Since that fateful day, a589Please respect copyright.PENANAC6I6tWObaY
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 589Please respect copyright.PENANAxTUvmkbMDe
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 589Please respect copyright.PENANA5TNOlfKbhs
ever since. 589Please respect copyright.PENANA6sS8FhKj1D
Life was getting a whole589Please respect copyright.PENANACuNaYWbP5c
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,589Please respect copyright.PENANATrMMGLVbdr
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 589Please respect copyright.PENANADYgypSYl9G
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 589Please respect copyright.PENANArg3FXWRGmV
he felt like a stranger in his own home.589Please respect copyright.PENANAAsZfELq73j
Only his grandmother and589Please respect copyright.PENANABKEDgn3IrU
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 589Please respect copyright.PENANAFptZv7eObn
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 589Please respect copyright.PENANA2oSDCMS25R
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.589Please respect copyright.PENANAEWGSove25n
Coming to his father, he589Please respect copyright.PENANARf6OCCSRRJ
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 589Please respect copyright.PENANAQEZWncvBPD
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 589Please respect copyright.PENANAYyTQMiKFzE
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 589Please respect copyright.PENANAXEITONtNa6
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 589Please respect copyright.PENANAi8kuwugDgY
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 589Please respect copyright.PENANA0UThKKHlBU
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart589Please respect copyright.PENANApsYhlyBn6h
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 589Please respect copyright.PENANARDWFd6pzjR
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 589Please respect copyright.PENANASoDW432EN2
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.589Please respect copyright.PENANA1U5bek261i
As Leo sat in the car 589Please respect copyright.PENANAlGOY3HhUQ6
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he589Please respect copyright.PENANAjskV4pcRnE
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 589Please respect copyright.PENANATzwRdqoTu5
"You and my sister still hate each other."589Please respect copyright.PENANABlHSS6bzXP
Was that it? Was that 589Please respect copyright.PENANAf20oKURNaG
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 589Please respect copyright.PENANAxJ3eeopPgi
out? Did he really hate her that much?589Please respect copyright.PENANAabpTf2gq23
Well, judging by the way589Please respect copyright.PENANACIKbTg89hf
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 589Please respect copyright.PENANAcNvel9wjFL
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 589Please respect copyright.PENANAvWE2R2sZTW
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?589Please respect copyright.PENANALQnlbTRVHJ
Carly. It's pretty 589Please respect copyright.PENANAkuqXCcw6vU
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 589Please respect copyright.PENANAQpDagv0l9Y
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 589Please respect copyright.PENANANeBKuDtSBA
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.589Please respect copyright.PENANA89Xa0DWSqy
He had to admit, it was 589Please respect copyright.PENANAbXeTpPY4bl
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 589Please respect copyright.PENANATGXpcAyVUS
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 589Please respect copyright.PENANAWZpXsiGFr9
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a589Please respect copyright.PENANACbMROA4X1a
thing to happen.589Please respect copyright.PENANAqiYkk0PRfj
Speaking of his mother, 589Please respect copyright.PENANAzUWibkmkA0
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 589Please respect copyright.PENANAkNtxkRlHhW
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the589Please respect copyright.PENANALb2eSRGtVE
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and589Please respect copyright.PENANAA89ZqaDpRK
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 589Please respect copyright.PENANAixANDLlUBV
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 589Please respect copyright.PENANAcpjZbrFGzS
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 589Please respect copyright.PENANAFGkrg3FqaO
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 589Please respect copyright.PENANAaFUUYQX0aP
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 589Please respect copyright.PENANAJVYvR5nCcP
later, which he never did.589Please respect copyright.PENANArGmnyqTqSK
Leo pulled out his phone589Please respect copyright.PENANAcaaLr18YSD
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!589Please respect copyright.PENANALNwriamBeU
He wondered what it was all about now.589Please respect copyright.PENANAn9TnrUXE1s
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 589Please respect copyright.PENANAyzeN5c7shL
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 589Please respect copyright.PENANAjRfPG08l1M
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 589Please respect copyright.PENANAuwvZORpOOr
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to589Please respect copyright.PENANA7boyoQuXar
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 589Please respect copyright.PENANA7Ap5iqqgP3
so. See you at eight then."589Please respect copyright.PENANAkXYRZxhjKn
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.589Please respect copyright.PENANA4GLDOWiJyL
He quickly got out of 589Please respect copyright.PENANAgRkZbCy9Vl
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 589Please respect copyright.PENANASAjEinVhIR
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he589Please respect copyright.PENANAqZ1ui6L11s
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.589Please respect copyright.PENANADAXEpvbZat
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.589Please respect copyright.PENANAUu2T2johBg
***589Please respect copyright.PENANAI5n4QQ4i4L
"I589Please respect copyright.PENANAiypFESEdIh
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 589Please respect copyright.PENANAgusvxQxOy6
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 589Please respect copyright.PENANARlBa6qgK2g
this evening and I want things the way I like it."589Please respect copyright.PENANAjp1DxknZHi
The589Please respect copyright.PENANAkFXcUhdunR
