From the moment little Alice could understand words, she knew she was prettybecause everyone said so.
«Our little girl is such a doll, a real beauty compared to the other lasses,» her mother would coo to colleagues and neighbours.
And indeed, everyone agreedthough Mrs. Higgins next door did offer a word of caution.
«All children are lovely, but they dont always grow up that way,» shed say, then hastily add, «Not that Im saying thatll happen here, mind you.»
By the time Alice reached sixth form, shed blossomed into a tall, striking young womanthough her head had swollen along with her looks. She knew how to twist boys around her finger, batting her eyelashes to get whatever she wanted.
University didnt work out (shed dreamed of a degree, but grades werent her strong suit), so she settled for a college diploma in retail management instead.
«Darling,» her mother said, «why dont I get you a job in the lab at the factory? Nice clean work, no heavy liftingperfect for a delicate thing like you.»
«But what about my diploma?»
«Oh, who actually works in their field these days? And do you really want to mess about in shops?» Her mother had worked at the factory her whole lifeso naturally, Alice ended up there too.
As a lab technician, Alice grew even lovelier, if that were possible. Then she met Edward, an engineer from the next department. Their romance was quick and fierywithin months, he dropped to one knee.
«Marry me before someone else snatches you up,» he grinned.
«I suppose I will,» Alice smiled back.
The wedding was standard farefactory canteen, sausage rolls, and a modest crowd. Back then, everyones big day looked the same.
Soon after, Alice discovered she was expecting.
«Eddie, were going to be parents,» she announced.
«Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!» He kissed her, overjoyed.
Their daughter, Sophie, arriveda spitting image of her mother. Life was sweet.
But time changes things.
Alice returned from maternity leave a different womannot in looks, but in attitude. She decided she was royalty, and Edward? Well, he was just the help. He became the one raising Sophienursery pickups, bedtime stories, the lot. Meanwhile, Alice stayed late at work (or so she claimed). Edward knew the lab ran like clockworkno overtime neededbut he bit his tongue. The last thing he wanted was Sophie hearing her parents row.
«Edward, mate, saw your missus having dinner with the plant manager,» colleagues muttered. Hed just stare at his shoes.
«Whyd you marry a stunner, eh?» his mates would rib. «Pretty cakes always get sliced first.»
It was common knowledge Alice ran in fancier circles now. Shed taken up with Anthony, a high-flying Whitehall official who showered her with jewels and designer handbags.
Edward became a ghost in his own homecooking, cleaning, parenting, while Alice barked orders. Divorce crossed his mind, but he couldnt bear hurting Sophie.
Then came the financial crash.
Anthonys empire crumbled overnight. Fraud charges, investigationsthe lot.
«Alice, love, if anyone asks about me keep it vague, yeah?» hed muttered before vanishing into custody.
She got dragged into it tooquestioned, detained, terrified. When they finally let her go (no evidence), her reputation was toast. She crawled home feeling like shed swum through sewage.
Everything was gone. Savings drained, Edward had sold half their belongings just to keep her afloat during the mess. The factory sacked her. Edward quietly stopped calling her his wife, though he never filed for divorcefor Sophies sake. They lived like flatmates.
Once, he nearly left. Then Alicepride shatteredbegged:
«Dont go. Please. Ill do better.»
He stayed. But he couldnt stand to touch her.
«You slept with other men.»
«It was for us!» she snapped.
Then she strayed againthis time with a young assistant named Arthur.
But Alice was nothing if not resourceful. Borrowing money (steep interest, of course), she leased a souvenir kiosk in a tourist hotspot. Soon, she owned one shop, then two.
«Eddie, fetch me from HeathrowIm off to Turkey for stock,» shed order. Or Poland. Or: «Quit that dead-end job and help me!»
«Not cut out for retail,» hed shrug.
«But I need muscle!»
«Plenty of blokes needing work out there.»
So Arthur became her «assistant»wink, wink. Money rolled in. Edward knew. Sometimes hed mention it.
«If you paid me any attention, I wouldnt need Arthur,» shed snipe.
«You make my skin crawl,» hed reply.
Years flew. Sophie married and moved to Scotland. New Years Eve arrivedAlice jetted to China; Edward celebrated in Wales with mates. They reunited for Old New Year.
«Alice, what?» Edward gaped. «You look twenty years younger!»
No belly, no wrinklesjust the taut, toned Alice of yore.
«How much did that cost?»
She laughedhysterical, then cold. «Everything. Every last penny.» She shook her empty wrists, dumped her purse. «Chinese magicacupuncture, massages, the works.»
She couldnt age, not with Arthur around.
«Youre ancient,» she told Edward, spinning like a top. «Look at me!»
«Were the same age.»
More cackling. Edward withered.
Then the money dried up. Procedures werent cheap, and profits slumped. Then Edward had a heart attack. Hospital. Retirement. He aged decades in months.
«God, is that what Id look like?» Alice would muse, eyeing him, then the mirror.
«Stay with me awhile,» hed whisper.
«Cant. Times money, darling.»
One day, Arthur met her at the shop with a folder.
«Sign these.»
«What? Ive no time for paperwork.»
«Its not paperwork. Its ownership papers. These shops? Mine now. Run along.»
Lawyer visits followed.
«Alice, Im sorrytheres nothing to be done,» the solicitor said. «Everythings legally his.»
«Youre on his payroll! Name your price!»
«Alice,» he sighed, «I dont take dirty money. Those documents? You signed them.»
«But I thought they were temporary! While I was at the hospital with Edward!»
«Shouldve read the fine print. Or hired me sooner.»
«At your rates?» she sneered.
«Well, you skimped. Now youre skint.»
She slunk out, beaten. But by the time she got home, the gears were turning.
«I need money. Lots.»
«Alice the business?» Edward murmured.
«Gone. But I need cash.»
«Weve nothing left.»
«The flat, then.»
«Nonot that!»
«Well sell it, buy something cheap in Kent.»
«And whatll I do?»
«Ill get you a computer. Live online.»
«Live how?»
«Virtually!» She cackled.
Alice knew shed rise againlike a phoenix, always landing on her feet.
