The time had come for a new start. Giving up wine during the week had been hard, but she’d done it. Giving up the cakes had been harder, but she’d done it. Just. Taking out the gym membership had been the hardest. That was when it had all begun to unravel...
It was supposed to have been a step forward, but the second Becky entered the changing rooms of the Venus and Adonis Health Club, she felt as if she had stepped back in time.
‘Becky French! Is that you?’ squealed Janice Parker.
‘We haven’t seen you since school!’ shrieked Susan Gregg.
Alice Trent smiled slyly. ‘You haven’t changed a bit.’
And suddenly Becky felt unbearably self-conscious. The way she’d felt 20 years before as plain Becky French, the 12-yearold who never had the ‘right’ clothes or made the ‘right’ friends.
‘Hello,’ said Becky weakly. ‘You haven’t changed either.’ Which wasn’t true. Janice, Susan and Alice, looking toned and trim, were even more attractive.
By the time Becky nervously emerged from the changing rooms, the three women, dressed in skintight, exotically coloured leotards were already furiously twisting and stretching in front of floor-to-ceiling mirrors. She saw them take in her baggy T-shirt and jogging bottoms.
‘So,’ said Janice, bending so low her nose was practically brushing the floor, ‘how have you been keeping? Married?’
‘No,’ said Becky, desperately wishing there was someone else she could talk to.
‘Boyfriend?’ Susan enquired, alarmingly lifting one leg up to a high bar.
Denne historien er fra September 25, 2023-utgaven av WOMAN - UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 25, 2023-utgaven av WOMAN - UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
TV & REVIEWS
Our pick of what to watch this week, plus the best podcasts and new books...
Beryl's BOUTIQUE
Her heart had been closed for business, but was it time to open up?
Finally I'm a size 10 JUST LIKE MY TWIN!
Eve Little and her twin sister Hayley supported each other through a life-changing journey
Stop bad breath embarrassing you
Party season means you could be getting 'up close and personal' with your nearest and dearest, so don't let poor oral health hold back your fun...
Get moving to beat that low mood
Look, I know it's November. The days are shorter (like our patience) and darker (like, sometimes, our mood) and moving our body gets pushed further down the must-do list. We hunker down and become insular.
Married to a MONSTER
Samantha Treanor, 33, thought she'd never escape her violent partner
MORE BAD NEWS FOR MEGHAN...
Hot on the heels of stories in the US press about the Sussexes being extremely difficult to work for, comes another body blow.
ANXIETY is part of who I am'
TV cook Nadiya Hussain on ageing, her career goals and pushing boundaries
SEPARATE LIVES
Has the shine come off their fairy tale, questions royal biographer Duncan Larcombe
NEVER too late
Catriona had regrets about the past - but perhaps it was time to embrace her future