Since that fateful day, a546Please respect copyright.PENANA2ruaco9gCY
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 546Please respect copyright.PENANAF2R7Db9lXq
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 546Please respect copyright.PENANAez0Wk5lY2c
ever since. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAe89k9gdIF9
Life was getting a whole546Please respect copyright.PENANAfMRILrGCML
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,546Please respect copyright.PENANAcOIekhmXAu
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 546Please respect copyright.PENANApVMGdDfNm4
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 546Please respect copyright.PENANAI6mYnDsre6
he felt like a stranger in his own home.546Please respect copyright.PENANAQNJkyz9F2A
Only his grandmother and546Please respect copyright.PENANA9z7HGoFvFr
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 546Please respect copyright.PENANABq2CY2NywO
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 546Please respect copyright.PENANAGO1ndnYCjB
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.546Please respect copyright.PENANAXvQ7unFHIA
Coming to his father, he546Please respect copyright.PENANAsZBdToGR2P
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 546Please respect copyright.PENANA927n0We1ZV
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 546Please respect copyright.PENANA9aBFwHyqDO
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 546Please respect copyright.PENANA1jDVHUopeV
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 546Please respect copyright.PENANALEnFRbejFu
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 546Please respect copyright.PENANAO9m49dwcrW
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart546Please respect copyright.PENANAscxlywLoHX
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 546Please respect copyright.PENANA42fqRlYmAL
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 546Please respect copyright.PENANA8MsraEf6Vn
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.546Please respect copyright.PENANABolLD0TUkd
As Leo sat in the car 546Please respect copyright.PENANAxogPWkEp4u
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he546Please respect copyright.PENANAbMizzN1zCt
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 546Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZGRpavkRx
"You and my sister still hate each other."546Please respect copyright.PENANAHDMsMJMYR3
Was that it? Was that 546Please respect copyright.PENANAteWNC7uHKo
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 546Please respect copyright.PENANADJ2NJ6BfxM
out? Did he really hate her that much?546Please respect copyright.PENANAhZqHYKr8pr
Well, judging by the way546Please respect copyright.PENANA8MLX0B4pDw
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 546Please respect copyright.PENANAh00uKBChjV
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 546Please respect copyright.PENANAqTw74opT9f
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?546Please respect copyright.PENANASPTsS67t2T
Carly. It's pretty 546Please respect copyright.PENANAHDcaSbSE6u
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 546Please respect copyright.PENANAFkh7CxLB5P
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 546Please respect copyright.PENANALr3VOwRGF5
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.546Please respect copyright.PENANAZtIBvuTsnR
He had to admit, it was 546Please respect copyright.PENANA4U83mg7aVo
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 546Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9WzIOlJPY
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 546Please respect copyright.PENANAhJjnRDjNg4
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a546Please respect copyright.PENANAWHwwAnZUrZ
thing to happen.546Please respect copyright.PENANAgS3qsGIOSa
Speaking of his mother, 546Please respect copyright.PENANAQxKM85Ad3c
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 546Please respect copyright.PENANAcO3DsEOiuh
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the546Please respect copyright.PENANAqVdtmeZUST
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and546Please respect copyright.PENANA7Tq90vaUd5
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 546Please respect copyright.PENANAzcf1K512LW
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 546Please respect copyright.PENANAk1OgyeMgQd
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 546Please respect copyright.PENANAAyZddvbgrV
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 546Please respect copyright.PENANAXenLAc7t3f
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 546Please respect copyright.PENANAuv8LoV4aXV
later, which he never did.546Please respect copyright.PENANAe02eyKs0do
Leo pulled out his phone546Please respect copyright.PENANAG8hegU2SI6
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!546Please respect copyright.PENANAcA0KMkzeIc
He wondered what it was all about now.546Please respect copyright.PENANAcJJrgiL8SQ
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 546Please respect copyright.PENANAuSjwGqng7d
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 546Please respect copyright.PENANAqMkKgutFRf
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 546Please respect copyright.PENANAMqhhZOiMWh
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to546Please respect copyright.PENANAEBjav6Sp2B
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 546Please respect copyright.PENANAXX0YX0Cq9f
so. See you at eight then."546Please respect copyright.PENANAD0zeXeqQuJ
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.546Please respect copyright.PENANASzVHnQDQLU
He quickly got out of 546Please respect copyright.PENANAw8PkI9ZbuZ
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 546Please respect copyright.PENANAzu2aKgzKmB
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he546Please respect copyright.PENANAIXBBTkM36R
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.546Please respect copyright.PENANA9ebd0UmHH2
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.546Please respect copyright.PENANAvCOJcpayYu
***546Please respect copyright.PENANAFsePqYk8Z4
"I546Please respect copyright.PENANAGW6C8ju0p4
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 546Please respect copyright.PENANAaZl5tmSNEI
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 546Please respect copyright.PENANAOGYkbwwpkh
this evening and I want things the way I like it."546Please respect copyright.PENANARITSJu605y
