Since that fateful day, a590Please respect copyright.PENANAAJbugdDt6M
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 590Please respect copyright.PENANA7RmiasN88D
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 590Please respect copyright.PENANAbabNP8fvkv
ever since. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAiLhGAz7Nlg
Life was getting a whole590Please respect copyright.PENANAnaF0zmPM3n
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,590Please respect copyright.PENANA3El9el1e0U
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 590Please respect copyright.PENANAgcQyLpZspA
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 590Please respect copyright.PENANAEb14Ls4kyt
he felt like a stranger in his own home.590Please respect copyright.PENANAgOl08wsyHM
Only his grandmother and590Please respect copyright.PENANAPOg5J3DBvR
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 590Please respect copyright.PENANAAF0ZYSNITb
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 590Please respect copyright.PENANA9XJf1DPTDp
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.590Please respect copyright.PENANAxFYHTZOOmG
Coming to his father, he590Please respect copyright.PENANAgryPt6JA4N
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAVFxPScSpPN
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 590Please respect copyright.PENANAv6Sc4kYya4
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 590Please respect copyright.PENANAz1g5IXroTw
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 590Please respect copyright.PENANAoTQ9DJYa4d
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 590Please respect copyright.PENANAaZwmkWTvMu
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart590Please respect copyright.PENANAedWC3C3by8
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 590Please respect copyright.PENANAn0lvDxC6oz
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 590Please respect copyright.PENANAstbUaXUcXY
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.590Please respect copyright.PENANAfpzQUpeEQY
As Leo sat in the car 590Please respect copyright.PENANAR2kOIPNiYt
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he590Please respect copyright.PENANACedxYfuumx
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAhRNCMNU7CG
"You and my sister still hate each other."590Please respect copyright.PENANA3Buoty5cwo
Was that it? Was that 590Please respect copyright.PENANA6eGDBuw4Xj
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 590Please respect copyright.PENANAiAnj90oWII
out? Did he really hate her that much?590Please respect copyright.PENANABcVCYlRMmV
Well, judging by the way590Please respect copyright.PENANAFiJAvXUfJ7
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 590Please respect copyright.PENANA845Ph99xRb
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 590Please respect copyright.PENANAjxhjb2PzpU
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?590Please respect copyright.PENANAj3dTjIdRHG
Carly. It's pretty 590Please respect copyright.PENANA0Vpw0KPqQk
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 590Please respect copyright.PENANAaeYb3IZtuJ
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 590Please respect copyright.PENANAsgEsgkiQsy
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.590Please respect copyright.PENANA5YotpDMUR9
He had to admit, it was 590Please respect copyright.PENANAk04f4C6Wyc
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 590Please respect copyright.PENANARLdJ0LFPL2
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 590Please respect copyright.PENANAYkk1YT3hgJ
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a590Please respect copyright.PENANAPUQk3NzRLa
thing to happen.590Please respect copyright.PENANAnHGGBTdKzM
Speaking of his mother, 590Please respect copyright.PENANAnwgHeARdvA
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 590Please respect copyright.PENANAy2ikaaUg7O
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the590Please respect copyright.PENANAV2CgMPhZKH
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and590Please respect copyright.PENANAeaxtuN9ooR
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 590Please respect copyright.PENANAlttyCvgAbk
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 590Please respect copyright.PENANAN05PFzrdMh
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 590Please respect copyright.PENANAz6igJ9wrsU
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 590Please respect copyright.PENANA0BDy1P40Ic
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 590Please respect copyright.PENANAFZCAko9XD8
later, which he never did.590Please respect copyright.PENANARH4XSXe316
Leo pulled out his phone590Please respect copyright.PENANAdc17ODlmTo
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!590Please respect copyright.PENANAT2M04wVWd4
He wondered what it was all about now.590Please respect copyright.PENANAcUnq2HLliT
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 590Please respect copyright.PENANAJVXYmi9AhP
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 590Please respect copyright.PENANAWqNBNri9He
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 590Please respect copyright.PENANAGLxGWwMl4j
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to590Please respect copyright.PENANA6i0L3yiPYW
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 590Please respect copyright.PENANAW4DPYxzKPV
so. See you at eight then."590Please respect copyright.PENANAjKGlsXkgSe
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.590Please respect copyright.PENANAL8stAv698j
He quickly got out of 590Please respect copyright.PENANAdMeNz92B1c
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 590Please respect copyright.PENANA9trVES3IQt
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he590Please respect copyright.PENANAJ9V4OOotcM
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.590Please respect copyright.PENANA7WjTIPhpdF
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.590Please respect copyright.PENANADWSAWM5MH5
***590Please respect copyright.PENANAP8IGPpBR52
"I590Please respect copyright.PENANArhDZRaakwr
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 590Please respect copyright.PENANAGIZUnB57uV
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 590Please respect copyright.PENANAE0giKS1Ey6
this evening and I want things the way I like it."590Please respect copyright.PENANAHNLBNmDrDq
The590Please respect copyright.PENANAJD5zgQF2UR
