Since that fateful day, a834Please respect copyright.PENANA9iY3wI64ic
lot had changed the in the McDonell household. When the wedding 834Please respect copyright.PENANAG298KVpufS
got cancelled, things took a turn for the worst and its been that way 834Please respect copyright.PENANAKXxWpQVJfJ
ever since. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAKH9doTCxzE
Life was getting a whole834Please respect copyright.PENANAnWFZI9sso2
lot complicated, especially for Leo. Home didn't feel the same anymore,834Please respect copyright.PENANAuMx7YwpqrO
not after what had happened. The place felt like a ghost town and he 834Please respect copyright.PENANA1vR1r2ifg3
could tell that it didn't carry that welcoming feeling anymore. To him, 834Please respect copyright.PENANARs2czlOUlH
he felt like a stranger in his own home.834Please respect copyright.PENANAqhhWDM7WVj
Only his grandmother and834Please respect copyright.PENANAerkPw2dn72
Eric, who had been with him in everything, gave Leo the little comfort 834Please respect copyright.PENANAXsLUdYO6zi
he needed in the house. Including his little cousin, Oliver. As for the 834Please respect copyright.PENANA0duuL5U1BN
rest of the others...... well, it was another story all together.834Please respect copyright.PENANAhjpQNa1vL4
Coming to his father, he834Please respect copyright.PENANAdUOCIXgUTX
wasn't mad at Leo at the reason every one seemed to be mad at him for. 834Please respect copyright.PENANApd6cUPlOw4
Mr McDonell was more concerned about Leo not apologising to Angel over 834Please respect copyright.PENANAl0FbSZ6j5E
the accident and Leo didn't like that at all. He knew he was wrong, but 834Please respect copyright.PENANAef1LgE0aEL
the fact that his father was more on Angel's side just because his 834Please respect copyright.PENANAMpQDhyEum8
father was Angel's late mother's friend, was driving him crazy. It was 834Please respect copyright.PENANAcOQU7sgwR4
already enough that he had met the angry Angel who almost tore him apart834Please respect copyright.PENANAcTxWpd9bLH
on the day of the wedding. Now it turns out that his father obliged to 834Please respect copyright.PENANAD0SkVsujj3
taking care of Angel and Carly because of the promise he had made to 834Please respect copyright.PENANAEvFj4rrIgp
their mother. Not that Carly was the problem, Angel was.834Please respect copyright.PENANAFJJaPrQ3Ue
As Leo sat in the car 834Please respect copyright.PENANAIoDuCjCXKI
packed outside along the driveway of the house under the setting sun, he834Please respect copyright.PENANAVuJXozGYRN
thought of what Carly had told him earlier. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAlZRHaHd4yA
"You and my sister still hate each other."834Please respect copyright.PENANASNIJJstyT5
Was that it? Was that 834Please respect copyright.PENANAZKuts72hfv
why he still couldn't stand the fact that his father was helping Angel 834Please respect copyright.PENANAN4TwJVMXqI
out? Did he really hate her that much?834Please respect copyright.PENANATF2ctYqdHY
Well, judging by the way834Please respect copyright.PENANAhjDjlupEZs
she almost killed him that day, what wasn't there to hate? No one had 834Please respect copyright.PENANAqC18fIVzuk
ever approached him like that, especially a lady. And he hated her for 834Please respect copyright.PENANAwJTJ1qUhjj
that. Or was there another reason to hate her?834Please respect copyright.PENANAvQbvgKhSYr
Carly. It's pretty 834Please respect copyright.PENANAu0xEKswOQe
obvious that Angel wouldn't allow Leo to be with Carly when Leo was 834Please respect copyright.PENANAtYau7hJDrZ
madly in love with her. And after almost killing Angel with his car, it 834Please respect copyright.PENANAyeJZDOG3nP
just seemed to have made things turn from sour to rotten.834Please respect copyright.PENANA9AFYbhpqUg
