Since that fateful day, a588Please respect copyright.PENANALULvGMkpDm
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 588Please respect copyright.PENANAAabLUbF3Ev
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 588Please respect copyright.PENANAUiL2SUPMKC
ever since. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAr0xLu3bpQG
Life was getting a whole588Please respect copyright.PENANASYH7TuFI63
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,588Please respect copyright.PENANAB1VeWN8w4g
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 588Please respect copyright.PENANAMuK6RdSmSQ
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 588Please respect copyright.PENANA6aNMOiZ1rR
he felt like a stranger in his own home.588Please respect copyright.PENANA7jzHT5I6mD
Only his grandmother and588Please respect copyright.PENANAyC3cmmzZsX
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 588Please respect copyright.PENANAd2j7JcCcKe
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 588Please respect copyright.PENANATZgmA9HtXz
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.588Please respect copyright.PENANAaWAqJkTAyk
Coming to his father, he588Please respect copyright.PENANAMLS3082RfT
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 588Please respect copyright.PENANABopDv990cV
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 588Please respect copyright.PENANAzPQq1ScIGL
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 588Please respect copyright.PENANASREEgzsQ9T
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 588Please respect copyright.PENANAmUADxBqHkR
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 588Please respect copyright.PENANASsNMrK0eLo
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart588Please respect copyright.PENANAbiDk8doDlM
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 588Please respect copyright.PENANAv6U2Cfd7tw
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 588Please respect copyright.PENANAmgEhW7Xjss
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.588Please respect copyright.PENANArXBZ3VyzYH
As Leo sat in the car 588Please respect copyright.PENANAZb1JKDeNK6
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he588Please respect copyright.PENANAtmfo2kExay
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 588Please respect copyright.PENANASITE592ooc
"You and my sister still hate each other."588Please respect copyright.PENANAXJ946SfQVL
Was that it? Was that 588Please respect copyright.PENANAUVPRiyhZtN
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 588Please respect copyright.PENANAlq2aKA57JS
out? Did he really hate her that much?588Please respect copyright.PENANAzvYBcImayO
Well, judging by the way588Please respect copyright.PENANAnAgXTzc8Mx
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 588Please respect copyright.PENANAsMJjYF04x4
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 588Please respect copyright.PENANAsmnRfDlMSx
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?588Please respect copyright.PENANAaL6iZPk6oc
Carly. It's pretty 588Please respect copyright.PENANAl0V7cuTDzE
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 588Please respect copyright.PENANAXINismdYnq
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 588Please respect copyright.PENANAf24aU0iC4S
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.588Please respect copyright.PENANAMyZDRKbGmP
He had to admit, it was 588Please respect copyright.PENANAWxkVvWl1F5
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 588Please respect copyright.PENANA9OJ6F8yat0
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 588Please respect copyright.PENANAnKKFJ66Tgh
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a588Please respect copyright.PENANAQWmJbyAhgh
thing to happen.588Please respect copyright.PENANAR89Vff8Mth
Speaking of his mother, 588Please respect copyright.PENANAi9EZ2mr2sR
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 588Please respect copyright.PENANATVzv742dRv
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the588Please respect copyright.PENANAz68yhOe252
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and588Please respect copyright.PENANAcYt2QMWFp0
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 588Please respect copyright.PENANAbeggnz1WWv
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 588Please respect copyright.PENANADxXaNKkc01
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 588Please respect copyright.PENANASAI9GYcH9V
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 588Please respect copyright.PENANA7BUHQdwciM
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 588Please respect copyright.PENANAupxlP5o2M8
later, which he never did.588Please respect copyright.PENANAuvNsi4D6dj
Leo pulled out his phone588Please respect copyright.PENANAFXomK4w9nf
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!588Please respect copyright.PENANAnHGmoHCOnr
He wondered what it was all about now.588Please respect copyright.PENANADFtkiYanD2
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 588Please respect copyright.PENANAT0KPCGCTo6
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 588Please respect copyright.PENANA7d0Ky353bJ
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 588Please respect copyright.PENANAaXlb6zngMc
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to588Please respect copyright.PENANAtT6eXG16q5
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 588Please respect copyright.PENANAZS5wWWNPCs
so. See you at eight then."588Please respect copyright.PENANAjL2myvvcX0
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.588Please respect copyright.PENANAalVDZJKf8V
He quickly got out of 588Please respect copyright.PENANAMSSCIxbZsw
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 588Please respect copyright.PENANAfpAzmwCGNq
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he588Please respect copyright.PENANAKhSYIP63Cb
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.588Please respect copyright.PENANAB6IM3jbp4F
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.588Please respect copyright.PENANAP6dlX9zfLo
***588Please respect copyright.PENANANeY7WtkFf0
"I588Please respect copyright.PENANAgN8cD6hIrW
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 588Please respect copyright.PENANATNAg7RGJHx
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 588Please respect copyright.PENANAx7XZKnRxZ2
this evening and I want things the way I like it."588Please respect copyright.PENANAcDGIN75XgQ
