Since that fateful day, a873Please respect copyright.PENANAtx3Kdgx1An
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 873Please respect copyright.PENANAPaUy7GYJj3
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 873Please respect copyright.PENANAbjA5v46uJN
ever since. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAsS3WJBfeWY
Life was getting a whole873Please respect copyright.PENANAi3ying5lqt
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,873Please respect copyright.PENANAVAkOQTdUOa
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 873Please respect copyright.PENANA9UznWcYppG
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 873Please respect copyright.PENANABxTorJPbBd
he felt like a stranger in his own home.873Please respect copyright.PENANA008LTcr24T
Only his grandmother and873Please respect copyright.PENANAWItw3ipRiR
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 873Please respect copyright.PENANA8uFdwVwMH5
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 873Please respect copyright.PENANAaieDTWn8RY
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.873Please respect copyright.PENANAXAde1j25kX
Coming to his father, he873Please respect copyright.PENANAgcRAZdyFNS
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAD3HPWait8B
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 873Please respect copyright.PENANAEhf5ZAQ5Xn
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 873Please respect copyright.PENANAUsDtMSs1AO
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 873Please respect copyright.PENANA6u4ClxXggR
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 873Please respect copyright.PENANAAl3MxoRHJe
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart873Please respect copyright.PENANA6dhL0RuyV6
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 873Please respect copyright.PENANAIeK079Se3I
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 873Please respect copyright.PENANACpn2scS15p
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.873Please respect copyright.PENANA10PTeFqNj9
As Leo sat in the car 873Please respect copyright.PENANAvbtAn37t7E
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he873Please respect copyright.PENANAYhBQyFhZ4x
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 873Please respect copyright.PENANA3HpX7vzPmp
"You and my sister still hate each other."873Please respect copyright.PENANAwR6Xr5YZBu
Was that it? Was that 873Please respect copyright.PENANARet0ZMN55O
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 873Please respect copyright.PENANAEB34ACZhLh
out? Did he really hate her that much?873Please respect copyright.PENANAUXXWOkKBen
Well, judging by the way873Please respect copyright.PENANAP7c19ZCAL5
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 873Please respect copyright.PENANAhgJRpoXrcm
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 873Please respect copyright.PENANAsDRTi5qx0l
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?873Please respect copyright.PENANAE6AEq3dPW3
Carly. It's pretty 873Please respect copyright.PENANAkjuIbaVVxy
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 873Please respect copyright.PENANAwdFt01NXC5
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 873Please respect copyright.PENANAvvlUNJeoZq
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.873Please respect copyright.PENANA83hoJHfaPm
He had to admit, it was 873Please respect copyright.PENANAqWfpr9iTmD
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 873Please respect copyright.PENANAua21Z6sRti
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 873Please respect copyright.PENANAWfcfWLX4YC
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a873Please respect copyright.PENANAFAnQmS8SPT
thing to happen.873Please respect copyright.PENANAvek2AFjOKx
Speaking of his mother, 873Please respect copyright.PENANAeFeKr1vYEI
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 873Please respect copyright.PENANAP4C9YJOONZ
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the873Please respect copyright.PENANAkrDIO48Y4R
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and873Please respect copyright.PENANADKCwctznuN
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 873Please respect copyright.PENANAR5fOpZtpjN
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 873Please respect copyright.PENANApxuOHcTwpq
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 873Please respect copyright.PENANAylEkYLft2B
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 873Please respect copyright.PENANA7c7TAfiSKh
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 873Please respect copyright.PENANALInJDY8LZK
later, which he never did.873Please respect copyright.PENANAO9WkOAzlWg
Leo pulled out his phone873Please respect copyright.PENANA4G5GNepCWz
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!873Please respect copyright.PENANAIGNKegmGGe
He wondered what it was all about now.873Please respect copyright.PENANAyplH0aktyN
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 873Please respect copyright.PENANA87KtEdlL3X
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 873Please respect copyright.PENANAly8xGj3VCO
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 873Please respect copyright.PENANAgN8YUfY5wZ
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to873Please respect copyright.PENANASPDizMFOcg
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 873Please respect copyright.PENANAGkpVITx3gt
so. See you at eight then."873Please respect copyright.PENANAxHzmDcr2vh
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.873Please respect copyright.PENANAD0pBHKIRxj
He quickly got out of 873Please respect copyright.PENANAiJ29k6gR1T
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 873Please respect copyright.PENANAf7vqZ9DEce
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he873Please respect copyright.PENANAhIHNsA3BMs
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.873Please respect copyright.PENANAPP6uO7Mp1T
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.873Please respect copyright.PENANAxMDk5oMzcO
***873Please respect copyright.PENANAgaJWudaK1a
"I873Please respect copyright.PENANAaDxeA3z0qL
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 873Please respect copyright.PENANA9xfgE9kYUf
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 873Please respect copyright.PENANACzfRYw8p7L
this evening and I want things the way I like it."873Please respect copyright.PENANAT1X2vyOnTS
The873Please respect copyright.PENANAUZhnSt4zhN
