Since that fateful day, a565Please respect copyright.PENANAW27DrxTAtN
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 565Please respect copyright.PENANA7IbP3TFvZR
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 565Please respect copyright.PENANA5wtKmLZw4B
ever since. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAJL2gNVqW7L
Life was getting a whole565Please respect copyright.PENANAyiy8JdW12Q
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,565Please respect copyright.PENANACpGH9Kn3Lw
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 565Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5P46BMuRR
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 565Please respect copyright.PENANAYcwMv0rne1
he felt like a stranger in his own home.565Please respect copyright.PENANAT9IC0j2MHA
Only his grandmother and565Please respect copyright.PENANAngCYoJ8x7m
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 565Please respect copyright.PENANAS3XS0iV1TY
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 565Please respect copyright.PENANAm9dT1Qyudu
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.565Please respect copyright.PENANAaIuM9CXyhJ
Coming to his father, he565Please respect copyright.PENANAbrZXkTOlpt
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAj5scz9RAfS
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 565Please respect copyright.PENANAJNozmmUe48
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 565Please respect copyright.PENANArHtlR76sef
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 565Please respect copyright.PENANA76wnlc223V
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 565Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ut5OrGsSS
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart565Please respect copyright.PENANAyS4ydDeGsW
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 565Please respect copyright.PENANA9q3eAppOjp
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 565Please respect copyright.PENANA41TyDY3Fof
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.565Please respect copyright.PENANA3Alu6rRyzX
As Leo sat in the car 565Please respect copyright.PENANAYUQTTEBiUZ
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he565Please respect copyright.PENANA597otEnJmb
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAJHm6O0sv8i
"You and my sister still hate each other."565Please respect copyright.PENANADswicdYnB9
Was that it? Was that 565Please respect copyright.PENANARg0J1NK31x
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 565Please respect copyright.PENANAZrF9KJ5JjT
out? Did he really hate her that much?565Please respect copyright.PENANApQHte9LcQY
Well, judging by the way565Please respect copyright.PENANA8SEVwZMZIh
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 565Please respect copyright.PENANACfNksd26ec
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 565Please respect copyright.PENANAEZvYItJdHo
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?565Please respect copyright.PENANAC84wAqBMU2
Carly. It's pretty 565Please respect copyright.PENANAGmgjOhw8Wj
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 565Please respect copyright.PENANAv0l0dsjZg1
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 565Please respect copyright.PENANAhhInpsjzRd
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.565Please respect copyright.PENANAKQze0W3aI8
He had to admit, it was 565Please respect copyright.PENANAJqweyZ8re3
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 565Please respect copyright.PENANAlbUWBIVrkR
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 565Please respect copyright.PENANArRVvBtPV6b
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a565Please respect copyright.PENANAsXYpbCXnyP
thing to happen.565Please respect copyright.PENANAKgngwkn9nF
Speaking of his mother, 565Please respect copyright.PENANA6L5IvaeiKi
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 565Please respect copyright.PENANANwaUGEKAk2
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the565Please respect copyright.PENANA6G1oam2P4C
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and565Please respect copyright.PENANAqrFQwCQ25d
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 565Please respect copyright.PENANAdjODr5Fooh
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 565Please respect copyright.PENANAggZc73yV7Q
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 565Please respect copyright.PENANATfYv1jtGj4
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 565Please respect copyright.PENANAkPhYXC6H9o
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 565Please respect copyright.PENANACEZNdtjsu5
later, which he never did.565Please respect copyright.PENANAOaTEbeK2EV
Leo pulled out his phone565Please respect copyright.PENANAFdcDF0CWp6
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!565Please respect copyright.PENANAjQgFEMmmQR
He wondered what it was all about now.565Please respect copyright.PENANATZl6qbnr0K
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 565Please respect copyright.PENANApmq498HxJc
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 565Please respect copyright.PENANAo1CzbATxGI
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 565Please respect copyright.PENANAawZ6hFoC9n
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to565Please respect copyright.PENANAxYqpNtES3Z
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 565Please respect copyright.PENANAy6laD3y8Uz
so. See you at eight then."565Please respect copyright.PENANAA67LaI2x9u
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.565Please respect copyright.PENANAcG57FnyOUL
He quickly got out of 565Please respect copyright.PENANA112hEUtCci
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 565Please respect copyright.PENANAA3IZkHhaz8
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he565Please respect copyright.PENANAlMS3CWBh6H
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.565Please respect copyright.PENANAT3Ht8V3sEQ
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.565Please respect copyright.PENANA0FwEi4ZLTx
***565Please respect copyright.PENANAeSkJrJ7bSi
"I565Please respect copyright.PENANAC7kA5cAxt5
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 565Please respect copyright.PENANAR4a6h0b3Xa
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 565Please respect copyright.PENANAT4SpJ7vV8D
this evening and I want things the way I like it."565Please respect copyright.PENANAqXVN9jjiR3
The565Please respect copyright.PENANA1VefBQF4bm