He had to admit, it was 834Please respect copyright.PENANA1I9DO2eKiw
going to be pretty hard to accept Angel around if she really did decide 834Please respect copyright.PENANArEH8RMapaJ
to come and live with his family. He wasn't going to allow that to 834Please respect copyright.PENANAG7ZWTdupIv
happen, not for now at least. Even his own mother wouldn't accept such a834Please respect copyright.PENANA17VvlSS7ie
thing to happen.834Please respect copyright.PENANAFWXWMLsu3m
Speaking of his mother, 834Please respect copyright.PENANAdA8yTpFRi5
Mrs McDonell had been avoiding Leo these past few days. She always got 834Please respect copyright.PENANAOZgLrXF0NV
like that whenever things never went her way. There were a few times the834Please respect copyright.PENANAtvUFnDTXZl
two talked, but it was always about whether Leo had gone to see Kim and834Please respect copyright.PENANAiptpWrSIQ4
tried to set up plans for their next wedding. The fact is, Leo didn't 834Please respect copyright.PENANAysipNwz6Mt
want to marry Kim, yet meet her ever again. Ever since the day of the 834Please respect copyright.PENANAVWvnVRTTkF
wedding, Leo had never even bothered to see Kim face to face. Not that 834Please respect copyright.PENANAED5lrekgEX
he was a coward, he just didn't want to. Kim usually called him to try 834Please respect copyright.PENANAepx83OSgnK
and talk things over, but Leo would say he was busy and would call her 834Please respect copyright.PENANAxrgxJj9N7r
later, which he never did.834Please respect copyright.PENANAwrvi2nnlBZ
Leo pulled out his phone834Please respect copyright.PENANA8sJU84tFwq
out of his pocket and he saw a text message. It was from Kim. Oh great!834Please respect copyright.PENANAAkJKGL0PdQ
He wondered what it was all about now.834Please respect copyright.PENANAnweKwy2LhA
"Hi, Leo. Was trying 834Please respect copyright.PENANAxenKMau1yT
to reach you through your phone, but it seemed to be off. I just wanted 834Please respect copyright.PENANA8P6wX2bJUt
to inform you that your mother invited me over for dinner at your place 834Please respect copyright.PENANAWRLROQHZWe
and maybe we could try to talk things over in person. I've been dying to834Please respect copyright.PENANAYdUoeiXU2K
talk to you, Leo, and I think this will be a perfect opportunity to do 834Please respect copyright.PENANAMZN6YncDqo
so. See you at eight then."834Please respect copyright.PENANALfA7MhKAND
"Damn it, mum!" Leo hit the steering wheel with his fist with so much anger.834Please respect copyright.PENANAVlpa7CjxI8
He quickly got out of 834Please respect copyright.PENANARTHL1ovcqT
the car and banged the door shut behind him. He charged towards the 834Please respect copyright.PENANAVPTmRnv1l4
front door of the house on the stone path like an angry bull. He knew he834Please respect copyright.PENANA3BujjOMR5u
had let his mother get her way, but this was too much.834Please respect copyright.PENANAabBcAkoSCx
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.834Please respect copyright.PENANAoUAtq3D7Q9
***834Please respect copyright.PENANA9IJZuzbtAV
"I834Please respect copyright.PENANAAGiOlwkHyB
want dinner to be extra special tonight," ordered Mrs McDonell to the 834Please respect copyright.PENANA1zxVmhFr9k
chef who worked in the kitchen. "We're receiving a very important guest 834Please respect copyright.PENANAVyPx83pBe9
this evening and I want things the way I like it."834Please respect copyright.PENANAvrAb2WsOpO
The834Please respect copyright.PENANACYaFLEp4OK
chef gave her an obedient nod and left for the kitchen. A few minutes 834Please respect copyright.PENANADof6et7NMS
later, the sound of the door being opened and banged shut was heard. Mrs834Please respect copyright.PENANASZa2f9CaHz