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 873Please respect copyright.PENANA7agpB8QzNy
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs873Please respect copyright.PENANABLy69MZ2mg
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 873Please respect copyright.PENANARO1RdrbfhL
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 873Please respect copyright.PENANA5AxjyNAk7z
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.873Please respect copyright.PENANAADGmHeO0aG
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.873Please respect copyright.PENANAkgkA7jQvGz
Leo873Please respect copyright.PENANAbyt7x2cN1H
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 873Please respect copyright.PENANAAuOCvXrhgz
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him873Please respect copyright.PENANAQNWTkXlLaB
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 873Please respect copyright.PENANAy6vhH2XjHR
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAojuS8Mfe2q
"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.873Please respect copyright.PENANAHjMiNy10mA
"Maybe873Please respect copyright.PENANAdZrSYhjWbm
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 873Please respect copyright.PENANAk5GZGFsrhM
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."873Please respect copyright.PENANAyYsLcBfeDv
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"873Please respect copyright.PENANAcBSQhddN6K
"The873Please respect copyright.PENANAROQxTZwyzY
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only873Please respect copyright.PENANAdQ9MBWIj0R
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."873Please respect copyright.PENANAv0ueVMCGFQ
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.873Please respect copyright.PENANAThPKBy7tHV
"What is going on here?"873Please respect copyright.PENANA5fPrStjGf2
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.873Please respect copyright.PENANAQspHONTggZ
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"873Please respect copyright.PENANAOL5fDWzRXQ
"It's873Please respect copyright.PENANAowZ32E7Ahm
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 873Please respect copyright.PENANAklA0nnjXKz
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"873Please respect copyright.PENANAzaEDs2gsNb
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."873Please respect copyright.PENANAPfsSQYRvuD
"Now873Please respect copyright.PENANAyVCBqSrDCD
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 873Please respect copyright.PENANAbJDdFLYrDJ
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.873Please respect copyright.PENANAqEl4VEBWRx
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.873Please respect copyright.PENANAjcSJAtjaIa
"I873Please respect copyright.PENANA84N4eXM9ov
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 873Please respect copyright.PENANAXUhNDyHs8U
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 873Please respect copyright.PENANAbkjNeqP9Cl
beating around the bush.873Please respect copyright.PENANAxGqUNtMpIQ
Mrs873Please respect copyright.PENANALYlZoIrMHi
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 873Please respect copyright.PENANAV7CgO8Ve84
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 873Please respect copyright.PENANAyIO3vEj5n7
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.873Please respect copyright.PENANAil3qFcKOdi
"I...873Please respect copyright.PENANAmtR6cs9Efz
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 873Please respect copyright.PENANAoTKMs9hoVr
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 873Please respect copyright.PENANAmI2wthHCdI
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."873Please respect copyright.PENANA7jqbLgavvo
"So873Please respect copyright.PENANALzcCxJon5J
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 873Please respect copyright.PENANA6xzJh1IxGh
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think873Please respect copyright.PENANAZ4KUOq56Qj
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 873Please respect copyright.PENANAYWo7k3J3Gy
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 873Please respect copyright.PENANArN4rLeyePj
aren't the same as they were, mum."873Please respect copyright.PENANA98wB6Ny6od
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."873Please respect copyright.PENANAYCFWvd2XiP
"No,873Please respect copyright.PENANAQgE4h7l9mn
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,873Please respect copyright.PENANATeQvPLBpVC
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 873Please respect copyright.PENANAeiFhfsVmLl
I?"873Please respect copyright.PENANA8jrENX9qKz
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."873Please respect copyright.PENANAkou0NCqeoU
"Look,873Please respect copyright.PENANAovUIO6kji5
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 873Please respect copyright.PENANAvpuGOi5652
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 873Please respect copyright.PENANAScs60Ccj5o
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 873Please respect copyright.PENANAu5LEgBb00X
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 873Please respect copyright.PENANAZYABLj3A9Z
you."873Please respect copyright.PENANACdBWQP8V3C
There873Please respect copyright.PENANAbhDy2nKFVP
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 873Please respect copyright.PENANAvqZHJf4mKB
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 873Please respect copyright.PENANAKx6kaPfVj9
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 873Please respect copyright.PENANAxFCyAZySxk
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAq4f80bJNfK
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 873Please respect copyright.PENANArMTfx1y1Df
"You873Please respect copyright.PENANAd7ZaVUB8Wh
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 873Please respect copyright.PENANAyb4CObVjlU
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 873Please respect copyright.PENANALAnQcbaHXg
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 873Please respect copyright.PENANAOcahxq94Qo
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 873Please respect copyright.PENANAEJO8IazdH2
mum, way too far."873Please respect copyright.PENANAfs0GTAnBzZ
Mrs873Please respect copyright.PENANAgOO1ZIFsLn
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 873Please respect copyright.PENANATy3DtXA1CI
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 873Please respect copyright.PENANA38aFr5QFzr
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAET8UWF44R0
