rted with

o pitiful. "Always hopi

Lill

gh her, sha

ness arri

aiting for Damon to fix it.

though, h

low and neglig

g in her ears loosened

ld at least bring her out of suffering. Bad

s, Damon sa

twisted more and curved l

en came, low

mes on a contract

older, dullly thumping

oor's crack as if she could ignore the

only a

y. Not eve

practical lega

ision distorted at the margins, as tho

way he looked at her, in the evenings he

, **so definitive, so abs

on speaking. On a contra

th every iteration, runni

idence to show she may be more than just a responsibility. I

, he ne

ver would

sual doorman kindly nodding to open the door for he

the polished flooring. She used to find solace in the aroma of fresh

ppressive

a woman she hardly knew. Her shoulders back, her chin raised

oor brought her closer to the world she had created, a life she now u

d when the d

t around for a f

else could

hing softly throughout the area. It was just as she ha

e. Not res

er the rear of the sofa. She had been here waiting for Damon to come back for so many evenings. M

stood bet

opened out before her; the silk sheets were absolu

cloth, following the area

though, w

y in her throat, th

for her wedding band

omise, that is, quite substanti

it with grea

ded for Damon

lamp shed a golden glow over the mah

, fixed on the basic ba

amon," in a voice none eve

ed. Folded paperwork, clothing, a

hardl

reverberated a

ushed her palms against her lap and got up. Though she forced hers

door. Wearing a dark green coat, her hair put up in a sleek ponyt

worry danced

o the suitcase then tur

oing this," she

"I ought to have done

ed, closed the door behind her.

ghostly, humourless smile

head. Not. Not yet, he won not understand. When he

ested one neat, white last envelope. She grabbed it and felt the

ce paperwork. Signatu

e ought to have

anessa over

she said. "See to i

ay. She looked closely at Lillian,

now, she whispere

hest constricting but not

more certain of any

a then grabbed the e

's make sure he never has

s bac

doing here?,"

last leav

onstant and ignored them

was agonisingly slow. An cold chi

ws, the sleek modern furniture, the residual perfume

the guy she had given everything for, n

meet businessma

the throng of executives and staff, their eyes

one

ping, she went

ined from

d moved inside as thou

oor to-celly windows. His jacket lay thrown over the rear of his chair, the sleeves of h

ardly above

face. "What now?" he said, massaging his

pathy. She forbade his seeing

hout saying to lay th

is.

e papers, his brow

any other contract. He turned through them sloppily, as though the terminatio

r uncertainty, for regret, f

mrest. His look stayed blank, the same chilly detachment he had developed over ye

d a spine," he said, amus

Years looking forward his seeing her. Sweetheart. Now, though, she understood something

is regret

eed was he

e wrote his signature across the bottom of the page without

looked at her. "There there. You

moment to feel different, li

e of triump

matic f

ff on a marriage already de

and steady her voice. She sa

his face. He slanted his head, peering at her as thou

leave then,

survive withou

s words slid into h

his sight. His voice was calm, pure

ment rather th

it. Damon never let go of

o more hi

h to hear her breath and catch the u

d you," softly. "I'l