McDonell had a puzzled look on her face as she went to see what was 834Please respect copyright.PENANAGNobJbOcmL
going on. As she was entering the living room, she saw Leo standing 834Please respect copyright.PENANAfwAu0jahlz
close to the front door and he looked pretty angry.834Please respect copyright.PENANAGzIcfcHKMs
"Leo! What on earth is going on with you busy banging doors like a mad man?" Mrs McDonell asked.834Please respect copyright.PENANA3WaKVzf7FA
Leo834Please respect copyright.PENANA8ZpKy6s7g7
turned quickly to his mother as he heard her voice. He straightened 834Please respect copyright.PENANAkIA0lBQ9vH
himself and walked into the living room closing the distance between him834Please respect copyright.PENANAMtO96jEoyE
and his mother. He stood at a reasonable distance and his mother put 834Please respect copyright.PENANApJ4gOfsLps
her hands on her hips staring at him, as she furrowed her eyebrows. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAEfuLJboEbv
"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.834Please respect copyright.PENANAyd8TzWm2dc
"Maybe834Please respect copyright.PENANAnA5biIaiPv
I do want to kill you, mum," answered Leo, "but apparently, I wouldn't 834Please respect copyright.PENANAXh98G9byCj
have the pleasure of doing it even if I wanted to."834Please respect copyright.PENANAYTbVxLTt02
"What the heck are you talking about? Why are you mad at me?"834Please respect copyright.PENANAGRunATtBaG
"The834Please respect copyright.PENANA5SL0Sc16hd
reason why I'm mad is because you always do what you think is good only834Please respect copyright.PENANApzbyJo4Nz9
for yourself and not considering anybody else around you."834Please respect copyright.PENANAFvLpvrUgNr
"Be clear, Leo. I don't understand all this," Mrs McDonell now looked concerned.834Please respect copyright.PENANASmvSvQRydn
"What is going on here?"834Please respect copyright.PENANARicJ1gMpCD
Amanda appeared from the hall with Eric pushing her wheelchair and Oliver following behind them.834Please respect copyright.PENANAfukKuvYbYt
"We heard the banging of the door," said Eric, "is everything all right?"834Please respect copyright.PENANAwfJEpLpxTL
"It's834Please respect copyright.PENANAlIAySL7uaQ
all under control," replied Mrs McDonell, "Leo and I just need to talk 834Please respect copyright.PENANAe2xVZSkmrL
over a few things. May you leave us alone for a while?"834Please respect copyright.PENANAUZTvuavqev
"No, I have no problem if they stay here, mum," said Leo, "this matter also concerns them too."834Please respect copyright.PENANAodOXal0Pr0
"Now834Please respect copyright.PENANAmF1rOBHuMs
this is about to get interesting," said Amanda as she folded her hands 834Please respect copyright.PENANAXFrbH5Kqtd
over her lap. Mrs McDonell shot her a look and turned towards Leo again.834Please respect copyright.PENANAKch4e31d4p
"What is it, Leo?" Mrs McDonell asked.834Please respect copyright.PENANANUONIPyM4K
"I834Please respect copyright.PENANAP9AFqf2Qy6
want to know why you invited Kim over here to have dinner with us 834Please respect copyright.PENANADFEf3p4mwt
tonight," Leo went straight to the point. Now wasn't the time to start 834Please respect copyright.PENANAXyufd3V18c
beating around the bush.834Please respect copyright.PENANABbqL1eWbG8
Mrs834Please respect copyright.PENANAV591jKBoHv
McDonell paused for a while as she stared at Leo who clenched his 834Please respect copyright.PENANA8ErM0QBPhK
fists. A smirk appeared across Amanda's face and it was good that Mrs 834Please respect copyright.PENANAgdvREVBUer
McDonell didn't notice. Things weren't going to turn out well at all.834Please respect copyright.PENANA1gC3oE7J3b
"I...834Please respect copyright.PENANA3pqwxsa3R2