"And873Please respect copyright.PENANAnmtVk0ZNzy
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 873Please respect copyright.PENANAuTfXukYeM2
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her873Please respect copyright.PENANAfgLPv2Xjre
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."873Please respect copyright.PENANA6Avq40JBaB
Mrs873Please respect copyright.PENANAff34MgyXVA
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.873Please respect copyright.PENANAW5yaBkPs9j
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 873Please respect copyright.PENANAq1AYbJtBP4
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 873Please respect copyright.PENANAFQ2GFIuF9c
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.873Please respect copyright.PENANAYaABn0hWTV
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"873Please respect copyright.PENANAIJyHU1eRZ6
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."873Please respect copyright.PENANA1vqWuy5hRX
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."873Please respect copyright.PENANADoOfBNyFVg
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.873Please respect copyright.PENANAIxMISYUwRC
"Look873Please respect copyright.PENANAsY7yLDyjZb
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 873Please respect copyright.PENANAO00QJWcHCq
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."873Please respect copyright.PENANAgkIGh1skcV
Mrs873Please respect copyright.PENANAlS8LlYcD00
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 873Please respect copyright.PENANAQKlKld3rFA
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 873Please respect copyright.PENANA9P4bom65Uy
mother, and they too were quiet.873Please respect copyright.PENANACtHP5qQ6Nt
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.873Please respect copyright.PENANAU5ipkABWzX
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"873Please respect copyright.PENANApVQWazNlQM
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAnqOpdEixlS
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.873Please respect copyright.PENANAHEDj2VgLJ6
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 873Please respect copyright.PENANA3QoHLPcxbM
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAEHcRqB9WSG
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 873Please respect copyright.PENANABXDrekWkVk
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 873Please respect copyright.PENANA6J9fJ5fVId
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.873Please respect copyright.PENANAwpNHUpwrjn
"Of873Please respect copyright.PENANACiJui5nT75
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 873Please respect copyright.PENANA8dYXfZnchJ
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 873Please respect copyright.PENANAOh0O7bUJj0
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 873Please respect copyright.PENANA9CYDHpXz4Z
Mr McDonell. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAqgfs9btj93
"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. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAZW5IBXUSBN
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."873Please respect copyright.PENANAiMOs2ROOoN
"I873Please respect copyright.PENANAP3jcr9tU7a
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 873Please respect copyright.PENANA2W1HlbRsFN
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control873Please respect copyright.PENANA9ynJIhCk7l
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."873Please respect copyright.PENANAYPLjaMAehz
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAWNoz92sXIN
"Not873Please respect copyright.PENANArLZVfZwt5Y
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 873Please respect copyright.PENANAScLuTTtkU8
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 873Please respect copyright.PENANAYKquTR50J7
announcement."873Please respect copyright.PENANAsJRWoDAnYm
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.873Please respect copyright.PENANAJJ4ZqTMCu3
"In873Please respect copyright.PENANAwZzN2ueqpm
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 873Please respect copyright.PENANAnRBsrdCGGc
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 873Please respect copyright.PENANAIHhslIvGw5
sisters might come to leave with us."873Please respect copyright.PENANAcRJ7VgXJDk
For873Please respect copyright.PENANANjKwJhet6y
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 873Please respect copyright.PENANAPRP5aUIx6n
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.873Please respect copyright.PENANA2n1I52ZOkR
"That's873Please respect copyright.PENANAIDk4PFdDoC
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long873Please respect copyright.PENANAfVxcVm1XOB
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."873Please respect copyright.PENANAzL8yHFoDrs
Mrs873Please respect copyright.PENANAOpFNgth279
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 873Please respect copyright.PENANAknuELNNJgD
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.873Please respect copyright.PENANAcDXOzl9P4g
"This873Please respect copyright.PENANAnm2Q9ceCNe
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 873Please respect copyright.PENANACtaiNtSuLm
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 873Please respect copyright.PENANAgaJxrXfExf
died."873Please respect copyright.PENANAVklB9YAlsu
"What's873Please respect copyright.PENANABh02DWEhmG
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 873Please respect copyright.PENANAmvEapX3gEj
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 873Please respect copyright.PENANAzr2fYLoB2w
"Ya,873Please respect copyright.PENANAVeP426XC0Y
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 873Please respect copyright.PENANAMeqjDz8zwQ
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."873Please respect copyright.PENANAG4Dq7m2McK
"You873Please respect copyright.PENANAmm3YBi8OdG
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why873Please respect copyright.PENANADRwZZNaVLW
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."873Please respect copyright.PENANANWnPojn7aK
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."873Please respect copyright.PENANAm2aCEfzWS4
With873Please respect copyright.PENANArSbu3TGAxT
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 873Please respect copyright.PENANAocRpGGNZ2w
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at873Please respect copyright.PENANAHVrtq26nGW
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.