Since that fateful day, a875Please respect copyright.PENANAQKO6N6qAjf
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 875Please respect copyright.PENANAeSHCYigV2p
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 875Please respect copyright.PENANAgtUfquA5Q1
ever since. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAxSCQtnWcAD
Life was getting a whole875Please respect copyright.PENANAmXhk9UBLBV
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,875Please respect copyright.PENANAawo4CRUsVc
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 875Please respect copyright.PENANAYSzlvDNcEA
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 875Please respect copyright.PENANAWDBRPh25jr
he felt like a stranger in his own home.875Please respect copyright.PENANAthpiAYWzQp
Only his grandmother and875Please respect copyright.PENANASCTxINYG8H
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 875Please respect copyright.PENANARq2jLvjux5
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 875Please respect copyright.PENANAioFvQJTuO3
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.875Please respect copyright.PENANA0TFWL2tAVg
Coming to his father, he875Please respect copyright.PENANA7GRDpadlgg
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAAvUoKmy0sq
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 875Please respect copyright.PENANACUmlnNclDI
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 875Please respect copyright.PENANAAtvaZ4DLUA
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 875Please respect copyright.PENANAHNXDucJvaX
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 875Please respect copyright.PENANASVvumHch2N
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart875Please respect copyright.PENANAX9ThPMJpAd
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 875Please respect copyright.PENANA7ryvQk9uPc
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 875Please respect copyright.PENANAEmAq1LVdAZ
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.875Please respect copyright.PENANAMVT0baYhap
As Leo sat in the car 875Please respect copyright.PENANAgvNziAamJA
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he875Please respect copyright.PENANAaRgl9h38El
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAh0sLsVghrY
"You and my sister still hate each other."875Please respect copyright.PENANAlenmp0HKSB
Was that it? Was that 875Please respect copyright.PENANABlpwU4FevD
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 875Please respect copyright.PENANAgxEMn2vP2d
out? Did he really hate her that much?875Please respect copyright.PENANAIf7DYeozw1
Well, judging by the way875Please respect copyright.PENANA5MVb7mlmtN
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 875Please respect copyright.PENANAkZcKTWkAZd
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 875Please respect copyright.PENANA1bIW1e01tA
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?875Please respect copyright.PENANA6oYFRF8EFu
Carly. It's pretty 875Please respect copyright.PENANAoTVhf45bCn
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 875Please respect copyright.PENANAOCpfP9kfWC
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 875Please respect copyright.PENANAB6aVwRMd6R
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.875Please respect copyright.PENANAE7TLPLGLJ1
He had to admit, it was 875Please respect copyright.PENANAmKYS0NKCZI
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 875Please respect copyright.PENANADmtLK5ke8Q
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 875Please respect copyright.PENANAyPs4QS5Wf1
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a875Please respect copyright.PENANAASZmAFZW5F
thing to happen.875Please respect copyright.PENANAqWx6Gzplk0
Speaking of his mother, 875Please respect copyright.PENANAJT7h6vq6Yq
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 875Please respect copyright.PENANAc4X4kkX2Rn
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the875Please respect copyright.PENANA5INd3Oq8hX
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and875Please respect copyright.PENANA9ogKyE31v9
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 875Please respect copyright.PENANAzp2R9JjuWz
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 875Please respect copyright.PENANAFsz7K8epTM
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 875Please respect copyright.PENANAG8EtP832ZI
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 875Please respect copyright.PENANA2JaGRzbnVY
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 875Please respect copyright.PENANAv81ko2z1FE
later, which he never did.875Please respect copyright.PENANAC9GHBp8zzY
Leo pulled out his phone875Please respect copyright.PENANAdzIb1wkSIA
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!875Please respect copyright.PENANA04OW1wa2hs
He wondered what it was all about now.875Please respect copyright.PENANAvWY85KGlOs
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 875Please respect copyright.PENANAngJNTZZQhr
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 875Please respect copyright.PENANAcmF7wHeMOV
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 875Please respect copyright.PENANAEOi2jLzMWY
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to875Please respect copyright.PENANAOnDLMgzXIK
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 875Please respect copyright.PENANAuEmgQ7sqvq
so. See you at eight then."875Please respect copyright.PENANA2SGAFO31Ui
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.875Please respect copyright.PENANAzq3Q4mNSn5
He quickly got out of 875Please respect copyright.PENANAn9Y2C36tOy
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 875Please respect copyright.PENANAGabmtgusbq
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he875Please respect copyright.PENANADby6kskEuj
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.875Please respect copyright.PENANA7lDjcR5kWJ
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.875Please respect copyright.PENANA7e8o1X2szY
***875Please respect copyright.PENANA41Db9hhLdi
"I875Please respect copyright.PENANAQXGlUl7twM
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 875Please respect copyright.PENANANt8VlBq3HE
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 875Please respect copyright.PENANAhmiS0PaOyn
this evening and I want things the way I like it."875Please respect copyright.PENANABahkerTiNf
The875Please respect copyright.PENANAOyZ26km9JQ
