Since that fateful day, a576Please respect copyright.PENANAcAXALrJJ5N
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 576Please respect copyright.PENANAXVSedmOFRV
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 576Please respect copyright.PENANA2xFWye28AA
ever since. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAs64chdncKU
Life was getting a whole576Please respect copyright.PENANAYPHD6WW9Gg
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,576Please respect copyright.PENANAV3m2cPyTRp
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 576Please respect copyright.PENANAqNOnL6P2vS
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 576Please respect copyright.PENANABRLnzk3dY0
he felt like a stranger in his own home.576Please respect copyright.PENANAB5vl74lPDV
Only his grandmother and576Please respect copyright.PENANAk43cLTO8aZ
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 576Please respect copyright.PENANAZiNziy9j6a
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 576Please respect copyright.PENANAOO6SnLg7d6
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.576Please respect copyright.PENANA6g61PysRoL
Coming to his father, he576Please respect copyright.PENANAVnydO2FoVY
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAjSX5ZLueyv
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 576Please respect copyright.PENANAetKjfmurao
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 576Please respect copyright.PENANA7NwBw4REHi
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 576Please respect copyright.PENANAFw3LjMJBmy
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 576Please respect copyright.PENANAjmvFlI0UDH
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart576Please respect copyright.PENANALC773FxNqD
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 576Please respect copyright.PENANA1DaqFtjkuj
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 576Please respect copyright.PENANAtmPm0Boxt2
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.576Please respect copyright.PENANA7cqhM7GcsJ
As Leo sat in the car 576Please respect copyright.PENANA2unpOLnmrR
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he576Please respect copyright.PENANAltxAWAFhDB
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAKNwNLZTSxV
"You and my sister still hate each other."576Please respect copyright.PENANARU6awLEjit
Was that it? Was that 576Please respect copyright.PENANATFhzD45p01
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 576Please respect copyright.PENANAHPpLK7wazf
out? Did he really hate her that much?576Please respect copyright.PENANAL8TiF6QyeO
Well, judging by the way576Please respect copyright.PENANAAQ8g1xjstR
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 576Please respect copyright.PENANABvQ42Vhcz1
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 576Please respect copyright.PENANAbNSBmqkPDX
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?576Please respect copyright.PENANAAMwBdJKaNW
Carly. It's pretty 576Please respect copyright.PENANAPyaCmlXKwF
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 576Please respect copyright.PENANAFkd4Rd4BkB
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 576Please respect copyright.PENANA041TCNeuUE
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.576Please respect copyright.PENANA30jAT55s1q
He had to admit, it was 576Please respect copyright.PENANAOqLKZdZLmz
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 576Please respect copyright.PENANAwA0fstaY4C
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 576Please respect copyright.PENANAdSznp9JGGr
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a576Please respect copyright.PENANAtiDRDFS6d7
thing to happen.576Please respect copyright.PENANAC3NNoGsnE5
Speaking of his mother, 576Please respect copyright.PENANActkKNQBrkC
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 576Please respect copyright.PENANA0ISIUdZiUe
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the576Please respect copyright.PENANAhnAmHkKFn2
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and576Please respect copyright.PENANAkJ09QguOPs
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 576Please respect copyright.PENANAk6iQOTZpsp
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 576Please respect copyright.PENANAhvT1OP7kIV
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 576Please respect copyright.PENANATQF2CFw8Hh
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 576Please respect copyright.PENANAwH2vB8ATnT
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 576Please respect copyright.PENANADuEEpOgoMD
later, which he never did.576Please respect copyright.PENANAQ7dYFWUK80
Leo pulled out his phone576Please respect copyright.PENANAKs390BSeO1
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!576Please respect copyright.PENANAPsOxPfM7hq
He wondered what it was all about now.576Please respect copyright.PENANATGnNmSlkiY
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 576Please respect copyright.PENANAA0MClc0KsD
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 576Please respect copyright.PENANAw2bqHp5MVW
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 576Please respect copyright.PENANAFDQOGWHB4l
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to576Please respect copyright.PENANAkorndPK0XD
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 576Please respect copyright.PENANAsVbPziUWmT
so. See you at eight then."576Please respect copyright.PENANAxdoChjfpPz
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.576Please respect copyright.PENANAcY5658rIRr
He quickly got out of 576Please respect copyright.PENANAYfOyajDA8T
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 576Please respect copyright.PENANAAIOQGoaq6D
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he576Please respect copyright.PENANApHOic71UNi
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.576Please respect copyright.PENANAnJVNmgxHWo
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.576Please respect copyright.PENANAysr2wcJESi
***576Please respect copyright.PENANAWXVtG3m9YJ
"I576Please respect copyright.PENANA2zzVg8wRND
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 576Please respect copyright.PENANAMLrL8LG3Dr
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 576Please respect copyright.PENANA51v24F10Us
this evening and I want things the way I like it."576Please respect copyright.PENANAI0lVuTgGV4
The576Please respect copyright.PENANAI9HUI4CJFb