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 590Please respect copyright.PENANAKDHyc0Mr4v
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs590Please respect copyright.PENANAwNwAo8G8EF
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 590Please respect copyright.PENANAYaMbJxLrBa
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 590Please respect copyright.PENANAvxWUsUwa2c
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.590Please respect copyright.PENANA7gex1ds9vG
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.590Please respect copyright.PENANAU4TYBRcTiV
Leo590Please respect copyright.PENANALYYCSq4vTp
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 590Please respect copyright.PENANAVV0TfiRD41
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him590Please respect copyright.PENANAYniTfUj11m
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 590Please respect copyright.PENANANlAH3cRS9k
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAxrln6zGQzl
"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.590Please respect copyright.PENANADKPRgbEJsS
"Maybe590Please respect copyright.PENANADd9dP9RjhY
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 590Please respect copyright.PENANAbROD1dNkAW
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."590Please respect copyright.PENANAANgLbyaPUl
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"590Please respect copyright.PENANARBui9528v0
"The590Please respect copyright.PENANAk0OZCcv33x
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only590Please respect copyright.PENANAU7UsGl0K1U
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."590Please respect copyright.PENANAuiIgwf6qov
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.590Please respect copyright.PENANA1ckXhgUFQG
"What is going on here?"590Please respect copyright.PENANAqLOqAPd3M3
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.590Please respect copyright.PENANARnGQHdkLZk
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"590Please respect copyright.PENANAWupnAtdPon
"It's590Please respect copyright.PENANAcJ1tYb07dV
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 590Please respect copyright.PENANAh4KEHLWpsf
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"590Please respect copyright.PENANAVFbEe8tQq4
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."590Please respect copyright.PENANAdPhY8fs7dI
"Now590Please respect copyright.PENANAy9dttmVvwe
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 590Please respect copyright.PENANA8Dj9qFNCYr
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.590Please respect copyright.PENANAxzpkau7rRw
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.590Please respect copyright.PENANA6jcYKCizjB
"I590Please respect copyright.PENANAXKRFsjjbzE
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 590Please respect copyright.PENANA4bzTl2gIim
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 590Please respect copyright.PENANAYtUdhTS37m
beating around the bush.590Please respect copyright.PENANAopErd7cLM7
Mrs590Please respect copyright.PENANAqQvHSi724i
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 590Please respect copyright.PENANAW7FuyNgG7D
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 590Please respect copyright.PENANAoh4fjLkVit
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.590Please respect copyright.PENANAmYAyKIFdKX
"I...590Please respect copyright.PENANAaCf2nwvvmR
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 590Please respect copyright.PENANAPl9WWEjurd
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 590Please respect copyright.PENANAdj0u1iifXl
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."590Please respect copyright.PENANAh3r4A3K7Dj
"So590Please respect copyright.PENANAU8T7gYeoBy
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 590Please respect copyright.PENANAviAk0IEGfU
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think590Please respect copyright.PENANAGySr3qY8AD
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 590Please respect copyright.PENANAHrRvoo8d1s
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 590Please respect copyright.PENANAYqVhgujwRq
aren't the same as they were, mum."590Please respect copyright.PENANAAPk5s0zf7S
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."590Please respect copyright.PENANAjh04s7cmhm
"No,590Please respect copyright.PENANAocX01cm3JF
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,590Please respect copyright.PENANAHWnrNtZkXi
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 590Please respect copyright.PENANAleeabW7D7Y
I?"590Please respect copyright.PENANAIpfUKhytYH
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."590Please respect copyright.PENANAL5I48pXAsO
"Look,590Please respect copyright.PENANAwVNvu2I3wD
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 590Please respect copyright.PENANAEoVA5htOvq
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 590Please respect copyright.PENANASo9GEAz3bo
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 590Please respect copyright.PENANASJtswc53zx
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 590Please respect copyright.PENANA6QhfKw2jpl
you."590Please respect copyright.PENANAkwIy2xKjJc
There590Please respect copyright.PENANAF6RgoFc472
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 590Please respect copyright.PENANANbg0bX4814
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 590Please respect copyright.PENANAfgE2IXZO7i
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 590Please respect copyright.PENANAEi8ccfjaEe
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAh2taihQrxl
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAAfM78uzOUG
"You590Please respect copyright.PENANA7QdXqdvI20
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 590Please respect copyright.PENANAPhtIXbfGjs
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 590Please respect copyright.PENANA45ywboSnys
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 590Please respect copyright.PENANAeriiGO9f1H
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 590Please respect copyright.PENANAnvK2RIx1mz
mum, way too far."590Please respect copyright.PENANAcRNhuy8oTa
Mrs590Please respect copyright.PENANAfvrW2Xb6p7
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 590Please respect copyright.PENANAIm6EbeQ2fJ
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 590Please respect copyright.PENANAFiaCYu6EHU