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 875Please respect copyright.PENANALnDbqplWih
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs875Please respect copyright.PENANAiQZizyQFBH
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 875Please respect copyright.PENANAtZ23dqUAK6
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 875Please respect copyright.PENANAL2m9gPqWjL
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.875Please respect copyright.PENANAEZdSLVn4E7
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.875Please respect copyright.PENANAkFPvSWCQkn
Leo875Please respect copyright.PENANA4GVs58EhBm
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 875Please respect copyright.PENANASxQFS2bRSK
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him875Please respect copyright.PENANAb04Dm6iBDQ
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 875Please respect copyright.PENANA74FpIxlsy6
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAaHDf9RpdHP
"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.875Please respect copyright.PENANAdIoUv4s7rz
"Maybe875Please respect copyright.PENANAFrKvCekoVl
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 875Please respect copyright.PENANAz62aCLzjwz
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."875Please respect copyright.PENANAbYC5XlOG9s
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"875Please respect copyright.PENANATeQx18kj6V
"The875Please respect copyright.PENANAg6WwYmlsJ4
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only875Please respect copyright.PENANA7VfVuT48Wm
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."875Please respect copyright.PENANAcUOAhjk1BC
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.875Please respect copyright.PENANAWRNhxaWweZ
"What is going on here?"875Please respect copyright.PENANArGPgSeEbwM
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.875Please respect copyright.PENANA7Lp7jw1oXJ
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"875Please respect copyright.PENANAv74rYPfhzR
"It's875Please respect copyright.PENANAppPPinEwDH
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 875Please respect copyright.PENANA6d919O8jO9
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"875Please respect copyright.PENANA3M4aiRueaC
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."875Please respect copyright.PENANAtwt4lc5Cr9
"Now875Please respect copyright.PENANA6DreeeyIUY
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 875Please respect copyright.PENANABjqtO7Mwqo
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.875Please respect copyright.PENANAYr6TPbbh1E
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.875Please respect copyright.PENANAzpu2YlYjpB
"I875Please respect copyright.PENANAEUSEBUYShY
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 875Please respect copyright.PENANAqHH8Go2wbv
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 875Please respect copyright.PENANAASRbvdllaO
beating around the bush.875Please respect copyright.PENANAtKNrugSejd
Mrs875Please respect copyright.PENANAsyVCulMTLT
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 875Please respect copyright.PENANAThoSlZeh0t
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 875Please respect copyright.PENANAAoZ2w1YyBP
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.875Please respect copyright.PENANAAhZJjKTxRx
"I...875Please respect copyright.PENANAZ0YqRuhors
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 875Please respect copyright.PENANADfK9x0RKZY
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 875Please respect copyright.PENANA2DMQYVqlwT
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."875Please respect copyright.PENANAxo1fqV36gf
"So875Please respect copyright.PENANApegyCJ20t5
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 875Please respect copyright.PENANA4hUguFRprV
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think875Please respect copyright.PENANAAo9iC0MyBm
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 875Please respect copyright.PENANApljZYZpn6p
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 875Please respect copyright.PENANAyoEsBXEp8S
aren't the same as they were, mum."875Please respect copyright.PENANA2wBZ4lvljJ
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."875Please respect copyright.PENANAlnrkBzkRF0
"No,875Please respect copyright.PENANAbIcXFipCTE
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,875Please respect copyright.PENANAVCCvRMK8Ma
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 875Please respect copyright.PENANAKD373rKzu5
I?"875Please respect copyright.PENANARfo4rXfpkK
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."875Please respect copyright.PENANAnaOuJXAG2W
"Look,875Please respect copyright.PENANATnU3WZXrWb
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 875Please respect copyright.PENANAeHBpYC5KWe
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 875Please respect copyright.PENANAtlebj7oLE0
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 875Please respect copyright.PENANABrQij4Dod5
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 875Please respect copyright.PENANA2F2PPLWuVg
you."875Please respect copyright.PENANARs5D3dRYfz
There875Please respect copyright.PENANAm8LQEeIbK8
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 875Please respect copyright.PENANAjk6SgtwRqt
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 875Please respect copyright.PENANASZ4pOHZI2B
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 875Please respect copyright.PENANAXplm2SlEne
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 875Please respect copyright.PENANALFTmmreOUI
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAF2PV9XR95P
"You875Please respect copyright.PENANAvydPmhKSDe
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 875Please respect copyright.PENANAQD5IoGcqLg
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 875Please respect copyright.PENANARyJLg6QSsB
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 875Please respect copyright.PENANARWYtpvFi8P
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 875Please respect copyright.PENANAEBDOluquCC
mum, way too far."875Please respect copyright.PENANAuunLKKhNl9
Mrs875Please respect copyright.PENANAthyiTmMd0p
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 875Please respect copyright.PENANAyPzJeQMZwD
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 875Please respect copyright.PENANAFp5CSslQJM
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 875Please respect copyright.PENANACpQApsXGFy