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 576Please respect copyright.PENANAl2usGsF0sW
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs576Please respect copyright.PENANATYzNu7ZjhH
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 576Please respect copyright.PENANAQAuzHnw58C
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 576Please respect copyright.PENANAB3ej4p8B7O
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.576Please respect copyright.PENANAgDgHfTZZ3J
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.576Please respect copyright.PENANAkb95CjvA9V
Leo576Please respect copyright.PENANArItUqaZAcN
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 576Please respect copyright.PENANAJin01eGhDA
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him576Please respect copyright.PENANAflg9p8gBg4
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 576Please respect copyright.PENANAUV0ZKgFik0
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAml9xuTQbQT
"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.576Please respect copyright.PENANA5RnwcK2Gdr
"Maybe576Please respect copyright.PENANAJMmnnT5Z3y
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 576Please respect copyright.PENANAFME1wEyWzW
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."576Please respect copyright.PENANAL6FKfZ3y6R
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"576Please respect copyright.PENANA0yxgCHY8fu
"The576Please respect copyright.PENANAQm511dYiWt
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only576Please respect copyright.PENANATRvk9MABcG
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."576Please respect copyright.PENANAkRGNV6TxBZ
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.576Please respect copyright.PENANAQ8UiqlwixQ
"What is going on here?"576Please respect copyright.PENANAM9ZtEXdb8T
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.576Please respect copyright.PENANAan1F4LIlp0
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"576Please respect copyright.PENANAJptIOgXbG9
"It's576Please respect copyright.PENANAMVsDnZx0y9
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 576Please respect copyright.PENANAl6RA7lX0BG
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"576Please respect copyright.PENANA0fRldB6Vz2
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."576Please respect copyright.PENANAnQM3yAV1ug
"Now576Please respect copyright.PENANA4AE0KyBs38
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 576Please respect copyright.PENANAP1tPDMNMxz
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.576Please respect copyright.PENANAZeTmJ1JnIG
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.576Please respect copyright.PENANAonJUF56SxX
"I576Please respect copyright.PENANA2nwxQnpwhA
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 576Please respect copyright.PENANAOltzBJwR6W
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 576Please respect copyright.PENANAulbcYkEdnU
beating around the bush.576Please respect copyright.PENANAqy2i68Sex6
Mrs576Please respect copyright.PENANA2tZbMJROPN
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 576Please respect copyright.PENANAhcXhguL9k3
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 576Please respect copyright.PENANAKYyDZ9D4Wd
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.576Please respect copyright.PENANAnEWPvGr1Gj
"I...576Please respect copyright.PENANAdGKak5L9Jf
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 576Please respect copyright.PENANAfAkALwrcoI
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 576Please respect copyright.PENANAUbG5GB4liL
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."576Please respect copyright.PENANArU99rT9cl6
"So576Please respect copyright.PENANAk1ay5RX8r0
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 576Please respect copyright.PENANAegwjEV1V18
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think576Please respect copyright.PENANABHzsXs5kfX
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 576Please respect copyright.PENANAwqUgRd1Reu
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 576Please respect copyright.PENANAzXhmyfUkGl
aren't the same as they were, mum."576Please respect copyright.PENANAmtxpytiuB5
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."576Please respect copyright.PENANAyHz0avOotz
"No,576Please respect copyright.PENANA1FFRxxjmHI
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,576Please respect copyright.PENANAzC7d1QotAB
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 576Please respect copyright.PENANA6DTDbrGOkS
I?"576Please respect copyright.PENANAeJHRXRVJf0
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."576Please respect copyright.PENANAfnjwQXR6xS
"Look,576Please respect copyright.PENANAEHXgARqcTU
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 576Please respect copyright.PENANAbm9Qw7g3ZA
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 576Please respect copyright.PENANA4s79sdIG2r
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 576Please respect copyright.PENANAGcpQ2TZ9hc
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 576Please respect copyright.PENANA7FRMppgIK9
you."576Please respect copyright.PENANADEQAe2iHnx
There576Please respect copyright.PENANA337JeX9MuJ
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 576Please respect copyright.PENANAlTT9QBTDPx
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 576Please respect copyright.PENANAxB2d4mBkvg
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 576Please respect copyright.PENANA7DPDUoACxN
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAaKA4ceAmiB
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 576Please respect copyright.PENANA3gULUzNA6u
"You576Please respect copyright.PENANAJY41tX29tw
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 576Please respect copyright.PENANADhivToll5g
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 576Please respect copyright.PENANAXfdhSHnDHa
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 576Please respect copyright.PENANAt9W1FcCuPy
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 576Please respect copyright.PENANAKXpq47GCr5
mum, way too far."576Please respect copyright.PENANAYbhKHQRwo8
Mrs576Please respect copyright.PENANA9qhCmoul0Z
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 576Please respect copyright.PENANAAxanWs9Aas
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 576Please respect copyright.PENANAN0GweE63VW