The546Please respect copyright.PENANAab3SeNP3Iu
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 546Please respect copyright.PENANAeIIWYwdjAN
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs546Please respect copyright.PENANASJ2SYjiNfi
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 546Please respect copyright.PENANA55Pqph46hO
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 546Please respect copyright.PENANASnsZK0bCet
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.546Please respect copyright.PENANAnqK1whCYcz
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.546Please respect copyright.PENANAdk208ySMbU
Leo546Please respect copyright.PENANAbnfUmuiY3L
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 546Please respect copyright.PENANA0GClGamuHN
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him546Please respect copyright.PENANAnFNGgvh9Io
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 546Please respect copyright.PENANAQZegXYQ2X3
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAVKjIsdDKvf
"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.546Please respect copyright.PENANAnvyYrQywP1
"Maybe546Please respect copyright.PENANAIj2YQHRgf6
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 546Please respect copyright.PENANAKG0LybBeMc
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."546Please respect copyright.PENANA2mhIbx9t6l
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"546Please respect copyright.PENANAFmsawqZtDg
"The546Please respect copyright.PENANAjtll9WeZQv
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only546Please respect copyright.PENANAMJ7LKUDp44
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."546Please respect copyright.PENANAEFEUnQwcvT
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.546Please respect copyright.PENANAeHz6Zsu886
"What is going on here?"546Please respect copyright.PENANAuTaiUPoQzM
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.546Please respect copyright.PENANArhBtUh1UZo
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"546Please respect copyright.PENANAf3u8eaklVO
"It's546Please respect copyright.PENANAHOuhkqP7iN
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 546Please respect copyright.PENANAZHJYR6gOL8
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"546Please respect copyright.PENANAvNswImiXAx
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."546Please respect copyright.PENANAMufcozwH9c
"Now546Please respect copyright.PENANABBRkt4SRnz
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 546Please respect copyright.PENANA66S001mMSo
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.546Please respect copyright.PENANAmF0kTl9UNb
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.546Please respect copyright.PENANA8ljzGyF1AG
"I546Please respect copyright.PENANAhnXhKK3PQN
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 546Please respect copyright.PENANAa9ZJX1HHpx
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 546Please respect copyright.PENANAnP8V98WjKU
beating around the bush.546Please respect copyright.PENANAZ6gt0JMQhf
Mrs546Please respect copyright.PENANAi63m6No7bi
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 546Please respect copyright.PENANAgFan3F3sXm
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 546Please respect copyright.PENANAhA0NknTpEk
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.546Please respect copyright.PENANAbAiZRK5P7f
"I...546Please respect copyright.PENANAKw1DJDs3RZ
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 546Please respect copyright.PENANAzCMENsTBdC
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 546Please respect copyright.PENANA5gH9Hqq0Rm
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."546Please respect copyright.PENANAd8ZL7FEPNs
"So546Please respect copyright.PENANABKcrB56R2z
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 546Please respect copyright.PENANAX9Xa82VgsE
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think546Please respect copyright.PENANAXXvnKoUFnC
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 546Please respect copyright.PENANA5hRByO8yi3
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 546Please respect copyright.PENANAbqUuwIICYR
aren't the same as they were, mum."546Please respect copyright.PENANAZKi7vd3n9M
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."546Please respect copyright.PENANAQN6jGy9geQ
"No,546Please respect copyright.PENANAt3fooFF3dG
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,546Please respect copyright.PENANAp6bsqEw3MV
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 546Please respect copyright.PENANAslhzkphkE1
I?"546Please respect copyright.PENANAFQVRP0gqQx
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."546Please respect copyright.PENANAatbkJgyV0r
"Look,546Please respect copyright.PENANAMq5ASyJWVY
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 546Please respect copyright.PENANAogZ0SZhJkF
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 546Please respect copyright.PENANAwwYYZM0WCY
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 546Please respect copyright.PENANABtPkwHz0ll
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 546Please respect copyright.PENANAv9WF8rEU1Q
you."546Please respect copyright.PENANAM8QjNwhXjU
There546Please respect copyright.PENANAVfDkImldP8
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 546Please respect copyright.PENANACUxYFSSRUp
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 546Please respect copyright.PENANAtVzddcWHWc
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 546Please respect copyright.PENANAOkjSxPoKkz
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAITuK1bEbVz
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 546Please respect copyright.PENANASAdhG8fCpL
"You546Please respect copyright.PENANA9vC1zewHZF
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 546Please respect copyright.PENANAo41vhRSdxm
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 546Please respect copyright.PENANAcdppF7gpE3
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 546Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7m8FinS8e
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 546Please respect copyright.PENANAbvbRmO1SFv
mum, way too far."546Please respect copyright.PENANATHHlaFj7r5
Mrs546Please respect copyright.PENANAT8JAML1G4w
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 546Please respect copyright.PENANAv0ur03X24a
