Second Chances Read Free

could at least indulge in some aural porn, which is basically what his voice was like for her. ‘Oh God…. Listen to that voice, Liz! It’s just sooooo sexy…’
    Liz snorted in disagreement and got up to find the bottle of wine they’d opened earlier. Allegra was nestled comfortably on the sofa, feet curled up underneath her as she closed her eyes and smiled at the sound of the DJ’s voice. Allegra’s new apartment was small, but she’d done everything to make it feel as spacious as possible. The sitting room was blessedly large for a Hong Kong flat of this size, that was one bonus. It accommodated a comfortable sofa and a big, squishy armchair, a low table which housed the small TV, a DVD player and the hifi unit. Along the opposite wall were floor-to-ceiling shelves, filled with books and DVDs, mostly belonging to the children.
    Otherwise there was nothing else in the room. It adjoined the small kitchen, which had just about enough space for a tiny fridge and a two-ring cooker. The flat was, on the whole, sparsely furnished. The smallest room served as Allegra’s workspace: a desk, a chair and her beloved computer and assorted paraphernalia. The largest bedroom was for the children when they came to stay. This is where Allegra had spent all her money, on big, comfy beds, cheerful curtains, bedside lamps and little night tables to store all their “secret” things.
    Her own room, meanwhile, had a single bed, two railings running the full length of the longest wall and holding the few clothes she had kept, and compact plastic chest of drawers. A small nightlight on the floor was the only other thing in the room. She hadn’t even put up curtains, but had hung up a colourful sarong over the window, wedging it into the frame to hold it in place.
    Liz had felt horribly sad as Allegra showed her around the flat earlier that evening, and decided she needed to get her a bunch of plants to put on the window ledge behind the kitchen sink. That and a big potted palm for the sitting room. Something alive to bring life into the place. Otherwise, there was an air of hesitancy there which just wasn’t natural. Maybe it would settle down after a while, but Liz doubted it.
    Although Allegra had lived there since her divorce was finalised nearly 10 months ago, tonight was the first time she had invited Liz over, mostly because she was ashamed of her shabby little place compared to Liz’s lovely home in Yau Yat Chuen. Allegra had kept her flat brutally clean and tidy. She didn’t spend a cent on herself, saving every little bit she earned for taking the children out to nice lunches and movies and splurging out on Dial-a-Dinner when they were with her.
    Her whole life had been turned inside out after the acrimonious split from her husband of 11 years, and she had put up impenetrable barriers around her personal life, living only for her kids. It was a struggle for Liz to get Allegra to agree to join her for a drink; although Allegra said it was just because she didn’t like going out anymore, Liz knew it was because it was cheaper to buy a bottle of wine to share at home than to pay bar prices for a single glass of house white. Even Liz’s insistence that drinks would be on her was met with stony refusal.
    Allegra had too damn much pride to accept sympathy in any form. She’d also lost a worrying amount of weight. Liz had no doubt that this was because she wouldn’t even spend money to feed herself properly. The only time she ate decently was during the children’s visits, and even then she would often feign fullness, declining to order a meal for herself, instead eating whatever they couldn’t finish, making a game by pointing out the window and yelling, “Look! A dragon!” and sneaking a fry off their plates as their heads automatically turned to see. Then they would look back at her with mock reproach and tell their mother that she was very, very silly, not like other mums.
    ‘Liz! What is taking you so long? Have you