANA1mbkKxKxjb
Leo566Please respect copyright.PENANA7ULum48KHZ
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 566Please respect copyright.PENANAxaI9qXXOET
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him566Please respect copyright.PENANAn4M5TCtjbF
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 566Please respect copyright.PENANABxSGtW64h0
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAfQ0DtasFpT
"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.566Please respect copyright.PENANAJabcqm3O4G
"Maybe566Please respect copyright.PENANAfnzmTlsMo1
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 566Please respect copyright.PENANADAtiTxTKFP
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."566Please respect copyright.PENANAaVQ9oWpPju
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"566Please respect copyright.PENANAGEvzqCwrX4
"The566Please respect copyright.PENANAs12c5nWxv3
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only566Please respect copyright.PENANAQt0oO2lKlV
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."566Please respect copyright.PENANAa9MRKk4vHl
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.566Please respect copyright.PENANAOdM3KwTyVM
"What is going on here?"566Please respect copyright.PENANAElpGJ0y6uq
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.566Please respect copyright.PENANASLUI3brU9S
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"566Please respect copyright.PENANA8y8SKCaoWt
"It's566Please respect copyright.PENANAUOGhTKqUTI
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 566Please respect copyright.PENANA8s7ni07skk
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"566Please respect copyright.PENANA8jGyjsewcZ
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."566Please respect copyright.PENANAbIOay4IJC6
"Now566Please respect copyright.PENANAGsNAIVn5Sd
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 566Please respect copyright.PENANANRXI85G3wY
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.566Please respect copyright.PENANArAiIbHYsiX
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.566Please respect copyright.PENANAXqpIFLS4ig
"I566Please respect copyright.PENANApn9t9YMz10
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 566Please respect copyright.PENANAaKaPqP4onQ
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 566Please respect copyright.PENANAXDwlIdyL18
beating around the bush.566Please respect copyright.PENANA01ftMaLbHS
Mrs566Please respect copyright.PENANA280Jor9bOK
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 566Please respect copyright.PENANARMEYMqHsFK
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 566Please respect copyright.PENANAgbmFpkYZNZ
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.566Please respect copyright.PENANADFEUs7vUTF
"I...566Please respect copyright.PENANA65OYbcOvDC
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 566Please respect copyright.PENANAyNLG0w2HDq
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 566Please respect copyright.PENANAFJRhkOAit2
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."566Please respect copyright.PENANADwT5i8MXii
"So566Please respect copyright.PENANAM3UofLyDrw
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 566Please respect copyright.PENANASjYuAKRVUq
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think566Please respect copyright.PENANAMfi1RQGZFF
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 566Please respect copyright.PENANABYtoHeWhh5
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 566Please respect copyright.PENANAuksNygpekl
aren't the same as they were, mum."566Please respect copyright.PENANAH0ZaFccj4Z
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."566Please respect copyright.PENANAPT1UFtiH2p
"No,566Please respect copyright.PENANAMlOZmTEFnt
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,566Please respect copyright.PENANAFCSD9xktuK
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 566Please respect copyright.PENANA1bcbvo3vyp
I?"566Please respect copyright.PENANAwxqDxnPTaU
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."566Please respect copyright.PENANAGfi0aqsoqO
"Look,566Please respect copyright.PENANAwxyU9SM5Vl
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 566Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0oASdNoaj
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 566Please respect copyright.PENANAYqmN1jR9H7
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 566Please respect copyright.PENANAErPA5bb4e1
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 566Please respect copyright.PENANAn3DMmJ7mE7
you."566Please respect copyright.PENANAahAxsd9Mk0
There566Please respect copyright.PENANAs06Tyjcz8C
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 566Please respect copyright.PENANAH5n2ZSWl5j
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 566Please respect copyright.PENANAXevmOt3ZEC
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 566Please respect copyright.PENANAbBUHLN0WLP
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAQxgM1nnSV3
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAb0ojblcqdJ
"You566Please respect copyright.PENANACDpyXCdhWm
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 566Please respect copyright.PENANA6fNZQ7DOfj
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 566Please respect copyright.PENANAx4gqNNNk62
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 566Please respect copyright.PENANA7gfQYL8Gbe
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 566Please respect copyright.PENANAxkzqLTwqsV
mum, way too far."566Please respect copyright.PENANAsPc1ILaxUb
Mrs566Please respect copyright.PENANAcXveBkMFaO
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 566Please respect copyright.PENANAtsWIHBy150
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 566Please respect copyright.PENANAvvjZvd5IhT
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 566Please respect copyright.PENANADzJboNAROq
"And566Please respect copyright.PENANAe01osysNKR
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 566Please respect copyright.PENANAYm6vpWBjTj
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her566Please respect copyright.PENANAbljSm8Natd
