A Second Chance (Chapter Four)

Unknown to Alexander, Christine had got into trouble. Her regular visits to gambling dens coupled with her rudimentary skills at gambling had landed her in debts that she could not pay. A whooping sum of one hundred thousand in her name caused her to panic and also to finally wake up to the scum that Jeremy was. However, she had no guts to ask Alexander for help. Thus, when Jeremy slyly suggested prostitution to help pay off her debts, Christine took it up as a last resort. She knew there was no way for her return and thus, she began to service men in her apartment and needless to say, Jeremy was her first customer. At the same time, Christine found out that Jeremy was the culprit who sent them all that email so many months before. He was angry that he did not have a chance to head up that project and had since then strive to drive the project underground by leading Christine, who was one of the co-leaders, astray. However, it was too late for Christine when she found out. She had lost everything, including herself.

Christine was miserable. She despised herself for being so stupid to have underestimated Jeremy. She tried to kill herself and each time, she was forcibly stopped by Jeremy, who was secretly profiting from her prostitution by acting as her pimp. Her life deteriorated so much that Mannical gave her the sack because she did not turn up for work for a week.

A few nights after Christine left Mannical, Alexander visited Christine at her house against his better judgement. However, this was also the turning point in both their lives.

‘Christine! Are you there?’ Alexander knocked on her door and was surprised to find it open. He walked in and closed it, planning to lecture her on the safety of locked doors. But what he saw next shocked him to the core that all thoughts of the lecture fled from his mind. It also explained the unlocked door.

‘Thank you Honey. You are wonderful as usual.’ An unruly man walked out of the bedroom half dressed. Seeing Alexander, the man grinned and gave him a slap on the back. ‘She is great but expensive!’ he said and walked out, leaving a stack of hundred dollar bills on the table.

In a daze, Alexander walked into the bedroom to find Christine lying on the bed with the blanket pulled to her chin. ‘Are you next?’ Christine asked dreamily as she gestured for him to go over.

‘CHRISTINE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?’ Alexander yelled in shock and anger as he took in what he saw. Christine jumped visibly and her eyes widen in horror as she realised that Alexander was standing in the room.

‘Alex...I...I...I don’t know, Alex. I am lost.’ Christine said brokenly.

‘Oh Christine. What have you done to yourself?’ Alexander stood there not knowing what to do. He wanted to walk over to give Christine a hug but he did not dare to, not in the current states that both of them were in.

‘Alex...I am lost. Don’t mind me. Leave now while you can.’ Christine said, breaking the silence between them.

‘No, I will not. Tell me what happened.’ Alexander demanded and sat down at a chair in the room and waited. He was determined to get Christine out of her situation, no matter what it would take. His love for Christine urged him to bring her out of her misery. He knew that he was her own ray of hope now.

Slowly Christine began to tell him what happened. Her story with Shawn, her escape to Kuala Lumpur, their growing friendship and her fears, her downward spiral with Jeremy, the subsequent gambling and debts that she had and the final push to prostitution. Alexander wept together with Christine when he heard the whole story. His heart ached for this beautiful rose who had met so many trials in her life. He vowed to himself that he would protect her from now on.

Alexander paid up the debts that Christine had left with all his life savings and took her back to Singapore. He left the project team in Mannical and took up another position with the company. Slowly, he began to help Christine to build up her life again. Alexander encouraged Christine to start afresh and helped her to get a job at one of his friend’s company which was located near to Mannical. And he began to fetch her to and fro work every day again. Their friendship began to mend and Christine grew happier each day as she moved back into society.

However, she refused to go into a relationship with Alexander. She claimed that she was too dirty for him and she would never have a relationship again. She could not let go of her past but hold on to it like it was her best friend. This strain in her life hindered Christine from making friends again. She avoided men in general and would suspect their motives whenever they spoke to her. This fear crippled Christine from having a normal friendship and she even avoided her close friends.

Alexander was heartbroken and worried for his love. He had to make a choice. And he did. Alexander brought Christine to his church. He believed that only God could provide the miracle that Christine needed. After a few months, Christine accepted Christ and it was then that her life began to change for the better. As Christine slowly grew in God, she also began to experience more positive changes in her life. She saw that her past actions did not matter as much as what she would do to her future. Gradually, Christine let go of her baggage and learned to love again. After 2 years, she finally accepted Alexander’s love and confessed that she had loved him all along too.