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 565Please respect copyright.PENANAdiwtiF7E0E
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs565Please respect copyright.PENANAPbRFQvqQ0d
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 565Please respect copyright.PENANA8JhvTlZLOF
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 565Please respect copyright.PENANAfKwJMbnN3H
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.565Please respect copyright.PENANAEK7CfW3pyT
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.565Please respect copyright.PENANA9kbSI8Wo7r
Leo565Please respect copyright.PENANAWfpfhx5lty
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 565Please respect copyright.PENANA5H0e4svFPB
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him565Please respect copyright.PENANAcUkgVIt9L0
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 565Please respect copyright.PENANAgKhkjFCrSt
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAbsxxWQrtG0
"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.565Please respect copyright.PENANAlWTPyNK4p9
"Maybe565Please respect copyright.PENANAl0Wc8jhOyT
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 565Please respect copyright.PENANAYwTtSwH0Dq
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."565Please respect copyright.PENANAXyjhmnmN8R
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"565Please respect copyright.PENANA3dS9knzKen
"The565Please respect copyright.PENANAZYg3Cungah
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only565Please respect copyright.PENANAPqR6MuwzZq
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."565Please respect copyright.PENANAjE5mNaj9RR
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.565Please respect copyright.PENANAME3jMjvq7m
"What is going on here?"565Please respect copyright.PENANAHO9iltYCQR
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.565Please respect copyright.PENANAHXf7VtYRX7
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"565Please respect copyright.PENANAbjhcOreqGW
"It's565Please respect copyright.PENANA4qPbFFUzKj
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 565Please respect copyright.PENANAYcpPzVGhnw
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"565Please respect copyright.PENANAnbKNZat1ar
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."565Please respect copyright.PENANALb4wKce2ld
"Now565Please respect copyright.PENANA73WC1uQCjB
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 565Please respect copyright.PENANALoiSQqvDWn
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.565Please respect copyright.PENANA7bzblRw7zS
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.565Please respect copyright.PENANANXg7SIr3Za
"I565Please respect copyright.PENANA2gfHTQm12p
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 565Please respect copyright.PENANAILVIpPfrP7
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 565Please respect copyright.PENANAoQw87E2Lad
beating around the bush.565Please respect copyright.PENANAetp8J9PnOx
Mrs565Please respect copyright.PENANAGgQNKzdt81
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 565Please respect copyright.PENANAS5qfyMzV0K
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 565Please respect copyright.PENANAkJUkOQQ0FV
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.565Please respect copyright.PENANADwv2RJdKcP
"I...565Please respect copyright.PENANA6kHOMXuNw7
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 565Please respect copyright.PENANAdVosko69Jo
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 565Please respect copyright.PENANAgNqGvoo6B1
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."565Please respect copyright.PENANAudAYzc4ezY
"So565Please respect copyright.PENANAIZWq8F2IeE
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 565Please respect copyright.PENANAPHuhmYvmKT
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think565Please respect copyright.PENANAe2MisXtETl
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 565Please respect copyright.PENANAXT5RxFrOvN
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 565Please respect copyright.PENANA9tbsAtNaLt
aren't the same as they were, mum."565Please respect copyright.PENANA7gURk1c9v2
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."565Please respect copyright.PENANAkLco7AEQcg
"No,565Please respect copyright.PENANAH3ixza8pH1
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,565Please respect copyright.PENANAETAp8R40yE
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 565Please respect copyright.PENANAghvk7wFphi
I?"565Please respect copyright.PENANAPaf526Tbp7
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."565Please respect copyright.PENANAzrkLNVsEAd
"Look,565Please respect copyright.PENANAUd6Js9JY0Y
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 565Please respect copyright.PENANAgIPZA9wW2Q
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 565Please respect copyright.PENANAkJAu8L0gqd
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 565Please respect copyright.PENANAEE8rTU9k74
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 565Please respect copyright.PENANATrWMKh2piX
you."565Please respect copyright.PENANAR9FizCkf7E
There565Please respect copyright.PENANAvCfAh0F41l
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 565Please respect copyright.PENANA47WbaBcOqB
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 565Please respect copyright.PENANAXFRJlEkGry
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 565Please respect copyright.PENANALXZa3fxLFv
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 565Please respect copyright.PENANARzW4gMZysZ
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAhEPKJqEgu8
"You565Please respect copyright.PENANAkT2DsJiY7B
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 565Please respect copyright.PENANAdSTZqiYN0S
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 565Please respect copyright.PENANAt0CiQQvwTl
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 565Please respect copyright.PENANAHs7m3c2iGA
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 565Please respect copyright.PENANAttxD1q0qRf
mum, way too far."565Please respect copyright.PENANA07uzcWLGjM
Mrs565Please respect copyright.PENANAQWRYcvOBXE
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 565Please respect copyright.PENANAvzNv9YmtDN
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 565Please respect copyright.PENANAKCvpUBx59A
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 565Please respect copyright.PENANARYYhtMeu4z
