Since that fateful day, a838Please respect copyright.PENANA2HffhUT88W
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 838Please respect copyright.PENANAtRhvxcZq9Q
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 838Please respect copyright.PENANA2JLcpinfeV
ever since. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAPTGOEnHORY
Life was getting a whole838Please respect copyright.PENANAxRg06XQ8vm
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,838Please respect copyright.PENANACSr8Vg8SUK
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 838Please respect copyright.PENANAjkcWd7cLgM
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 838Please respect copyright.PENANA8KMumHMX3t
he felt like a stranger in his own home.838Please respect copyright.PENANA39UK0huuZv
Only his grandmother and838Please respect copyright.PENANApWV5eYrOIx
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 838Please respect copyright.PENANAcXe9Z9PzVM
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 838Please respect copyright.PENANAfEbNexiSEt
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.838Please respect copyright.PENANAAGyLsTgB9r
Coming to his father, he838Please respect copyright.PENANAkejQe5EAFZ
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAoh2VJDM1Ar
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 838Please respect copyright.PENANAit8csx5nMZ
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 838Please respect copyright.PENANACDwbU0FblQ
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 838Please respect copyright.PENANALGyiAaIVip
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 838Please respect copyright.PENANAIqXDWmNwED
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart838Please respect copyright.PENANAutBUrG6sUv
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 838Please respect copyright.PENANAZ5z7uQDd9S
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 838Please respect copyright.PENANAVHDPieziDt
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.838Please respect copyright.PENANA7g69B2K6bn
As Leo sat in the car 838Please respect copyright.PENANAH2EBoA0KKW
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he838Please respect copyright.PENANArqBFOmMLEY
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAuwgoQ87mmR
"You and my sister still hate each other."838Please respect copyright.PENANAgkBXmLeQen
Was that it? Was that 838Please respect copyright.PENANAKf3398J30V
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 838Please respect copyright.PENANANAwLWlnFzn
out? Did he really hate her that much?838Please respect copyright.PENANARAarJl1QNe
Well, judging by the way838Please respect copyright.PENANAmaL6DvcSeT
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 838Please respect copyright.PENANAzJFbXmuuWK
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 838Please respect copyright.PENANA3idjwiRZRp
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?838Please respect copyright.PENANATVq2X4V7Qg
Carly. It's pretty 838Please respect copyright.PENANA3q6k4D8a5e
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 838Please respect copyright.PENANAqTobDi9aZf
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 838Please respect copyright.PENANAPyeTnhgVDR
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.838Please respect copyright.PENANAHNfoRt6VPD
He had to admit, it was 838Please respect copyright.PENANALwkemHFTNZ
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 838Please respect copyright.PENANAbslTaBFYkh
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 838Please respect copyright.PENANAjoLLsFzl3J
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a838Please respect copyright.PENANAdldVuanCjD
thing to happen.838Please respect copyright.PENANA7tZ8HeYHS4
Speaking of his mother, 838Please respect copyright.PENANAQPy0as25Bu
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 838Please respect copyright.PENANAZbOmMRm96V
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the838Please respect copyright.PENANATMSceh5C9o
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and838Please respect copyright.PENANAlHGCug2N3e
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 838Please respect copyright.PENANAnqhwUUyxUj
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 838Please respect copyright.PENANAL23cpYYKpn
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 838Please respect copyright.PENANAi2lLQbtydT
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 838Please respect copyright.PENANABDte4qas6i
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 838Please respect copyright.PENANA0uaGzsKh51
later, which he never did.838Please respect copyright.PENANAJyvjNVP0PM
Leo pulled out his phone838Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZPhVE1mSo
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!838Please respect copyright.PENANAORZ3GL0vQi
He wondered what it was all about now.838Please respect copyright.PENANApcfN5vJh8y
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 838Please respect copyright.PENANAzdFIvLdvb4
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 838Please respect copyright.PENANAObtope6eqT
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 838Please respect copyright.PENANAXXitR2LrxT
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to838Please respect copyright.PENANAZ2jowJUPCa
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 838Please respect copyright.PENANAcA5IyulIbr
so. See you at eight then."838Please respect copyright.PENANAV4IFzOfedF
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.838Please respect copyright.PENANAHZJ6TZklb9
He quickly got out of 838Please respect copyright.PENANARhXFFl6fAl
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 838Please respect copyright.PENANAW2IrYr6zJ1
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he838Please respect copyright.PENANArVAQ4DHckw
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.838Please respect copyright.PENANAQnuVkoVVP9
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.838Please respect copyright.PENANAbzsc1pBPjF
***838Please respect copyright.PENANARbXhOMfEO5
"I838Please respect copyright.PENANA98FfX2tqe9
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 838Please respect copyright.PENANAnrZx4HlFr5
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 838Please respect copyright.PENANAUZUfGDiEmd
this evening and I want things the way I like it."838Please respect copyright.PENANAMyNefHwUIF
The838Please respect copyright.PENANAOAaxMuNIB4
