Since that fateful day, a556Please respect copyright.PENANA5P9srYDRXD
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 556Please respect copyright.PENANAA8BUhAr0oh
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 556Please respect copyright.PENANADvtLXOVG5q
ever since. 556Please respect copyright.PENANANaMexf7duS
Life was getting a whole556Please respect copyright.PENANAjoUT0xwI9j
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,556Please respect copyright.PENANA0pDCEPx9C6
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 556Please respect copyright.PENANAhRmYDDuVuC
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 556Please respect copyright.PENANAkauTnemIU0
he felt like a stranger in his own home.556Please respect copyright.PENANAoZnYqHcGLl
Only his grandmother and556Please respect copyright.PENANAsMD8vCa8i0
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 556Please respect copyright.PENANAKJF8ZCBKRu
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 556Please respect copyright.PENANApDIZvzzhpG
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.556Please respect copyright.PENANAnXuwkA7gtY
Coming to his father, he556Please respect copyright.PENANAnbv9b1EsIB
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAEiHxN4D6lZ
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 556Please respect copyright.PENANAK7CmYHyZFE
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 556Please respect copyright.PENANAsP4ISWp3pV
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 556Please respect copyright.PENANAZG17roK9bk
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 556Please respect copyright.PENANAXGhssLnvnP
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart556Please respect copyright.PENANARpJX9SLx0O
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 556Please respect copyright.PENANAlgtv79h4Sz
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 556Please respect copyright.PENANAhvAvSFG0kF
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.556Please respect copyright.PENANAWSuut6JnzQ
As Leo sat in the car 556Please respect copyright.PENANAahAsA1kjEj
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he556Please respect copyright.PENANATRaQYXonsp
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAV9gDNPZo9J
"You and my sister still hate each other."556Please respect copyright.PENANAGcuMdgBa5Y
Was that it? Was that 556Please respect copyright.PENANAGA2cYHmpDk
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 556Please respect copyright.PENANAlYoiIsLktq
out? Did he really hate her that much?556Please respect copyright.PENANAqSuttrQBuJ
Well, judging by the way556Please respect copyright.PENANA5gD8vbEr5U
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 556Please respect copyright.PENANAtRgSmAZjOX
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 556Please respect copyright.PENANAGaOh1xjFae
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?556Please respect copyright.PENANAa0gZ5tr0sr
Carly. It's pretty 556Please respect copyright.PENANADgaRHWHyZ0
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 556Please respect copyright.PENANAPcBMuv3UOZ
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 556Please respect copyright.PENANA85i8uZG3eP
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.556Please respect copyright.PENANAhjkqePt1nT
He had to admit, it was 556Please respect copyright.PENANAkry33ubw78
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 556Please respect copyright.PENANAqvoEVHe7T8
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 556Please respect copyright.PENANAEW7t35UF9r
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a556Please respect copyright.PENANAiCz0NCQX1f
thing to happen.556Please respect copyright.PENANAgrGklP7hLx
Speaking of his mother, 556Please respect copyright.PENANAn8pwexLJcr
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 556Please respect copyright.PENANALkMYRNTtBK
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the556Please respect copyright.PENANAVTxrEbFHLv
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and556Please respect copyright.PENANA15pgEZ3JiG
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 556Please respect copyright.PENANAXYfXYDg8V4
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 556Please respect copyright.PENANA8AgJXoBDTj
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 556Please respect copyright.PENANAO8K8op3ujD
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 556Please respect copyright.PENANAMdymZFqCbj
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 556Please respect copyright.PENANA4oNYXfmDON
later, which he never did.556Please respect copyright.PENANAQK4dB8v31K
Leo pulled out his phone556Please respect copyright.PENANA0O9gY2lSPd
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!556Please respect copyright.PENANAnNjetaKv3u
He wondered what it was all about now.556Please respect copyright.PENANAdoV8nkRPuR
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 556Please respect copyright.PENANAKefQHyXc35
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 556Please respect copyright.PENANAZGNEcwD7H1
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 556Please respect copyright.PENANAyfMzwoSByN
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to556Please respect copyright.PENANAjm82WDOxn7
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 556Please respect copyright.PENANAc014qiHVMP
so. See you at eight then."556Please respect copyright.PENANAnJt2fAdwbc
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.556Please respect copyright.PENANA2ubAhYQSai
He quickly got out of 556Please respect copyright.PENANANbZxsefQfN
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 556Please respect copyright.PENANAKfsNx9IWnT
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he556Please respect copyright.PENANAtUxt7gWM9z
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.556Please respect copyright.PENANAuDtCqFzAp8
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.556Please respect copyright.PENANAGHLcoVJrHQ
***556Please respect copyright.PENANAMyZDMrib7Q
"I556Please respect copyright.PENANArreF00PfuZ
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 556Please respect copyright.PENANAfgTF2IpKZt
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 556Please respect copyright.PENANAeMzNE90Wyj
this evening and I want things the way I like it."556Please respect copyright.PENANAg2pyLJx2tD
The556Please respect copyright.PENANANCC1wNikgv