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAugFNNzsmt7
"And590Please respect copyright.PENANA149X3Ft4ND
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 590Please respect copyright.PENANAV2aK3F2neJ
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her590Please respect copyright.PENANAiYo5C24fcd
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."590Please respect copyright.PENANAAQ5cAQi6Ce
Mrs590Please respect copyright.PENANASW0WmBDRmk
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.590Please respect copyright.PENANAKkTVQLqiGP
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 590Please respect copyright.PENANA4RC9aGEDHN
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 590Please respect copyright.PENANAzkGbO5xlUK
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.590Please respect copyright.PENANAzwwMVveSKz
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"590Please respect copyright.PENANAl9OGQakqoi
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."590Please respect copyright.PENANA5EadVvavyP
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."590Please respect copyright.PENANAllaBw9x0Yr
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.590Please respect copyright.PENANAduzIYcnAhz
"Look590Please respect copyright.PENANAgkLZ0kZ5bu
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 590Please respect copyright.PENANA8QynZf03me
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."590Please respect copyright.PENANAPdZ1Z2F5QX
Mrs590Please respect copyright.PENANAjBUV8d6NjG
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 590Please respect copyright.PENANAm6vUZKr5pc
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 590Please respect copyright.PENANAxJKTxkPsc2
mother, and they too were quiet.590Please respect copyright.PENANA73CVAiyx72
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.590Please respect copyright.PENANAwvGXjsA5I9
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"590Please respect copyright.PENANAC9eBNrSqQZ
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAZRppGFPyhJ
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.590Please respect copyright.PENANAEe2nQqpBVi
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 590Please respect copyright.PENANATJ6CzDNYvL
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAkgcsEvxRc7
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAlyXaavj5ot
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAePMtShvqYu
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.590Please respect copyright.PENANAXY3ZfiC2gP
"Of590Please respect copyright.PENANAu8D3TIPJ6l
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 590Please respect copyright.PENANAvwHGGCwR2k
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 590Please respect copyright.PENANA8HuLwnYBRA
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 590Please respect copyright.PENANAAklklvVtEp
Mr McDonell. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAv06OpWDkYk
"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. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAXcRBTyrdX7
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."590Please respect copyright.PENANAdGxEUvnA8R
"I590Please respect copyright.PENANA8NRPQoya3h
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 590Please respect copyright.PENANALjkLRzO4UV
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control590Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2aMznQCBq
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."590Please respect copyright.PENANAFjeCoeSHwF
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAzuynlOxgob
"Not590Please respect copyright.PENANAjbrQGjh66u
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 590Please respect copyright.PENANA4vJNQeza3b
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 590Please respect copyright.PENANAdiwcWqXXN8
announcement."590Please respect copyright.PENANAzNlryfLSK5
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.590Please respect copyright.PENANAnyMDVYZD4R
"In590Please respect copyright.PENANA7yd8lWHqLG
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 590Please respect copyright.PENANAajmY20Uyr8
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 590Please respect copyright.PENANA70jnBhsBYj
sisters might come to leave with us."590Please respect copyright.PENANAcO6XUcjr53
For590Please respect copyright.PENANAvTH5qxaZXU
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 590Please respect copyright.PENANAXDPj0PLiFk
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.590Please respect copyright.PENANAqoMJEIhX5Y
"That's590Please respect copyright.PENANALvvoLex975
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long590Please respect copyright.PENANAN3khx34KCU
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."590Please respect copyright.PENANA8IFHI6UpVH
Mrs590Please respect copyright.PENANAC89GAhQL6b
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 590Please respect copyright.PENANAeu9gOkQC5o
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.590Please respect copyright.PENANAcyfVBrQEDP
"This590Please respect copyright.PENANAsM5FsKxtZc
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 590Please respect copyright.PENANAKPz2DW4s7C
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 590Please respect copyright.PENANAJAsNB1jlJ8
died."590Please respect copyright.PENANAAkpOJ2tNyF
"What's590Please respect copyright.PENANAkHO9sV4Ivm
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 590Please respect copyright.PENANACV7ezNLbYM
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 590Please respect copyright.PENANAjeJmnA5Y9a
"Ya,590Please respect copyright.PENANAOQtLCawlUd
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 590Please respect copyright.PENANA12UgnyvAVn
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."590Please respect copyright.PENANAo1I7I8l3ND
"You590Please respect copyright.PENANA9oSEZddJz4
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why590Please respect copyright.PENANArWErFMiwpV
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."590Please respect copyright.PENANAl9rEMwByPz
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."590Please respect copyright.PENANAXoRrGfxgn6
With590Please respect copyright.PENANAgHZuH6YVVz
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 590Please respect copyright.PENANApmDYPmhwF0
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at590Please respect copyright.PENANAIhNSlCsdQe
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.