Sandy glanced at the caller ID, sighed, and picked up the ringing phone. She struggled to keep her voice calm, "Damon, what part of 'leave me alone' did you not get?" Though she tried to stay calm, Damon's cold chuckle told her how badly she had failed.

"Since when do you speak so flippantly to me? You still haven't learned respect, have you, slut?"

Tears stained Sandy's cheeks as she slammed the phone down, sliding to the floor as her knees buckled. How had this happened? How had something so good changed so quickly? Why was she still here?

She could leave! Yes, she could run away from Damon and his twisted games. Impossibly, Sandy smiled through the tears spilling from her blue eyes. Salty drops were cutting paths through the makeup covering her high cheekbones as she laughed like a maniac. Maybe she was losing her mind; Damon had driven her mad! This thought, the absurdity of it, the underlying dark fear it could be true, brought a fit of giggles bubbling from her throat.

"What's so funny?"

Involuntarily scrambling back several feet, Sandy screamed at the sound of Damon’s voice. He stood over her, dark eyes questing over her clothed body as if looking through the fabric. His brown hair kicked out in back, bangs falling over his forehead in the same old familiar style he always wore, arms crossed over his chest as though waiting patiently for her answer. Sandy knew better.

“Damon…please…”

“Please.” The word slipped off his tongue like silk, falling into the silence as if it was a question. Sandy just couldn’t figure out what answer Damon might be looking for. She cringed without wanting to as he knelt before her, studying her.

"Damon, I'm tired of all this, do you hear me? I want out, god damnit!" At the swear, a slap from his calloused hand sent her head jerking to one side.

"Sandy, you agreed. You're mine, remember?" Breathing slowly, a drastic contrast to Sandy's fearful, shallow pantings, his smile grew strangely...kind. "However...if you're sure you want out..."

As he rose, Sandy found herself scrambling after him, grabbing at his leg. Anything to stop him as he pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket. She recognized it immediately, Damon's careful hand visible through the thinning page, the folds just as planned as every letter of the document she'd signed so long ago. Slowly, he unfolded it.

Not seeming to hear her cries, Damon tore it again and again until nothing remained but scraps. He dropped them to the ground before the sobbing woman who hid her face in her hands. No more words were exchanged, the door shutting quietly to announce Damon's departure. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Sandy was completely alone, free...and she wept, mourning her own loss.