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 838Please respect copyright.PENANAyV2pmdgktK
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs838Please respect copyright.PENANA4I10OK1hMh
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 838Please respect copyright.PENANAyHkv9z9Jz9
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 838Please respect copyright.PENANAQqYm3TGyKk
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.838Please respect copyright.PENANAPiqSXM4rL0
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.838Please respect copyright.PENANAlsxYlpaewm
Leo838Please respect copyright.PENANA3C5OPKGP8H
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 838Please respect copyright.PENANASV8n7Up7cN
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him838Please respect copyright.PENANAPU8XFELumM
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 838Please respect copyright.PENANAuHQg7e45dF
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAOAzJmo8Xgc
"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.838Please respect copyright.PENANAat4yl9Yf8T
"Maybe838Please respect copyright.PENANATj7m04qMxt
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 838Please respect copyright.PENANA4B4SLDhhHz
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."838Please respect copyright.PENANAD2vDLQ8Prq
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"838Please respect copyright.PENANAsat4zMpY2H
"The838Please respect copyright.PENANAb5U0iUfZQP
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only838Please respect copyright.PENANA84Dvxdd6jR
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."838Please respect copyright.PENANAujn37nas2F
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.838Please respect copyright.PENANAoH7hwkRsrK
"What is going on here?"838Please respect copyright.PENANA1iPWH34XHN
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.838Please respect copyright.PENANAtRT6AkTclf
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"838Please respect copyright.PENANANF3Ys9LkAu
"It's838Please respect copyright.PENANAS75Whba5QL
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 838Please respect copyright.PENANA5WoE6aAztQ
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"838Please respect copyright.PENANAQGiQa9dq9F
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."838Please respect copyright.PENANAQJ4TyeXIfs
"Now838Please respect copyright.PENANAGCyAvKLex1
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 838Please respect copyright.PENANAMAU2ZoP3A5
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.838Please respect copyright.PENANAA84CLEu6VI
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.838Please respect copyright.PENANAENBrXfsIhF
"I838Please respect copyright.PENANAUOu14PnJGg
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 838Please respect copyright.PENANAtsl8nsd37J
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 838Please respect copyright.PENANAotBi8y5zCn
beating around the bush.838Please respect copyright.PENANA8mb0k8G7fi
Mrs838Please respect copyright.PENANAp7LxLAOojz
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 838Please respect copyright.PENANA6lNNkjbFl2
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 838Please respect copyright.PENANAs8n1Qd47TI
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.838Please respect copyright.PENANA1pY7K9qXUF
"I...838Please respect copyright.PENANATdAqE7WK9g
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 838Please respect copyright.PENANAosXxfXnss4
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 838Please respect copyright.PENANAnfiDjExCEs
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."838Please respect copyright.PENANAnBaweOW40c
"So838Please respect copyright.PENANA9c4sdKTXC8
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 838Please respect copyright.PENANACMUJY1nUVN
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think838Please respect copyright.PENANAw2FYwZj2zm
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 838Please respect copyright.PENANAPbSGCJK5bx
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 838Please respect copyright.PENANAdi6shjLS5l
aren't the same as they were, mum."838Please respect copyright.PENANA2g0XKBFMzm
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."838Please respect copyright.PENANAL7ZDZm3nT6
"No,838Please respect copyright.PENANAtYcJLSrbxj
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,838Please respect copyright.PENANAebs5lkdcZK
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 838Please respect copyright.PENANAtKvHdqryHt
I?"838Please respect copyright.PENANAQDUtrNskAy
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."838Please respect copyright.PENANAzUtY0GEdkA
"Look,838Please respect copyright.PENANAvvDwL4nQJG
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 838Please respect copyright.PENANAis43CE4rLP
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 838Please respect copyright.PENANAdGVQDbaZWU
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 838Please respect copyright.PENANAsnLLZUwMHZ
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 838Please respect copyright.PENANAvKDShQfHjH
you."838Please respect copyright.PENANAGjbxniONBV
There838Please respect copyright.PENANA8TWSbfjta1
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 838Please respect copyright.PENANAVbMDA7Psxn
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 838Please respect copyright.PENANA1BEeoWEDya
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 838Please respect copyright.PENANA1YOjX9IRFi
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAvkmyXS9nFW
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAc6cG7sO5MT
"You838Please respect copyright.PENANAyR7u1XhnbJ
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 838Please respect copyright.PENANAwDPRv7sNYy
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 838Please respect copyright.PENANA5QuXK5aHLS
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 838Please respect copyright.PENANA3it7uC3sk8
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 838Please respect copyright.PENANAOit0TDtWFG
mum, way too far."838Please respect copyright.PENANA6QCOaewIgB
Mrs838Please respect copyright.PENANAo8szJMTT17
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 838Please respect copyright.PENANA2v0GIeMjGS
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 838Please respect copyright.PENANAKb4HxpUN9O
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAYvaukIZwwX