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 589Please respect copyright.PENANAgQ3gBms4Ls
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs589Please respect copyright.PENANAfUHvriyR6M
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 589Please respect copyright.PENANANdpNu27tak
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 589Please respect copyright.PENANA0uNkVKXgiN
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.589Please respect copyright.PENANAAwhdkLnNwE
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.589Please respect copyright.PENANA0VKR09pdJc
Leo589Please respect copyright.PENANAsn8fFzIGRu
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 589Please respect copyright.PENANAX9vEywTyPP
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him589Please respect copyright.PENANAEz2qZqOmJr
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 589Please respect copyright.PENANAupEx5A9NIh
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 589Please respect copyright.PENANAV2D89yFn7I
"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.589Please respect copyright.PENANAtIcFV7j9Ns
"Maybe589Please respect copyright.PENANAYsVkjIs937
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 589Please respect copyright.PENANABFUsmkwMpY
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."589Please respect copyright.PENANAsxEly4ciJQ
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"589Please respect copyright.PENANAq85wkdii4v
"The589Please respect copyright.PENANA8GBfFZdyQF
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only589Please respect copyright.PENANAwUr5wNtiIc
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."589Please respect copyright.PENANApfIFaO3Pmr
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.589Please respect copyright.PENANAO5cyiGyDol
"What is going on here?"589Please respect copyright.PENANAMSm9hYJ0gQ
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.589Please respect copyright.PENANAW0bem34oHW
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"589Please respect copyright.PENANAf1TkK07Akr
"It's589Please respect copyright.PENANAXtRcwE7fLv
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 589Please respect copyright.PENANAj2rts7EXNF
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"589Please respect copyright.PENANANtL7GbH46R
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."589Please respect copyright.PENANACgBU3zJGFC
"Now589Please respect copyright.PENANAYlmPbtoh1O
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 589Please respect copyright.PENANAvX6HFNOn6k
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.589Please respect copyright.PENANAdOi397avJU
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.589Please respect copyright.PENANAUyqUWnZsyp
"I589Please respect copyright.PENANACnGspqSI5Z
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 589Please respect copyright.PENANAw1sYXfsURx
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 589Please respect copyright.PENANAeEtw1HdEaa
beating around the bush.589Please respect copyright.PENANAWkXQAApefQ
Mrs589Please respect copyright.PENANA8BxP5wGtw2
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 589Please respect copyright.PENANAVZRtqrXXSS
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 589Please respect copyright.PENANA6CbqMmTApU
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.589Please respect copyright.PENANALqWLSbAPh2
"I...589Please respect copyright.PENANANZvPi9NBpE
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 589Please respect copyright.PENANAqJ0eYrSwR1
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 589Please respect copyright.PENANAOG3XUX1E6g
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."589Please respect copyright.PENANAvCKARwKgBc
"So589Please respect copyright.PENANAnOqSv1jL5t
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 589Please respect copyright.PENANAvRvSuIzJa4
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think589Please respect copyright.PENANAI4louM9u5z
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 589Please respect copyright.PENANAEEIVreYZDb
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 589Please respect copyright.PENANA2yLZy9PFP7
aren't the same as they were, mum."589Please respect copyright.PENANAjLl2kMaIeF
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."589Please respect copyright.PENANAYnbX9yBoLe
"No,589Please respect copyright.PENANAnhd0XFrGi6
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,589Please respect copyright.PENANAtHKeciKrfd
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 589Please respect copyright.PENANANI80vxeEke
I?"589Please respect copyright.PENANAqbQs5Pk8E1
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."589Please respect copyright.PENANAvoOaAHq4WA
"Look,589Please respect copyright.PENANAc4ZKNlkfKP
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 589Please respect copyright.PENANAJJnoeYh1a6
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 589Please respect copyright.PENANAN2KkIWap0Q
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 589Please respect copyright.PENANAwp8BPcrOtU
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 589Please respect copyright.PENANAI7LhznfiUb
you."589Please respect copyright.PENANAsfSOuczy8R
There589Please respect copyright.PENANAT3FkTueP1s
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 589Please respect copyright.PENANALOVCSo0p2w
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 589Please respect copyright.PENANAyy4T9P4mfb
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 589Please respect copyright.PENANA8MNMXvxPxw
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 589Please respect copyright.PENANAczqFiYNXWO
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 589Please respect copyright.PENANAIEk3ZQu5Dx
"You589Please respect copyright.PENANAl8AFmWgr6Q
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 589Please respect copyright.PENANAlSH1iHyZSw
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 589Please respect copyright.PENANAFanXAyBxEE
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 589Please respect copyright.PENANA1TWeujqVl3
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 589Please respect copyright.PENANAFEgiSlTd8M
mum, way too far."589Please respect copyright.PENANA42NDZEdS9Z
Mrs589Please respect copyright.PENANAapJYn0W55U
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 589Please respect copyright.PENANApR1j3BOhDU
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 589Please respect copyright.PENANA48MRy9ZyjI
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 589Please respect copyright.PENANABk9FUxwFEO