The588Please respect copyright.PENANAd9lbGDwuWu
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 588Please respect copyright.PENANAEaG1sxS575
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs588Please respect copyright.PENANAt4SKFnBlXd
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 588Please respect copyright.PENANAF5z8KW7shK
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 588Please respect copyright.PENANAd924TfHpqG
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.588Please respect copyright.PENANArBIFByMiyl
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.588Please respect copyright.PENANAEnHovZK0vN
Leo588Please respect copyright.PENANA5m1kqscVpn
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 588Please respect copyright.PENANAyKPFvXSwlt
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him588Please respect copyright.PENANAnhGDL15Hu7
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 588Please respect copyright.PENANAMndZv1Vaia
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAQVjmKKEkr9
"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.588Please respect copyright.PENANAn5amAIdo7V
"Maybe588Please respect copyright.PENANAqwWjsH2AbN
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 588Please respect copyright.PENANASlYShsEXUR
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."588Please respect copyright.PENANAKdhRwmj4ao
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"588Please respect copyright.PENANAXWay6aBWWI
"The588Please respect copyright.PENANA922F8W8K0X
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only588Please respect copyright.PENANAmt5D38Vaj1
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."588Please respect copyright.PENANArCc6Y47DwV
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.588Please respect copyright.PENANAOGUeZd4hrZ
"What is going on here?"588Please respect copyright.PENANAs4nVUKdUUi
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.588Please respect copyright.PENANAB7IbvwWG8z
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"588Please respect copyright.PENANAGmo8wTpcjn
"It's588Please respect copyright.PENANAdatM0Vg05S
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 588Please respect copyright.PENANACIN57izFB8
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"588Please respect copyright.PENANApj0lDmtJ99
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."588Please respect copyright.PENANAqjTA7IfLNz
"Now588Please respect copyright.PENANAgKSGrpid6m
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 588Please respect copyright.PENANAiEJFpMKY5h
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.588Please respect copyright.PENANAyiUtkhmxhK
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.588Please respect copyright.PENANAkH1WfmA5ef
"I588Please respect copyright.PENANA3IbvZ8FrKZ
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 588Please respect copyright.PENANArAaW5BuT43
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 588Please respect copyright.PENANAV2x1lBxHtK
beating around the bush.588Please respect copyright.PENANAFokG0EOutS
Mrs588Please respect copyright.PENANA4w55b5fYgd
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 588Please respect copyright.PENANAcLJ9y7ypuS
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 588Please respect copyright.PENANA5GTasOQbGi
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.588Please respect copyright.PENANAeCdVKAkOuU
"I...588Please respect copyright.PENANAHBWWQdyU5f
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 588Please respect copyright.PENANAKNUU1qHpp0
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 588Please respect copyright.PENANArzTlOkLTnX
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."588Please respect copyright.PENANARLuC5ud0VJ
"So588Please respect copyright.PENANAdGeQ22onNj
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 588Please respect copyright.PENANAqKcHQrkJMF
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think588Please respect copyright.PENANAxeHEIpGtxq
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 588Please respect copyright.PENANA6HqECboPtY
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 588Please respect copyright.PENANAAhPlof4T7e
aren't the same as they were, mum."588Please respect copyright.PENANAlnsc0cUB5x
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."588Please respect copyright.PENANA0fatdjuAvD
"No,588Please respect copyright.PENANAPBDXHVbyjV
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,588Please respect copyright.PENANAbjeON0f0w6
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 588Please respect copyright.PENANAKyqrBDOjgU
I?"588Please respect copyright.PENANAhSP11QqzSX
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."588Please respect copyright.PENANASuKXqOij66
"Look,588Please respect copyright.PENANALZYVkzp14o
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 588Please respect copyright.PENANAcJTRN88Ynu
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 588Please respect copyright.PENANAOxQgMGJUNK
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 588Please respect copyright.PENANAQlXpvkp2Nt
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 588Please respect copyright.PENANAWMaDowYrvG
you."588Please respect copyright.PENANA7hlz5lSGf4
There588Please respect copyright.PENANAixBJEJYb3r
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 588Please respect copyright.PENANAZIZbNvJswe
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 588Please respect copyright.PENANATRXl2yje2d
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 588Please respect copyright.PENANAYgccuDwPQV
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAy5eEYdrQyc
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAxOIl5WWXGP
"You588Please respect copyright.PENANAlbN8UH7N80
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 588Please respect copyright.PENANA2mO01VQCDG
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 588Please respect copyright.PENANAQK9DbDMUT4
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 588Please respect copyright.PENANACHr0R0sFwE
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 588Please respect copyright.PENANAAgWEE0CPdS
mum, way too far."588Please respect copyright.PENANA5cYHxIk5Aj
Mrs588Please respect copyright.PENANAHvpQgBReXi
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 588Please respect copyright.PENANAXRSaJn4EyQ
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 588Please respect copyright.PENANARcAls0Nm2H