"And838Please respect copyright.PENANAkCASfADsZV
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 838Please respect copyright.PENANA7jHv50fd8n
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her838Please respect copyright.PENANAMRo6fJ44t2
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."838Please respect copyright.PENANAT5AHFMA3cM
Mrs838Please respect copyright.PENANA8mVBCDBJ0W
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.838Please respect copyright.PENANAgdHk1MrwDh
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 838Please respect copyright.PENANAzD6nkf7NFs
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 838Please respect copyright.PENANAzezZwnfJvX
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.838Please respect copyright.PENANAF8kb4lH2Wq
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"838Please respect copyright.PENANAhu7akICLVY
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."838Please respect copyright.PENANAZ2nmIgzLGU
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."838Please respect copyright.PENANAczhU0TO1Ed
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.838Please respect copyright.PENANAP7XFMbbiww
"Look838Please respect copyright.PENANAooO2lGBDuh
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 838Please respect copyright.PENANAVj2QXpcsr7
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."838Please respect copyright.PENANAfIWQt5oBJP
Mrs838Please respect copyright.PENANA8qNBrXEOrZ
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 838Please respect copyright.PENANAaWxX9wIFxB
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 838Please respect copyright.PENANAFlBPQcFRQF
mother, and they too were quiet.838Please respect copyright.PENANANG51MCSt3X
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.838Please respect copyright.PENANA1tHRfXViYY
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"838Please respect copyright.PENANA9Lq4Iadneu
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAPESBkS7Vuy
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.838Please respect copyright.PENANA1dOikkhasl
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 838Please respect copyright.PENANA9qoYLP1LMo
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAxzHXrdnPCg
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAGpiBJ5zhDV
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAAfRslrLccf
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.838Please respect copyright.PENANAdPqB2PO5yI
"Of838Please respect copyright.PENANAKBCgCjy8Qv
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 838Please respect copyright.PENANAxXt5CkLADd
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 838Please respect copyright.PENANASsINZIcL0v
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 838Please respect copyright.PENANACMj6q8P0Tc
Mr McDonell. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAaiMcW5pqmH
"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. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAWdP1YpyPIM
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."838Please respect copyright.PENANAFLgpYPC2yI
"I838Please respect copyright.PENANA4c1WGHUQkq
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 838Please respect copyright.PENANARhDmRmcBW2
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control838Please respect copyright.PENANABKfsUqZlXs
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."838Please respect copyright.PENANAZrJn4XyTyt
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAMvP7ff2Me4
"Not838Please respect copyright.PENANA2RGz8pVRMz
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 838Please respect copyright.PENANA8VkS37EVxy
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 838Please respect copyright.PENANAPomsNdoRcu
announcement."838Please respect copyright.PENANAjBYaghphZC
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.838Please respect copyright.PENANAlwuzDW42Zi
"In838Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4i7En1DVk
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 838Please respect copyright.PENANA8hiCCzhY2L
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 838Please respect copyright.PENANAWaQfUOWE4o
sisters might come to leave with us."838Please respect copyright.PENANA7TSA66FEUH
For838Please respect copyright.PENANAXHnjbfP0tF
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 838Please respect copyright.PENANAUDlONfIcE2
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.838Please respect copyright.PENANAMaHHTe4CaS
"That's838Please respect copyright.PENANAGsMDN5gm6y
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long838Please respect copyright.PENANAIarNp0sA3s
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."838Please respect copyright.PENANAzSm82yS9cF
Mrs838Please respect copyright.PENANAijlFByUNnH
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 838Please respect copyright.PENANAW9olZn410d
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.838Please respect copyright.PENANALQREkGnPLb
"This838Please respect copyright.PENANAyiiBUquYyh
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 838Please respect copyright.PENANA62mNNJIl1c
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 838Please respect copyright.PENANAI9aU8mXeJm
died."838Please respect copyright.PENANAkaw6YiR4V6
"What's838Please respect copyright.PENANAdNw0EtcMVQ
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 838Please respect copyright.PENANAlm3hiFg3be
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 838Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2oAAcLhId
"Ya,838Please respect copyright.PENANAsoFuW3ODTV
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 838Please respect copyright.PENANAPPAHgJ2ZNW
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."838Please respect copyright.PENANAnVo9Mg4x9s
"You838Please respect copyright.PENANAvHsulAwZ4s
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why838Please respect copyright.PENANAhiU8XOMQFy
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."838Please respect copyright.PENANA759lduIzXW
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."838Please respect copyright.PENANATqQls2lEkj
With838Please respect copyright.PENANAjVstVkah60
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 838Please respect copyright.PENANA8rDTfy0KE9
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at838Please respect copyright.PENANAmYZLajfuEW
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.