"And589Please respect copyright.PENANA91KxMIGHfc
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 589Please respect copyright.PENANABGnFcJbWMY
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her589Please respect copyright.PENANASGM1r8RcrL
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."589Please respect copyright.PENANAj5bb3KQt0l
Mrs589Please respect copyright.PENANAHmjhZ7WEoR
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.589Please respect copyright.PENANAiOWy3XVvbu
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 589Please respect copyright.PENANA7vV5MYwYxy
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 589Please respect copyright.PENANACSbvLtDq9K
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.589Please respect copyright.PENANAZYQoPEK0Oy
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"589Please respect copyright.PENANAad0PnV8cZ5
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."589Please respect copyright.PENANAc2tRIMusZ7
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."589Please respect copyright.PENANAhadsgSyTnh
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.589Please respect copyright.PENANAX2QwE4dpRc
"Look589Please respect copyright.PENANArTzKe8Cbrg
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 589Please respect copyright.PENANAFMIDKXyHq6
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."589Please respect copyright.PENANA60HmEVjrfb
Mrs589Please respect copyright.PENANAQpLLIv3Z5h
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 589Please respect copyright.PENANADXh9r1ohgB
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 589Please respect copyright.PENANAUjB3jcRT2s
mother, and they too were quiet.589Please respect copyright.PENANAeczSeVyPA7
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.589Please respect copyright.PENANAwhV7ORhArN
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"589Please respect copyright.PENANAb7Ms8YLOwI
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 589Please respect copyright.PENANAbQWuN3NtF1
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.589Please respect copyright.PENANAz90WEzfosC
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 589Please respect copyright.PENANA6ccMV0oEEa
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 589Please respect copyright.PENANAOIwI0k6B5C
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 589Please respect copyright.PENANA1AkssGHTG6
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 589Please respect copyright.PENANAUPtGNC0DYk
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.589Please respect copyright.PENANA5Pi4Z6J6Ky
"Of589Please respect copyright.PENANAtT7Mxjgluo
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 589Please respect copyright.PENANAP8Ox4dPUax
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 589Please respect copyright.PENANAN4MwfwGQST
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 589Please respect copyright.PENANAgrJIRrA2P4
Mr McDonell. 589Please respect copyright.PENANATmFk9tpgpU
"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. 589Please respect copyright.PENANA1MbpudPTo1
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."589Please respect copyright.PENANAihpYdnIKdF
"I589Please respect copyright.PENANAnNX9y14wNZ
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 589Please respect copyright.PENANAV671O0V7uV
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control589Please respect copyright.PENANAVJXSF16xW2
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."589Please respect copyright.PENANAIWDxN1ndXd
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 589Please respect copyright.PENANACHGTLjw11z
"Not589Please respect copyright.PENANAwx2vjVGOBg
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 589Please respect copyright.PENANASmiExRHSDH
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 589Please respect copyright.PENANArx4J9p1yBr
announcement."589Please respect copyright.PENANAI6eVFtEn2f
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.589Please respect copyright.PENANAmXzFb5o8Yo
"In589Please respect copyright.PENANASbWZIKraoA
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 589Please respect copyright.PENANASzCZkLWqz6
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 589Please respect copyright.PENANAlKIEOe9Zdn
sisters might come to leave with us."589Please respect copyright.PENANABu51WtY9os
For589Please respect copyright.PENANAp3ty0gaax8
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 589Please respect copyright.PENANAi8BfN0Ucsm
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.589Please respect copyright.PENANAgj43YDXmvi
"That's589Please respect copyright.PENANAYAEM3ThJeh
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long589Please respect copyright.PENANA4tFbBVeRQk
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."589Please respect copyright.PENANAKPPaE8oy0Y
Mrs589Please respect copyright.PENANA3m4vgNaRA8
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 589Please respect copyright.PENANAjd1gTLJs8I
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.589Please respect copyright.PENANAwv8a7Nijg4
"This589Please respect copyright.PENANAux9Nl0JULh
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 589Please respect copyright.PENANAoopbJyZGTQ
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 589Please respect copyright.PENANA3NkVl8eGFc
died."589Please respect copyright.PENANAIjeODyzXJV
"What's589Please respect copyright.PENANAm7U5wrHuxp
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 589Please respect copyright.PENANAkDjKcEWHIj
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 589Please respect copyright.PENANAe2EHuST2hY
"Ya,589Please respect copyright.PENANAQv5yXAeSxK
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 589Please respect copyright.PENANArJL2suxaS5
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."589Please respect copyright.PENANATFyRu3P2SE
"You589Please respect copyright.PENANARbETPrKAaT
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why589Please respect copyright.PENANAn8U3BxYgRs
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."589Please respect copyright.PENANAAflnTeVaDq
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."589Please respect copyright.PENANAQrgmzMqccl
With589Please respect copyright.PENANAQ1PN4vEJjy
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 589Please respect copyright.PENANAAyTVHDQVHg
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at589Please respect copyright.PENANAJD4SgSvo6r
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.