well, you see, Kim has been dying to speak to you, Leo," the response 834Please respect copyright.PENANA1vOx7c2GKj
came out as a struggle for Mrs McDonell. "I thought you two should try 834Please respect copyright.PENANAF8Lzr9Piyj
to see if you could arrange the date for the next wedding."834Please respect copyright.PENANAmPfWPyBOf1
"So834Please respect copyright.PENANAGBynCTQin0
all that's running in your mind is about the wedding then, isn't it?" 834Please respect copyright.PENANAnfoKgb0cGa
Leo almost laughed, but he shook his head. "Have you ever tried to think834Please respect copyright.PENANAL1QunT3R4D
about what I want? You think bringing me and Kim would try to make 834Please respect copyright.PENANAOCHiCiN5aw
things better? You pretty well know that ever since that day, things 834Please respect copyright.PENANA1gGwrckxm6
aren't the same as they were, mum."834Please respect copyright.PENANArhUDhIMQ49
"I know, Leo, but I'm just trying to make things right for you."834Please respect copyright.PENANAmQVwu2k9pl
"No,834Please respect copyright.PENANAoyN2HagMkM
mum! You aren't! You're making things worse! All this is what you want,834Please respect copyright.PENANAB2XV7ycPzb
but not what I want! I have the right to make my own decisions, don't 834Please respect copyright.PENANAdQjW145kny
I?"834Please respect copyright.PENANAovoKdxsWmY
"You've every right to. But you ignoring Kim like this isn't going to help."834Please respect copyright.PENANAcRDsLC0mek
"Look,834Please respect copyright.PENANADrrThIlmXZ
mum," Leo pressed his temples with his thumb and index finger, trying 834Please respect copyright.PENANAUFZx0TOkhv
to keep in the pressure, "I know that ignoring Kim for so long isn't 834Please respect copyright.PENANAv3OhKS2tvG
right, but don't you think I should have known all about this first? As 834Please respect copyright.PENANA706PEYNvL6
far as I know, I'm the one who was supposed to get married to her, not 834Please respect copyright.PENANA4sVCRQIR4g
you."834Please respect copyright.PENANAXzyssxNp3G
There834Please respect copyright.PENANA8XgVa01cYB
was silence in the living room as the air around them turned cold. Mrs 834Please respect copyright.PENANASK8aCSgTnz
McDonell looked as white as a sheet while Leo kept on giving her the 834Please respect copyright.PENANAoVxd50W3LT
angry stare. Eric and his brother, Oliver were stunned and Amanda's 834Please respect copyright.PENANACm7mJoS9Od
smirk soon turned into a wide smile. 834Please respect copyright.PENANApx1oLmKpG2
"Leo, how... could you...." Mrs McDonell was lost for words. 834Please respect copyright.PENANANi6J6dLtwR
"You834Please respect copyright.PENANAM0I5YsR5Dg
don't like it when someone talks back at you, don't you, mum?" Leo 834Please respect copyright.PENANAxh8Jb0H8nK
asked. "I have told you time and time again that I would talk to Kim 834Please respect copyright.PENANAeUP8n5QZAL
when the right time came, but no. You only want things to be done your 834Please respect copyright.PENANAPY71rWLKew
way! I've tolerated that these past years, but you have gone too far, 834Please respect copyright.PENANAgkkgsBTXUr
mum, way too far."834Please respect copyright.PENANAbWbkXZsrlz
Mrs834Please respect copyright.PENANAGZfOrfx7m9
McDonell stammered, but it was no use anyway. Leo seemed to be done 834Please respect copyright.PENANAeOdIOQvAFH
with what he had to say and he turned for the stairs. Before he began 834Please respect copyright.PENANAIspMfDui3J
the ascension, he stood still for a moment. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAhplTzguLTS
"And834Please respect copyright.PENANAIrcMC8UMjP
do me one favour, mum," said Leo, without looking at his mother, 834Please respect copyright.PENANApqzWDVHet3