"And875Please respect copyright.PENANAfEmGaNUQod
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 875Please respect copyright.PENANAKm7b4MvVrr
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her875Please respect copyright.PENANABPN4CZfaMU
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."875Please respect copyright.PENANAQec9f6v12q
Mrs875Please respect copyright.PENANAjk1j7tI5YP
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.875Please respect copyright.PENANAdD7rkZI0x5
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 875Please respect copyright.PENANA9APoiaMT2X
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 875Please respect copyright.PENANAQFiFu7WPo0
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.875Please respect copyright.PENANAaWmUfcmXQB
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"875Please respect copyright.PENANAAZ9DivodXs
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."875Please respect copyright.PENANAQs0CQMILke
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."875Please respect copyright.PENANAY9Zd2BfkOL
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.875Please respect copyright.PENANAP43gxGW8EE
"Look875Please respect copyright.PENANAoXAkLsg82L
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 875Please respect copyright.PENANAsLBiydl474
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."875Please respect copyright.PENANARHipGkfalj
Mrs875Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8dZfsc3A4
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 875Please respect copyright.PENANA7Dy06s061l
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 875Please respect copyright.PENANAlReeBgWoyf
mother, and they too were quiet.875Please respect copyright.PENANAHBZvhv2GSI
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.875Please respect copyright.PENANAh11jBYIDyE
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"875Please respect copyright.PENANATkPE2FP0Ow
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAwh0G0WfPmh
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.875Please respect copyright.PENANAPjurr1Pip7
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 875Please respect copyright.PENANACcMW11hqlo
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAUHDXUhUGM9
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAB7yzyfKrkT
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 875Please respect copyright.PENANA9yXxnBUlfU
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.875Please respect copyright.PENANAA66vS4jt3G
"Of875Please respect copyright.PENANA0VQvJI9xOP
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 875Please respect copyright.PENANAJCLg2paO2B
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 875Please respect copyright.PENANAilnPEWisOn
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 875Please respect copyright.PENANAr8PSGuM4Ip
Mr McDonell. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAuiY5zSt14q
"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. 875Please respect copyright.PENANApGCTAS4xul
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."875Please respect copyright.PENANAfYibR1SFhN
"I875Please respect copyright.PENANAMcbQpA6mSc
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 875Please respect copyright.PENANAh18F0EFEWE
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control875Please respect copyright.PENANAuQc2rug2lj
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."875Please respect copyright.PENANAv8zuriF8SA
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 875Please respect copyright.PENANACqdjki0xzP
"Not875Please respect copyright.PENANACVeQkaWLY5
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 875Please respect copyright.PENANAPblmgbjZVb
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 875Please respect copyright.PENANAx6HO9430di
announcement."875Please respect copyright.PENANACEN7ee1bLb
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.875Please respect copyright.PENANAOecrNHHNiL
"In875Please respect copyright.PENANAPjS5wlrQWB
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 875Please respect copyright.PENANAFhe5CIVvEX
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 875Please respect copyright.PENANA9IYhFaQuuT
sisters might come to leave with us."875Please respect copyright.PENANAM1jlJMK3PJ
For875Please respect copyright.PENANAIUbtHLTKb4
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 875Please respect copyright.PENANAOXEVVitwVR
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.875Please respect copyright.PENANAmpru3pblZJ
"That's875Please respect copyright.PENANAZk5l7WjVtY
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long875Please respect copyright.PENANAY6J2aerxLn
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."875Please respect copyright.PENANA2fSkPCuHe0
Mrs875Please respect copyright.PENANA7c5DbFHJrk
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 875Please respect copyright.PENANAyzvgFKq64B
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.875Please respect copyright.PENANAkSMPp6Vgdn
"This875Please respect copyright.PENANAefLlAywdbK
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 875Please respect copyright.PENANAfxFhgxzqKW
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 875Please respect copyright.PENANAcjZv4l9huz
died."875Please respect copyright.PENANARr82rLhLQH
"What's875Please respect copyright.PENANAVWFzpW7Cr4
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 875Please respect copyright.PENANAkS8ugpuHZv
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 875Please respect copyright.PENANAHG3y4EcuZh
"Ya,875Please respect copyright.PENANAov6mJU9XJY
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 875Please respect copyright.PENANA16xcR4r2kk
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."875Please respect copyright.PENANA4mWppPK5Rw
"You875Please respect copyright.PENANA6D3KgVcbiq
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why875Please respect copyright.PENANAfkOWUD2CVT
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."875Please respect copyright.PENANAg0Ps8GUHyM
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."875Please respect copyright.PENANATS1NUu2VVQ
With875Please respect copyright.PENANANhNOYAEl0Z
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 875Please respect copyright.PENANADhQ1L9aG9b
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at875Please respect copyright.PENANAgoR4qrVP7C
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.