"And565Please respect copyright.PENANAchI5mNzZh5
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 565Please respect copyright.PENANAmmO1xWGzMt
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her565Please respect copyright.PENANAqsD9115bp5
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."565Please respect copyright.PENANAY2qwfv8rwo
Mrs565Please respect copyright.PENANAAm7XDgH98b
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.565Please respect copyright.PENANAD6Z9UGxq7c
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 565Please respect copyright.PENANA8dLfLdyVzW
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 565Please respect copyright.PENANAS5VXlAUK4Y
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.565Please respect copyright.PENANAKEJpwZnKrD
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"565Please respect copyright.PENANAxsGOWk6ab1
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."565Please respect copyright.PENANAcdxlxtad4e
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."565Please respect copyright.PENANArQ0edke6AO
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.565Please respect copyright.PENANAhx6z2JGswv
"Look565Please respect copyright.PENANA2xg1cl2aPs
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 565Please respect copyright.PENANARwGpkcny0X
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."565Please respect copyright.PENANAkiCT0axjB3
Mrs565Please respect copyright.PENANAVafNCrFKdo
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 565Please respect copyright.PENANAImshgvToel
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 565Please respect copyright.PENANAt9pQWvMckq
mother, and they too were quiet.565Please respect copyright.PENANAtdIX8fMChQ
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.565Please respect copyright.PENANABPNT7Sxeai
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"565Please respect copyright.PENANAmOrTcbHqwq
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAqaGWMxdQN8
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.565Please respect copyright.PENANAnTfVmZIhZ0
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 565Please respect copyright.PENANADYKYOPFMyN
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAX4TGJbovQp
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 565Please respect copyright.PENANARI8LZfKITX
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAsnss3sSjlb
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.565Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZSgmzzrAa
"Of565Please respect copyright.PENANAWTH2XX6AmB
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 565Please respect copyright.PENANAWVXkl4b99g
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 565Please respect copyright.PENANA1UDetLSXT9
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 565Please respect copyright.PENANAm1uAdboyUL
Mr McDonell. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAOTLS6QFdLN
"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. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAprLjmpAXSl
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."565Please respect copyright.PENANAtEWZwEHsb9
"I565Please respect copyright.PENANAnofAKfKiX7
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 565Please respect copyright.PENANAU6R5W9v1MN
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control565Please respect copyright.PENANA6aTOxET8S4
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."565Please respect copyright.PENANAkZVjKO0Jnu
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAm7e5vfzcC8
"Not565Please respect copyright.PENANAtePk2aQJKL
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 565Please respect copyright.PENANAXXckOXCAvf
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 565Please respect copyright.PENANAYzZNo5O0fc
announcement."565Please respect copyright.PENANAvaT1VpBE1F
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.565Please respect copyright.PENANADKJsJHhOYE
"In565Please respect copyright.PENANAkn6LlLC9T6
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 565Please respect copyright.PENANA26RfDKe5hO
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 565Please respect copyright.PENANAF8nlgxK10l
sisters might come to leave with us."565Please respect copyright.PENANAqCapxizdN0
For565Please respect copyright.PENANAd4BE3Wc2oe
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 565Please respect copyright.PENANAvFBydw9xdA
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.565Please respect copyright.PENANABMaolXfrO5
"That's565Please respect copyright.PENANAxcBfKbwidT
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long565Please respect copyright.PENANAAKmzy9Qxko
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."565Please respect copyright.PENANArK7ACVjIj9
Mrs565Please respect copyright.PENANAbcT3IV5GZe
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 565Please respect copyright.PENANA3VySUadFm7
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.565Please respect copyright.PENANAlAiRklKIl0
"This565Please respect copyright.PENANA840w4VoT3P
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 565Please respect copyright.PENANADnlwEHNUxh
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 565Please respect copyright.PENANASKQ1yOwmRZ
died."565Please respect copyright.PENANA6QMDiaF4z9
"What's565Please respect copyright.PENANAV4ilesXY2j
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 565Please respect copyright.PENANA6Vl688FOUt
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 565Please respect copyright.PENANAamYwrEcZVY
"Ya,565Please respect copyright.PENANAK4KL1qf54N
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 565Please respect copyright.PENANAuli9oeGt9K
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."565Please respect copyright.PENANAY46jHHyZrb
"You565Please respect copyright.PENANAPxiFQNZUiS
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why565Please respect copyright.PENANABddzdAdovq
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."565Please respect copyright.PENANALNMiBWPlQ6
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."565Please respect copyright.PENANAQ3HxvWLsi6
With565Please respect copyright.PENANAK9nUMce8ex
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 565Please respect copyright.PENANAIRP7Q3Nv6P
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at565Please respect copyright.PENANAF88fsLDojl
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.