Since that fateful day, a529Please respect copyright.PENANAPyKnpEM7LE
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 529Please respect copyright.PENANAjrt9obT3xq
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 529Please respect copyright.PENANAa9MTQE29Wj
ever since. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAZOU6lgw9YI
Life was getting a whole529Please respect copyright.PENANAmG9uWOY2yD
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,529Please respect copyright.PENANAsIp83PMQHl
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 529Please respect copyright.PENANAgK0L4RUcvu
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 529Please respect copyright.PENANAeztt10y3gU
he felt like a stranger in his own home.529Please respect copyright.PENANAtuxx0RJOfl
Only his grandmother and529Please respect copyright.PENANA4Xbbtf0FmL
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 529Please respect copyright.PENANAgnZQg4b4HC
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 529Please respect copyright.PENANA68jF9qkrqs
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.529Please respect copyright.PENANAmESSGlT1rA
Coming to his father, he529Please respect copyright.PENANAwysZ6wsIY9
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAb7QUpYs7vw
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 529Please respect copyright.PENANAZ03jmFwJMz
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 529Please respect copyright.PENANAs1wkrsIiJG
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 529Please respect copyright.PENANAUupNKp0nR0
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 529Please respect copyright.PENANAzlY8HPGCDZ
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart529Please respect copyright.PENANA4xAvPMBkZI
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 529Please respect copyright.PENANAAvOoGN1cvM
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 529Please respect copyright.PENANAin69Y9V0HE
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.529Please respect copyright.PENANAsdWicG5FEa
As Leo sat in the car 529Please respect copyright.PENANABbqcYaZuSJ
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he529Please respect copyright.PENANAMEuODYHbH3
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 529Please respect copyright.PENANA7Zt6wV2x9P
"You and my sister still hate each other."529Please respect copyright.PENANAkCln3nW9TQ
Was that it? Was that 529Please respect copyright.PENANAbT0GvFD8U9
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 529Please respect copyright.PENANABY3cptWdbu
out? Did he really hate her that much?529Please respect copyright.PENANAJJ2f9mPEWD
Well, judging by the way529Please respect copyright.PENANAVwv1FfOcoN
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 529Please respect copyright.PENANALdn0Qv1KRN
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 529Please respect copyright.PENANAonJDM5JwA3
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?529Please respect copyright.PENANA2cXkUoxGK8
Carly. It's pretty 529Please respect copyright.PENANAI3ffU98zi3
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 529Please respect copyright.PENANAJook49nRj0
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 529Please respect copyright.PENANAxK8G6b2Sda
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.529Please respect copyright.PENANA11oBX7N0PR
He had to admit, it was 529Please respect copyright.PENANAQPtn7X1HS4
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 529Please respect copyright.PENANAKd223n6lKN
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 529Please respect copyright.PENANAtiQN00yb77
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a529Please respect copyright.PENANAK592xuPLZG
thing to happen.529Please respect copyright.PENANAo76pRFVAyW
Speaking of his mother, 529Please respect copyright.PENANA9zDq3KBDKl
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 529Please respect copyright.PENANARelQ7QrBUW
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the529Please respect copyright.PENANAuD4SyHQ1oN
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and529Please respect copyright.PENANAb9KRPGhyku
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 529Please respect copyright.PENANAqQJVKcQgt0
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 529Please respect copyright.PENANAus0guuAAca
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 529Please respect copyright.PENANASUrnm2ZrKd
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 529Please respect copyright.PENANABsZyJZaSHj
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 529Please respect copyright.PENANATvWVFpIMHJ
later, which he never did.529Please respect copyright.PENANAJl3HkPzRp2
Leo pulled out his phone529Please respect copyright.PENANAAlexFHYHYP
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!529Please respect copyright.PENANALlbAWj8x3q
He wondered what it was all about now.529Please respect copyright.PENANAGlwQLCTY9u
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 529Please respect copyright.PENANAGauGjgUVqn
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 529Please respect copyright.PENANA6WKFVdVXfI
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 529Please respect copyright.PENANA1UuyhigclI
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to529Please respect copyright.PENANATwnG2SilTS
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 529Please respect copyright.PENANAsMNc0t7Ncm
so. See you at eight then."529Please respect copyright.PENANABWNdh3kvhE
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.529Please respect copyright.PENANATDv0pMex4C
He quickly got out of 529Please respect copyright.PENANAGPdK09S94p
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 529Please respect copyright.PENANAaCzpjvBtKp
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he529Please respect copyright.PENANA9HuNUDTQyy
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.529Please respect copyright.PENANAfKwdzJS9ym
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.529Please respect copyright.PENANApP2EzVOulU
***529Please respect copyright.PENANAQT3pJAxUfi
"I529Please respect copyright.PENANAda0KIaviRE
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 529Please respect copyright.PENANApZsRl12Itq
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 529Please respect copyright.PENANAYpx2hNFG76
this evening and I want things the way I like it."529Please respect copyright.PENANAO6S28G1oBd
The529Please respect copyright.PENANAO6gCZsGnFa