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."566Please respect copyright.PENANAEG6YyyEsFV
Mrs566Please respect copyright.PENANAxAlznCAIlu
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.566Please respect copyright.PENANAi2ui6UT82B
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 566Please respect copyright.PENANAUrYK1hirHu
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 566Please respect copyright.PENANALUQMsEGBgT
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.566Please respect copyright.PENANAqOoEpjiWLI
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"566Please respect copyright.PENANAQGc4M1LxNn
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."566Please respect copyright.PENANAd0KU5KPYqM
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."566Please respect copyright.PENANAKxPnjkmnB1
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.566Please respect copyright.PENANAErMuIquw99
"Look566Please respect copyright.PENANAKs1nbCuwo0
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 566Please respect copyright.PENANApWmwHThWU5
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."566Please respect copyright.PENANAb6aZfigOCu
Mrs566Please respect copyright.PENANAwwtWNUFMjU
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 566Please respect copyright.PENANAa21gMNNuGy
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 566Please respect copyright.PENANABPKdsCAeRH
mother, and they too were quiet.566Please respect copyright.PENANAOhLneao4ss
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.566Please respect copyright.PENANAE7Ju2iwBzb
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"566Please respect copyright.PENANAa0PcgFIH69
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 566Please respect copyright.PENANA9qMK2NfQTD
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.566Please respect copyright.PENANADFQ16Rm8H7
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 566Please respect copyright.PENANArEYcbIn30W
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 566Please respect copyright.PENANA875At638Hy
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAyxfdbtaAW2
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAji6ELHMZes
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.566Please respect copyright.PENANAckr3uLH0ai
"Of566Please respect copyright.PENANABdXx6DpuWi
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 566Please respect copyright.PENANAyWj5JkNNh6
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 566Please respect copyright.PENANA5He1SKH7JH
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 566Please respect copyright.PENANA9QsViuRAqy
Mr McDonell. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAUNtoYFLAmm
"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. 566Please respect copyright.PENANAbeacfofdnr
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."566Please respect copyright.PENANA8YYtAgUznm
"I566Please respect copyright.PENANAsvWejzrIQE
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 566Please respect copyright.PENANAaSq3HDxsVO
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control566Please respect copyright.PENANAohrIZF1Lqo
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."566Please respect copyright.PENANArYO8tzFBTO
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 566Please respect copyright.PENANA9k3cIJYnAo
"Not566Please respect copyright.PENANARSgeYLCwff
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 566Please respect copyright.PENANA3Ug2UYx6h4
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 566Please respect copyright.PENANAjdo6hu9rdh
announcement."566Please respect copyright.PENANAeXftbeMkNZ
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.566Please respect copyright.PENANAPE07PnX0IA
"In566Please respect copyright.PENANAuc9JH242qL
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 566Please respect copyright.PENANAynnqx0wcpN
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 566Please respect copyright.PENANAPs0An1zZ96
sisters might come to leave with us."566Please respect copyright.PENANAh30N72M06f
For566Please respect copyright.PENANAOPWupE01Ir
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 566Please respect copyright.PENANAncSxhbDQO9
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.566Please respect copyright.PENANAcnu33frqWu
"That's566Please respect copyright.PENANA0mqzlRzICC
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long566Please respect copyright.PENANAKLIxhlsn97
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."566Please respect copyright.PENANAvw2zhR9Lck
Mrs566Please respect copyright.PENANAeZpSsGPGWC
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 566Please respect copyright.PENANAwL0xpIrPS1
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.566Please respect copyright.PENANAi70dFKedrM
"This566Please respect copyright.PENANAeoRvHkkaZj
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 566Please respect copyright.PENANAtCjzN9jikl
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 566Please respect copyright.PENANAGNDQGqdstp
died."566Please respect copyright.PENANAO3MUq2uffL
"What's566Please respect copyright.PENANArJIbZ2YRCm
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 566Please respect copyright.PENANAxkSvt6U8wY
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 566Please respect copyright.PENANA0ZZHKOthFq
"Ya,566Please respect copyright.PENANAyy69BTbxLk
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 566Please respect copyright.PENANAjEPCj3UsXN
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."566Please respect copyright.PENANAThcBtctMeI
"You566Please respect copyright.PENANAWMUyRdA7WH
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why566Please respect copyright.PENANATPFNJtAcoX
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."566Please respect copyright.PENANAZMDQRVBX8C
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."566Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8tz9qHHz3
With566Please respect copyright.PENANAN0NS5jmChD
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 566Please respect copyright.PENANASKn699HBhq
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at566Please respect copyright.PENANAfthx7lovxO
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.