"cancel the special dinner you had for Kim. And tell her I'm meeting her834Please respect copyright.PENANACjkCs6CrHd
tomorrow. Maybe then, you would stop bothering me about all this."834Please respect copyright.PENANAE8Pm0j8TY5
Mrs834Please respect copyright.PENANAA2MZfLMH6a
McDonell still didn't say anything as she continued to look at her son.834Please respect copyright.PENANASv8HlewM7j
As Leo climbed up the stairs, Mr McDonell was coming down from his 834Please respect copyright.PENANAtKXMrVqHq9
room. As he passed Leo, he noticed that something was wrong and he 834Please respect copyright.PENANA7p1ggOofWH
stared down at the people at the bottom of the stairs.834Please respect copyright.PENANA1d1cTXUvq2
"May I know what's going on here?" Mr McDonell asked. "And why does Leo look so upset?"834Please respect copyright.PENANAOb1ni3pPL4
"It's... its nothing, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell, "he's just upset. Thats all."834Please respect copyright.PENANA1snOOWGoax
"Aww, come on now," said Amanda, "you know perfectly well what's going on. You don't have to lie to Frank here."834Please respect copyright.PENANAkP98JKV27f
"Could you just shut up for once!" Mrs McDonell looked red on the face as she turned to face Amanda.834Please respect copyright.PENANA6h61rvykjJ
"Look834Please respect copyright.PENANAPwQBvHvooz
here, Bertha, Fred is going to find out anyway. Just tell him now so 834Please respect copyright.PENANACRRKXxL7jf
that you won't have the problem of telling him in the future."834Please respect copyright.PENANAoH7BZO0vlj
Mrs834Please respect copyright.PENANAeEF6G36h8j
McDonell didn't say anything as Mr McDonell slowly reached the bottom 834Please respect copyright.PENANAwXgTANo6j6
of the stairs. He looked at his wife and then to Eric, Oliver and his 834Please respect copyright.PENANA9KexJlDAkf
mother, and they too were quiet.834Please respect copyright.PENANAqr2jn3h0kS
"May someone please tell me what's going on?" Mr McDonell asked.834Please respect copyright.PENANAz4IUCisgTj
"I told you that nothing is wrong, Fred," replied Mrs McDonell. "Are you going to listen to the lies of your delirious mother?"834Please respect copyright.PENANA3uGl2SjzAt
"Since when I'm I the delirious one?" Amanda asked shockingly. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAPQRqsdCtB0
"Mind what you say, Bertha. This is my mother you're talking about," Mr McDonell warned.834Please respect copyright.PENANAYBN0CMF0rA
"Believe me, honey, nothing is wrong," said Mrs McDonell. 834Please respect copyright.PENANA9Fe6BIcyH3
Mr McDonell shook his head and stared at his mother and the others. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAYK7fRLcufI
"Mum, please tell me whats wrong, right now," demanded Mr McDonell. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAjtRFRSGBwr
"Leo is angry at his mother for inviting Kim over for dinner," replied Amanda quickly. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAKJf5A9PzcE
Mr McDonell looked back at his wife who avoided eye contact with him.834Please respect copyright.PENANA96AVBrRxv3
"Of834Please respect copyright.PENANAtyZPi9UDRO
all people you must know better than anyone how Leo is. You know he 834Please respect copyright.PENANACuiL7O2Hmg
wasn't ready to face Kim even when he knows it's wrong avoiding her for 834Please respect copyright.PENANAPlk4SmYpy8
so long. As a mother you should know that all he needed was time," said 834Please respect copyright.PENANALgAyJ9mfKg
Mr McDonell. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAEYG3BytKC6
"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. 834Please respect copyright.PENANA7mPMetKOWA
"Well, he did say he was going to see her tomorrow," interfered Amanda, "just to quit you from nagging him any more."834Please respect copyright.PENANAGqtufdBdRK