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 529Please respect copyright.PENANAlKiLhMm0OU
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs529Please respect copyright.PENANAZhsABim0Jo
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 529Please respect copyright.PENANAvBvDPcPxaQ
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 529Please respect copyright.PENANAhqqFb5fHDI
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.529Please respect copyright.PENANAKZm30uMIS6
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.529Please respect copyright.PENANAyE6f0LPnGa
Leo529Please respect copyright.PENANAoegnVi38t7
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 529Please respect copyright.PENANAQVx97itX2v
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him529Please respect copyright.PENANA3F4pR5MJz4
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 529Please respect copyright.PENANAaQ8VX6urwr
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAnoaToa9n6r
"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.529Please respect copyright.PENANAusCWCWZU3k
"Maybe529Please respect copyright.PENANAF9G1bzDzi5
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 529Please respect copyright.PENANAIbC0LXfnxB
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."529Please respect copyright.PENANA5Q8UGEzyX9
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"529Please respect copyright.PENANAkGdwpvkqwW
"The529Please respect copyright.PENANARcFmNe1Bdu
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only529Please respect copyright.PENANA6jDOKNJvR0
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."529Please respect copyright.PENANAPqH0ZQecFc
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.529Please respect copyright.PENANAASVC3vFJ2s
"What is going on here?"529Please respect copyright.PENANAV2FOxMtZlN
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.529Please respect copyright.PENANAAUBb9ihgeJ
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"529Please respect copyright.PENANAphWuKaaPP4
"It's529Please respect copyright.PENANAO9YPk8zEHJ
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 529Please respect copyright.PENANAYUQ1OAttii
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"529Please respect copyright.PENANABvnDVwTFAs
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."529Please respect copyright.PENANAw1atRUpBf3
"Now529Please respect copyright.PENANAGApvWOT2Tt
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 529Please respect copyright.PENANAwjhlwAHkcT
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.529Please respect copyright.PENANAnpkBichaXt
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.529Please respect copyright.PENANAPOueXXYVIq
"I529Please respect copyright.PENANAF4s9oMzU4y
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 529Please respect copyright.PENANARQRksK8ulI
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 529Please respect copyright.PENANAMxAaQJZYAu
beating around the bush.529Please respect copyright.PENANAv9E4cDAJfh
Mrs529Please respect copyright.PENANA3OAraAxiGt
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 529Please respect copyright.PENANAtv8Bpkzuey
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 529Please respect copyright.PENANA9u0KwFBSpa
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.529Please respect copyright.PENANAx0ixc67G58
"I...529Please respect copyright.PENANA8bg42zKXiI
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 529Please respect copyright.PENANATxAo0jEBou
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 529Please respect copyright.PENANAm77UHPwPVo
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."529Please respect copyright.PENANACX9WleoTUm
"So529Please respect copyright.PENANAGYVc30lT43
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 529Please respect copyright.PENANAfmxhWlAGg8
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think529Please respect copyright.PENANA9HFdxkZp5U
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 529Please respect copyright.PENANAn03Al1IlPK
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 529Please respect copyright.PENANANTQcr9FRmW
aren't the same as they were, mum."529Please respect copyright.PENANAvSIjgm4Ara
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."529Please respect copyright.PENANA4d6684Eelq
"No,529Please respect copyright.PENANAGffyENa4mh
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,529Please respect copyright.PENANAghFQgverNG
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 529Please respect copyright.PENANA3QqMNvs5lh
I?"529Please respect copyright.PENANAN9HZHUUV3q
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."529Please respect copyright.PENANANPX1LKtnrK
"Look,529Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0zc69b4S1
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 529Please respect copyright.PENANAoQSEsY90sI
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 529Please respect copyright.PENANAnuFo1bJQYy
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 529Please respect copyright.PENANAKJwasyABst
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 529Please respect copyright.PENANAXk11Y3P5M7
you."529Please respect copyright.PENANA7kaiZwq8VT
There529Please respect copyright.PENANAOQUrKbzD8k
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 529Please respect copyright.PENANA7Ge7MRDBqa
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 529Please respect copyright.PENANAR7FJs0Ulw7
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 529Please respect copyright.PENANAf9eVEFABCJ
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAwAERl8Bcrx
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAIleWwWpX5v
"You529Please respect copyright.PENANAKDxrP1Yv89
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 529Please respect copyright.PENANAZFLtONAuSA
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 529Please respect copyright.PENANAHvKZAmLcTV
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 529Please respect copyright.PENANAOBE8gJjAH1
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 529Please respect copyright.PENANAn4rxwiwNt7
mum, way too far."529Please respect copyright.PENANAKC5cI3dySs
Mrs529Please respect copyright.PENANAuhj6dehsw3
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 529Please respect copyright.PENANA30t5wgIQaW
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 529Please respect copyright.PENANAWAbKZ2qohm