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 588Please respect copyright.PENANA5GVfyqT4lp
"And588Please respect copyright.PENANAee6MHGEOPh
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 588Please respect copyright.PENANA7P0F3FAgDx
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her588Please respect copyright.PENANAy1YiXHFxuM
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."588Please respect copyright.PENANA11CcONP7Gl
Mrs588Please respect copyright.PENANAdlifulUKjN
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.588Please respect copyright.PENANAkMKjL9fEfp
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 588Please respect copyright.PENANAAm6j22SRr3
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 588Please respect copyright.PENANAceU9T02Nhi
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.588Please respect copyright.PENANAfLtzoP2NsH
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"588Please respect copyright.PENANA2JGRinYXWu
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."588Please respect copyright.PENANAdrHEzoJzqu
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."588Please respect copyright.PENANArSULjwUlTA
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.588Please respect copyright.PENANAVr3bA6Qljr
"Look588Please respect copyright.PENANA3myXzjvgdP
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 588Please respect copyright.PENANAweCSknamVS
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."588Please respect copyright.PENANAItGTGrBs2C
Mrs588Please respect copyright.PENANAM94GJ77FOh
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 588Please respect copyright.PENANAIYT3bcFQb4
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 588Please respect copyright.PENANAEvyArHhpGz
mother, and they too were quiet.588Please respect copyright.PENANAbCqjVxf6Id
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.588Please respect copyright.PENANAHur3qz9HnU
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"588Please respect copyright.PENANAi4TanuQiKU
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 588Please respect copyright.PENANADgyIbWmMpf
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.588Please respect copyright.PENANATcF2FdQEwf
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 588Please respect copyright.PENANABpOG5Nt5Cx
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAv7dGzjaqvq
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAv01KCo0Vpm
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAyEsY93vqSj
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.588Please respect copyright.PENANAhC2BDL8V6R
"Of588Please respect copyright.PENANAiyqbmruQZV
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 588Please respect copyright.PENANAunJ1SgKmb3
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 588Please respect copyright.PENANA9NeXi1IDn2
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 588Please respect copyright.PENANA41K7EMs9Cm
Mr McDonell. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAeyTooJzu5f
"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. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAHtE94Ge58A
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."588Please respect copyright.PENANAAbrky9QANv
"I588Please respect copyright.PENANA22sXqwHEIE
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 588Please respect copyright.PENANAoLIUpWMP9S
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control588Please respect copyright.PENANAi0dvSFoaFl
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."588Please respect copyright.PENANAy0bMSCCwZh
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAnDTxBzSiMz
"Not588Please respect copyright.PENANAdojuEzJqug
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 588Please respect copyright.PENANA0ua4hdBoDq
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 588Please respect copyright.PENANAXZzfyrY6VA
announcement."588Please respect copyright.PENANA9uTmIdoqh6
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.588Please respect copyright.PENANAW07xcfSHIr
"In588Please respect copyright.PENANAqfpIt9akAf
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 588Please respect copyright.PENANAurLKofSSrw
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 588Please respect copyright.PENANA25JKB99URt
sisters might come to leave with us."588Please respect copyright.PENANAH3NqYISuR1
For588Please respect copyright.PENANAnG0wzMEnYy
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 588Please respect copyright.PENANATdeQU1oYjX
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.588Please respect copyright.PENANAWWGMw6KF1b
"That's588Please respect copyright.PENANAxCsr9XNg1D
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long588Please respect copyright.PENANAhDICsQ6gqf
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."588Please respect copyright.PENANAZmFqVrAkpa
Mrs588Please respect copyright.PENANAkPQ0v9aYBp
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 588Please respect copyright.PENANAKp82raBeYd
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.588Please respect copyright.PENANAmn8IZlySAd
"This588Please respect copyright.PENANAxCM5Pipi4Q
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 588Please respect copyright.PENANAry0fyZ72SE
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 588Please respect copyright.PENANAY2hkEH8XBP
died."588Please respect copyright.PENANAXakTRAxXm5
"What's588Please respect copyright.PENANA5sW6IRzsmu
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 588Please respect copyright.PENANACaSlls3F2I
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 588Please respect copyright.PENANAPqws7I3iqc
"Ya,588Please respect copyright.PENANAk7hMV23bf2
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 588Please respect copyright.PENANAkjuZnMceYD
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."588Please respect copyright.PENANAwLRuThs5BW
"You588Please respect copyright.PENANAK0kJ3X7Hrm
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why588Please respect copyright.PENANAMtMnlwb52r
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."588Please respect copyright.PENANAPsEiOzEGLy
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."588Please respect copyright.PENANAa28OKGJyDQ
With588Please respect copyright.PENANAkUiIbH9Zvv
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 588Please respect copyright.PENANAlvP3c2Gpgk
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at588Please respect copyright.PENANAQDyfN9SuPY
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.