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 556Please respect copyright.PENANAUGDIYe29bL
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs556Please respect copyright.PENANAEwnGNDft8V
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 556Please respect copyright.PENANAfiLfniOVIw
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 556Please respect copyright.PENANAMjk2hk9hpr
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.556Please respect copyright.PENANAw4KLE1b175
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.556Please respect copyright.PENANAwaBlXxtb39
Leo556Please respect copyright.PENANAi1F2esWMnO
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 556Please respect copyright.PENANAYqkerDGefb
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him556Please respect copyright.PENANAnLHV5iwOL1
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 556Please respect copyright.PENANAVq60nYmtt7
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 556Please respect copyright.PENANA22oAheQN2J
"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.556Please respect copyright.PENANACzZ6F70Pnf
"Maybe556Please respect copyright.PENANAMhidrDEFF9
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 556Please respect copyright.PENANAJRnhg1O0PZ
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."556Please respect copyright.PENANA00YTCvx8Z3
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"556Please respect copyright.PENANAN7hdHU4RJf
"The556Please respect copyright.PENANA367J98SagJ
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only556Please respect copyright.PENANArqDXY3zqSp
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."556Please respect copyright.PENANAqhQbD9Ox9e
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.556Please respect copyright.PENANAtrYpFJZtRI
"What is going on here?"556Please respect copyright.PENANAnaqyqvzMhV
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.556Please respect copyright.PENANA0kcVmXCvNP
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"556Please respect copyright.PENANA8svLSSoWgY
"It's556Please respect copyright.PENANA4UkLukQGlW
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 556Please respect copyright.PENANARsVPSNsnLV
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"556Please respect copyright.PENANA0zFDMwci01
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."556Please respect copyright.PENANAcEsCfJT60P
"Now556Please respect copyright.PENANApEVhDVIh3L
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 556Please respect copyright.PENANAqJrWVo84E8
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.556Please respect copyright.PENANAcNOqA55gsk
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.556Please respect copyright.PENANAoiskaB1xS9
"I556Please respect copyright.PENANAf1ul2XjwSt
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 556Please respect copyright.PENANAORLYNrp0SH
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 556Please respect copyright.PENANANqFAJQeWlX
beating around the bush.556Please respect copyright.PENANAfa3s3s9jQP
Mrs556Please respect copyright.PENANA7oKLfrhXCj
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 556Please respect copyright.PENANAuXBNjD0GSC
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 556Please respect copyright.PENANAZYNte9yBBO
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.556Please respect copyright.PENANA7lzy0OIZw5
"I...556Please respect copyright.PENANAsBWLWKJ17V
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 556Please respect copyright.PENANACoSSXx43qE
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 556Please respect copyright.PENANAKa1P2sEK9i
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."556Please respect copyright.PENANATB1QBTnLJv
"So556Please respect copyright.PENANA8zb21QlQDz
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 556Please respect copyright.PENANAAWpNZXlPLV
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think556Please respect copyright.PENANAdXTFQ7cD5M
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 556Please respect copyright.PENANAvbZdAzZqZS
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 556Please respect copyright.PENANAUXL4lnY8zn
aren't the same as they were, mum."556Please respect copyright.PENANASUhuG5n5GR
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."556Please respect copyright.PENANAsxy7x7M8Ud
"No,556Please respect copyright.PENANAHVxYu8cHUQ
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,556Please respect copyright.PENANAh8sH5HJI0V
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 556Please respect copyright.PENANAq3RWerij5L
I?"556Please respect copyright.PENANAkMGUhqc9s6
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."556Please respect copyright.PENANAHWPsNhlPGC
"Look,556Please respect copyright.PENANAZEtafV9a3H
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 556Please respect copyright.PENANAuvhUbLHu6m
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 556Please respect copyright.PENANAlCQX9YdyvY
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 556Please respect copyright.PENANAOuyg7JlGj3
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 556Please respect copyright.PENANAq5d4ISFWUm
you."556Please respect copyright.PENANAlfq1DWHzWc
There556Please respect copyright.PENANATjk8QteG7Z
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 556Please respect copyright.PENANAXsGXWeWgdO
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 556Please respect copyright.PENANALeGJX2pnmR
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 556Please respect copyright.PENANA0x3qv9UtNr
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAIJ1DvvkUsj
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAAgYXdulIWe
"You556Please respect copyright.PENANAT3hcyFzpoe
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 556Please respect copyright.PENANAUfz8UoIzKa
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 556Please respect copyright.PENANAFn45KvTblD
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 556Please respect copyright.PENANAHdJsmMedTd
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 556Please respect copyright.PENANAH9ekItpUB9
mum, way too far."556Please respect copyright.PENANA7yE6ggVnWR
Mrs556Please respect copyright.PENANAKZKuN2GgL3
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 556Please respect copyright.PENANAek4dF24mqq
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 556Please respect copyright.PENANAH9eCiL9xOV
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAAnaRTBJksU