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAoFYUfgJS9Q
"And529Please respect copyright.PENANAUjPj4YFQmE
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 529Please respect copyright.PENANAQb2BGZtvLv
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her529Please respect copyright.PENANAKKlt8sPENp
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."529Please respect copyright.PENANALtC3EaplJA
Mrs529Please respect copyright.PENANAoPk0c2o9GS
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.529Please respect copyright.PENANAeoXdGl34L3
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 529Please respect copyright.PENANAhhoLIFM31S
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 529Please respect copyright.PENANAtHMC7a4yyi
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.529Please respect copyright.PENANAKHetcRPa68
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"529Please respect copyright.PENANAR2IulxlFjL
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."529Please respect copyright.PENANAZuxa2tIoif
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."529Please respect copyright.PENANAzWJYG7bktx
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.529Please respect copyright.PENANAqGD1NzTwdj
"Look529Please respect copyright.PENANAZf30p3o5lN
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 529Please respect copyright.PENANAzcH8ROKjlw
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."529Please respect copyright.PENANAdF8aG6FXBw
Mrs529Please respect copyright.PENANA4gOsBNUPMU
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 529Please respect copyright.PENANAvMgAMs1OZj
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 529Please respect copyright.PENANA6S4nOizKbv
mother, and they too were quiet.529Please respect copyright.PENANAsrFHZb35oI
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.529Please respect copyright.PENANAZxdLjapC4x
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"529Please respect copyright.PENANAfl50QWAeBn
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 529Please respect copyright.PENANA7niztsnv9F
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.529Please respect copyright.PENANASkT00dycRP
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 529Please respect copyright.PENANA5hcLUISXUp
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAwigGqaRs1V
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAEptaOMkmY8
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAWx22oNr17X
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.529Please respect copyright.PENANAImvL7g1ybZ
"Of529Please respect copyright.PENANAns4lJw9azj
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 529Please respect copyright.PENANAAWjNixSUmw
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 529Please respect copyright.PENANAmVmB5rWUSW
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 529Please respect copyright.PENANAKL531C3jz7
Mr McDonell. 529Please respect copyright.PENANA4r5jdjmaHi
"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. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAxxIS9UBgqZ
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."529Please respect copyright.PENANA1W4U6Mbuxe
"I529Please respect copyright.PENANAaiG22TxGGX
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 529Please respect copyright.PENANALVGlnmDGuN
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control529Please respect copyright.PENANAlPjQG6XoTA
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."529Please respect copyright.PENANAHvPwE0kYHs
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 529Please respect copyright.PENANAH3VaWcmPUC
"Not529Please respect copyright.PENANAgYtMpoeD41
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 529Please respect copyright.PENANAUVTnGmPrCB
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 529Please respect copyright.PENANAmqrZuqw1BT
announcement."529Please respect copyright.PENANANcxUG43XJA
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.529Please respect copyright.PENANAdUVNS0d2sv
"In529Please respect copyright.PENANATuGvYa2OBj
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 529Please respect copyright.PENANAfZdtGcTrYG
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 529Please respect copyright.PENANA7I41TThlun
sisters might come to leave with us."529Please respect copyright.PENANAHxeN3lmgNU
For529Please respect copyright.PENANAYIYfAJHh5U
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 529Please respect copyright.PENANANt1QfNL6cg
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.529Please respect copyright.PENANAEMQJK4GLIE
"That's529Please respect copyright.PENANArY4B7Qsqp2
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long529Please respect copyright.PENANAdE3BlhLigq
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."529Please respect copyright.PENANA1O2LjuG0bU
Mrs529Please respect copyright.PENANAFrOAI8tWZF
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 529Please respect copyright.PENANAP6nhYWcJ1A
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.529Please respect copyright.PENANAqaqhe1X8Lr
"This529Please respect copyright.PENANAVG8vaF8Bjn
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 529Please respect copyright.PENANALFmZWUfIg4
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 529Please respect copyright.PENANAvRrdN1P7c0
died."529Please respect copyright.PENANApUGV6mBeve
"What's529Please respect copyright.PENANAMUGKKl0lbj
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 529Please respect copyright.PENANA9Kq7JkY7su
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 529Please respect copyright.PENANA9B15YcEW9g
"Ya,529Please respect copyright.PENANA1399hNWp95
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 529Please respect copyright.PENANAhH7AG7r8UQ
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."529Please respect copyright.PENANAYEvMA6oAu6
"You529Please respect copyright.PENANAd7Itgo0TTN
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why529Please respect copyright.PENANAB7OJx5JIvh
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."529Please respect copyright.PENANAGjt019AfVs
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."529Please respect copyright.PENANAH25rEKiyta
With529Please respect copyright.PENANAIyCICyKC8q
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 529Please respect copyright.PENANACr9neE2Md5
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at529Please respect copyright.PENANAzdvfLxIZJB
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.