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAx6gE0RZ60m
"And576Please respect copyright.PENANAwdvyy01R1l
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 576Please respect copyright.PENANAxgiQJKjsh1
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her576Please respect copyright.PENANA4QKUJtFit3
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."576Please respect copyright.PENANAKwGiI8MPPB
Mrs576Please respect copyright.PENANAPb0AEhbrki
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.576Please respect copyright.PENANAxDI77ZRRgl
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 576Please respect copyright.PENANAYoMrnbWMMI
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 576Please respect copyright.PENANA94979NOdBy
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.576Please respect copyright.PENANAAt9fWoTfZ4
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"576Please respect copyright.PENANAflRtLhcZ8o
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."576Please respect copyright.PENANAwZEciu35Ow
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."576Please respect copyright.PENANAvgYaE5MUvE
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.576Please respect copyright.PENANA0LnoxbWYqr
"Look576Please respect copyright.PENANADCtPO8YooL
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 576Please respect copyright.PENANA9PWKAJgwd3
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."576Please respect copyright.PENANA5ogcRS5yuf
Mrs576Please respect copyright.PENANAOQcH5fykkZ
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 576Please respect copyright.PENANABd2HtCmsQS
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 576Please respect copyright.PENANA6RTqUPJVrr
mother, and they too were quiet.576Please respect copyright.PENANAZoIoZppNDT
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.576Please respect copyright.PENANAzEP1DdJ2g0
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"576Please respect copyright.PENANAwE94rzldDe
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAih75jAgKmg
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.576Please respect copyright.PENANA38kg0Vh5H6
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAv5m278c7Vb
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 576Please respect copyright.PENANATMAIzyO8OA
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAWuoUZ7S8QI
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAl4cKiIGrIc
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.576Please respect copyright.PENANApUypijCW8m
"Of576Please respect copyright.PENANA4yk0eih52P
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 576Please respect copyright.PENANAZRjATVUDPe
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 576Please respect copyright.PENANAkC1Y3kp231
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 576Please respect copyright.PENANAGGRJYmQ5G3
Mr McDonell. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAEL0d8rMyBc
"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. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAhvFI6rNx07
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."576Please respect copyright.PENANAhAlbeQSRNw
"I576Please respect copyright.PENANAJOKOJN9Wi6
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 576Please respect copyright.PENANAHiWkXEcyfQ
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control576Please respect copyright.PENANA4Heok3loQX
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."576Please respect copyright.PENANAVbgYcrCVxY
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAxjYEU51por
"Not576Please respect copyright.PENANA7fDYD4LmAg
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 576Please respect copyright.PENANAeK7Z2zb5jh
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 576Please respect copyright.PENANAQMQ9A5WUMx
announcement."576Please respect copyright.PENANAcaZIsHOjop
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.576Please respect copyright.PENANAggNbGhN3Lc
"In576Please respect copyright.PENANAKtbiGS2Tk1
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 576Please respect copyright.PENANAZtIQf4rnqE
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 576Please respect copyright.PENANAgX20SKplv7
sisters might come to leave with us."576Please respect copyright.PENANAFfjKIzfWBC
For576Please respect copyright.PENANAa4MMF4c05t
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 576Please respect copyright.PENANAeyIqKhqMXO
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.576Please respect copyright.PENANA2Z2OuIFlvG
"That's576Please respect copyright.PENANAJMEN1UJjlm
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long576Please respect copyright.PENANAuuolLaWidZ
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."576Please respect copyright.PENANAvjrDkfeoJv
Mrs576Please respect copyright.PENANAgbsgLYyzvA
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 576Please respect copyright.PENANAlCt8CZlfNE
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.576Please respect copyright.PENANAwZZ0jJ4I44
"This576Please respect copyright.PENANAlKwyEo9CAw
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 576Please respect copyright.PENANAQXJBRT0Hl0
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 576Please respect copyright.PENANAwopwuaaWgp
died."576Please respect copyright.PENANAX9fSGPqHRi
"What's576Please respect copyright.PENANA1MOZ1nkdHG
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 576Please respect copyright.PENANAgDnBrCRoeM
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 576Please respect copyright.PENANAR3pBTAz9jo
"Ya,576Please respect copyright.PENANAcCQ6wDGDz9
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 576Please respect copyright.PENANAVErmTpmNnJ
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."576Please respect copyright.PENANAlshFFS0Oyq
"You576Please respect copyright.PENANAzPXRS2oFbp
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why576Please respect copyright.PENANAd9UpGFNb1U
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."576Please respect copyright.PENANANK7rhxBr1z
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."576Please respect copyright.PENANAdc5hZDeCgc
With576Please respect copyright.PENANAZS6cyMgY99
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 576Please respect copyright.PENANAEgsXkIG7T6
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at576Please respect copyright.PENANAJOdrf33GvF
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.