"And556Please respect copyright.PENANApi7BSWDfBy
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 556Please respect copyright.PENANA8l0CPnhfLz
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her556Please respect copyright.PENANAcng0Da4OOI
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."556Please respect copyright.PENANAlkbgC0ijF9
Mrs556Please respect copyright.PENANA2VMsuCmy6n
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.556Please respect copyright.PENANAwiiBq2aU2v
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 556Please respect copyright.PENANARLyVwKA6sh
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 556Please respect copyright.PENANAr6KDUpLoyq
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.556Please respect copyright.PENANA3LO7eYXKgM
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"556Please respect copyright.PENANA25oBInynVS
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."556Please respect copyright.PENANAVesT2GM1Vv
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."556Please respect copyright.PENANA7S47M059Wu
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.556Please respect copyright.PENANAMkLtdCnVVB
"Look556Please respect copyright.PENANArFeiPeQ35b
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 556Please respect copyright.PENANAzLpTkSlkGz
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."556Please respect copyright.PENANAwsTtd7Kyyu
Mrs556Please respect copyright.PENANAhgLN6j2Ooo
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 556Please respect copyright.PENANARPxPAghdXa
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 556Please respect copyright.PENANANcLcvdGA4x
mother, and they too were quiet.556Please respect copyright.PENANAw6dfUc18L7
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.556Please respect copyright.PENANAXw2lgfS17E
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"556Please respect copyright.PENANAuYZl1fxb1l
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 556Please respect copyright.PENANArEvP6B4eCe
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.556Please respect copyright.PENANA4UZzMpDzSc
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 556Please respect copyright.PENANA09pMAAN9Oi
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAKhdnJGF33r
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAs6WQ7rDAjy
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAIhuWXGIlUB
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.556Please respect copyright.PENANAT2lPebzyk3
"Of556Please respect copyright.PENANAVVjKkxNRdn
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 556Please respect copyright.PENANAgdoclqDeXH
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 556Please respect copyright.PENANAihIzPxUIBC
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 556Please respect copyright.PENANAjhY6Mt4qnT
Mr McDonell. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAvdHqqyaABo
"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. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAKvkuK84WZ6
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."556Please respect copyright.PENANABGBeeGvT29
"I556Please respect copyright.PENANAYZv6o1rlLo
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 556Please respect copyright.PENANADs1hRdyo3N
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control556Please respect copyright.PENANA961VxXwLpB
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."556Please respect copyright.PENANAkTfHyy3787
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 556Please respect copyright.PENANAlH97VReM9w
"Not556Please respect copyright.PENANAoBSawzehuj
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 556Please respect copyright.PENANAXNS8sOj31a
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 556Please respect copyright.PENANA4UzRVYsbzB
announcement."556Please respect copyright.PENANAFkPDI39r8s
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.556Please respect copyright.PENANAAj4UJAYEdQ
"In556Please respect copyright.PENANAIkCqy8AJjX
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 556Please respect copyright.PENANAZYbK53rSLS
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 556Please respect copyright.PENANASpiazn11Co
sisters might come to leave with us."556Please respect copyright.PENANA5Fw4XDozWJ
For556Please respect copyright.PENANAdi9adVb97W
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 556Please respect copyright.PENANA5A7WIHRHKi
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.556Please respect copyright.PENANA1Cj6Qruojj
"That's556Please respect copyright.PENANAfFQVOFSiuJ
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long556Please respect copyright.PENANAZTLoxJe4wY
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."556Please respect copyright.PENANAWZjGiDVtKV
Mrs556Please respect copyright.PENANAgHQhKxgcCd
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 556Please respect copyright.PENANAFucdNRKIbY
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.556Please respect copyright.PENANAmyomPsE9qo
"This556Please respect copyright.PENANAURUT2jXXpX
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 556Please respect copyright.PENANAvDbsN0VVqt
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 556Please respect copyright.PENANAs1EyqwqcRi
died."556Please respect copyright.PENANArI5bBguRtR
"What's556Please respect copyright.PENANAlBH2LPr0OW
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 556Please respect copyright.PENANA0jDDSjgJuW
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 556Please respect copyright.PENANA1jJkymouEE
"Ya,556Please respect copyright.PENANAESXVcVyStW
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 556Please respect copyright.PENANAu3DziDB7rB
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."556Please respect copyright.PENANACLrUwpMaU8
"You556Please respect copyright.PENANAw27jDdQCni
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why556Please respect copyright.PENANA4mIw0OxNPY
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."556Please respect copyright.PENANAYYF271ISCl
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."556Please respect copyright.PENANAh8KhnP61u2
With556Please respect copyright.PENANApWnSlJ9JWB
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 556Please respect copyright.PENANAFoGMiQCjdN
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at556Please respect copyright.PENANAmaLgI3mNWz
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.