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 546Please respect copyright.PENANAIuCsSVmRnF
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAoMObjiNOJh
"And546Please respect copyright.PENANA9shEy8xXLc
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 546Please respect copyright.PENANAF4lCxeZY0J
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her546Please respect copyright.PENANAiyTR1WZbno
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."546Please respect copyright.PENANAOEE5iIuUCI
Mrs546Please respect copyright.PENANAdBfx1V5mvz
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.546Please respect copyright.PENANAbovCBKSeHX
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 546Please respect copyright.PENANAYAKHWTw53Y
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 546Please respect copyright.PENANA9JkYovkGRI
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.546Please respect copyright.PENANAoRlyEr2yg7
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"546Please respect copyright.PENANAYehE9hyHpB
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."546Please respect copyright.PENANA4Jq3eioBwp
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."546Please respect copyright.PENANAvgtxuQ9XFE
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.546Please respect copyright.PENANAm7Jle3NuMA
"Look546Please respect copyright.PENANAqsyWMLPSNd
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 546Please respect copyright.PENANAkludMRAhKS
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."546Please respect copyright.PENANAAHTHhLzb6g
Mrs546Please respect copyright.PENANAgIj0WfehhF
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 546Please respect copyright.PENANAZcJZvt1EOi
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 546Please respect copyright.PENANAmTOecPSsgr
mother, and they too were quiet.546Please respect copyright.PENANAem1TQYC8Tz
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.546Please respect copyright.PENANA7nmM4xqx9i
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"546Please respect copyright.PENANAsfZoBHMkE3
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAZNXB9diRqt
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.546Please respect copyright.PENANAdWh2cw8Law
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAgTO4t4pe45
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAFeYkWpIsmy
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAzLW938761d
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 546Please respect copyright.PENANACfcBQ2DZzA
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.546Please respect copyright.PENANAlDIsGzegxm
"Of546Please respect copyright.PENANAb3rQ0tS2aI
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 546Please respect copyright.PENANAF0eaJbY4Ly
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 546Please respect copyright.PENANAMNSzfvuhKI
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 546Please respect copyright.PENANAMffQ7UvNMu
Mr McDonell. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAxaXsA9E2YG
"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. 546Please respect copyright.PENANA9UZ3Q68xz0
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."546Please respect copyright.PENANAh2QodWwp9G
"I546Please respect copyright.PENANADExRCSX8x5
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 546Please respect copyright.PENANAMvmM6q13LJ
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control546Please respect copyright.PENANA04HShI0Avf
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."546Please respect copyright.PENANA81J7yUwVld
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAgIfUajFM93
"Not546Please respect copyright.PENANAIHRupi1CmK
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 546Please respect copyright.PENANAJPXxTtfLjp
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 546Please respect copyright.PENANAftSbCtp9Pv
announcement."546Please respect copyright.PENANAf3xMA3uuiv
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.546Please respect copyright.PENANAU38gzcTsNL
"In546Please respect copyright.PENANAGmRbAauOb6
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 546Please respect copyright.PENANAXy3gs7DKss
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 546Please respect copyright.PENANAipWnCnwBEe
sisters might come to leave with us."546Please respect copyright.PENANAmripg1UyN7
For546Please respect copyright.PENANAxRPTcBmHkS
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 546Please respect copyright.PENANAqbYNN6Szt3
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.546Please respect copyright.PENANAw4o91cmi2r
"That's546Please respect copyright.PENANA0i7CwV5GWI
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long546Please respect copyright.PENANAzkrMLnzitc
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."546Please respect copyright.PENANAuDVL0Qrjby
Mrs546Please respect copyright.PENANAT51nuQLALY
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 546Please respect copyright.PENANAkD0RyA0feA
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.546Please respect copyright.PENANAVOqFUxuJ6A
"This546Please respect copyright.PENANAe8ylsP7UpL
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 546Please respect copyright.PENANACI7SskgRIr
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 546Please respect copyright.PENANA5SMMJjYFUu
died."546Please respect copyright.PENANAKP6Xzumqoc
"What's546Please respect copyright.PENANAJ2Oco9U2SS
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 546Please respect copyright.PENANAwir3z2aVXP
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 546Please respect copyright.PENANAGi1ONK7UIV
"Ya,546Please respect copyright.PENANAawiPGFBmKm
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 546Please respect copyright.PENANA4LQFdAO3uS
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."546Please respect copyright.PENANAaBsHLWPHcG
"You546Please respect copyright.PENANAcyNPocKu0i
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why546Please respect copyright.PENANAcC3LBXLjLV
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."546Please respect copyright.PENANABxf0WF3BJ5
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."546Please respect copyright.PENANAveivGp4Ady
With546Please respect copyright.PENANAUEU14tsUPy
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 546Please respect copyright.PENANAbh5B9jwFtG
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at546Please respect copyright.PENANA0CxA96g4MJ
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.