"I834Please respect copyright.PENANAOoCm7CznFr
know that you're trying to help Leo, but you should let him make his 834Please respect copyright.PENANAvzNYbHDGwM
own decisions," said Mr McDonell. "You always think you can take control834Please respect copyright.PENANAw1ySdaVUpv
over people's lives when it isn't your own, Bertha."834Please respect copyright.PENANANZK9u2J7mM
"But...." Mrs McDonell was quickly interrupted. 834Please respect copyright.PENANAbaCbwen9Zd
"Not834Please respect copyright.PENANANPwmqmY6LY
another word, please." Mr McDonell raised a hand to stop his wife from 834Please respect copyright.PENANAeTXnD5TIDr
saying anything else. "Putting that aside, I need to make an 834Please respect copyright.PENANA705l1l9pMP
announcement."834Please respect copyright.PENANAbMlMPiCd7M
"And what is that, son?" Amanda asked looking concerned.834Please respect copyright.PENANA7tbhns0LVj
"In834Please respect copyright.PENANA1yNLSKGDV6
a few days time, we will be putting Lisa to rest after her daughter, 834Please respect copyright.PENANAklENgKAdOG
Angel is discharged from the hospital," said Mr McDonell, "and the two 834Please respect copyright.PENANASSOXNEvIFs
sisters might come to leave with us."834Please respect copyright.PENANAyjJ9fbRPMY
For834Please respect copyright.PENANARXnuSglfos
a moment, the room was quiet, until Amanda laughed with so much glee 834Please respect copyright.PENANAAM3bSg8UJ6
like a teenager and clapped her hands. Eric had a smile on his face.834Please respect copyright.PENANAskMf8BanjW
"That's834Please respect copyright.PENANAtQjuX5HMJ6
good," said Amanda. "I've been dying to meet Lisa's children for a long834Please respect copyright.PENANAQGKOBTSGq4
time now. This is good news, Fred. I can't wait to see them."834Please respect copyright.PENANAjb23yrqoaj
Mrs834Please respect copyright.PENANANEWH91J7Rz
McDonell gave out a loud snort and everyone turned to face her. Her 834Please respect copyright.PENANAyTz0sgyuKW
arms were folded and her face was one full of fury and disgust.834Please respect copyright.PENANAPWBrOswCm0
"This834Please respect copyright.PENANAh8TcPkZLlP
is just ridiculous," said Mrs McDonell, "you're bringing in those two 834Please respect copyright.PENANASgkiOIuiM3
girls just because of that stupid promise you made to Lisa before she 834Please respect copyright.PENANAij8MVnnGLe
died."834Please respect copyright.PENANAdikxe66bw5
"What's834Please respect copyright.PENANA37b0TbSxz1
wrong with you? Is it me or is it that you have always had a problem 834Please respect copyright.PENANASnw4P8muzc
with Lisa even now when she is dead?" asked Mr McDonell. 834Please respect copyright.PENANApYhkCNYFjQ
"Ya,834Please respect copyright.PENANAPfglFmtypZ
you're right. I have had a problem with Lisa for years. And now, it 834Please respect copyright.PENANA1mgb1PkEzj
seems problems still come about even from the land of the dead."834Please respect copyright.PENANAZppV9acusB
"You834Please respect copyright.PENANAie0Gox46zZ
should learn to respect the dead, you know?" said Amanda. "I wonder why834Please respect copyright.PENANABLzKWySvAf
you have hated her so much all these years, Bertha."834Please respect copyright.PENANAGgB0qYEn5M
"You'll never know so stop asking," Mrs McDonell snapped. "I just hope those girls never agree to come and stay in this house."834Please respect copyright.PENANAguxawKdtGQ
With834Please respect copyright.PENANA5nDvqFwGiY
that, Mrs McDonell headed for the stairs like an angry devil ready to 834Please respect copyright.PENANAWSg1StrEvH
destroy everyone and everything in her way. When she reached her room at834Please respect copyright.PENANAklxmLYaLA9
the top floor, she banged the door shut behind her.