The Promise of Tomorrow Chapter 1

One second, my online girlfriend had just sent me $5,200.

Her voice was sweet and soft. “Anything you want, baby. Just buy it.”

The next second, a stunningly beautiful woman swept my legs out from under me, and I landed flat on my face.

Her eyes were filled with disgust, her voice cold enough to freeze hell over.

“Get out. Don’t even think about touching me. I have a boyfriend.”

Holy crap. I thought I was about to meet my maker.

* * *

The moment the plane landed, my phone exploded with messages.

Baby, why aren’t you answering?

Talk to me, please don’t ignore me.

I smiled at the GIF of a fluffy kitten rubbing its face against the screen. My heart melted.

I’m here, babe! Just landed in Westport! I replied, dropping a pin of my location.

Almost instantly, a voice message came through. Her sweet voice was laced with a mix of concern and adoration. “Baby, why did you come by yourself? I was going to pick you up tomorrow. Was the flight exhausting?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” I cooed back. “And I know you’re busy with work.”

Hearing her chuckle on the other end made my ears burn.

A second later, a notification chimed.

Ten thousand dollars has been deposited into your account.

“Buy whatever you want,” she said. “Don’t you dare try to save my money.”

I loved it when she played the bossy rich girl.

This was my online girlfriend. We met on an international social media app. She’d teased me for eating instant noodles every day, and we just clicked.

I’m an art student, and one time I casually complained about how expensive and hard to find good supplies were overseas. Less than a week later, a complete set of top-of-the-line, imported art materials arrived at my door.

I’m scared of the dark, so every night she’d call and tell me stories in a soft, gentle voice until my breathing evened out and I was just about to fall asleep.

My heart was bursting with pink, fluffy clouds as I dragged my suitcase to the new boutique hotel my sister, Barb, had just opened. The front desk manager recognized me and handed me a keycard with a smile.

“Mr. Chen, your sister left instructions. This is for the penthouse suite. Please, go on up and get some rest.”

I was too giddy about finally meeting my girlfriend to pay much attention. I grabbed the card and headed for the top floor.

Now that school was out, I was back in the country, ready to meet the sweet, adorable girl I’d fallen for.

The door beeped open. I tossed my suitcase inside, but before I could even take in the ocean view I’d been dreaming of, the door behind me was pushed open again.

I assumed it was my sister. Grinning, I turned to jump into her arms. “Barb!”

The hug I expected never came.

My wrist was seized in an iron grip. A sharp, skillful force hit my ankle, and my world spun. A gasp caught in my throat.

Thump.

I landed hard, face-first on the plush carpet.

“Huh?” I was completely dazed. I looked up, tears welling in my eyes.

A tall woman, at least five-foot-nine, stood over me in a simple black dress. She looked down at me with cold, sharp eyes. Her face was stunningly beautiful, in an aggressive, “don’t mess with me” kind of way.

“Get out,” she said, her voice laced with a lethal dose of contempt. “Who gave you the nerve to try and climb into my bed?”

My head was spinning. “Who are you? This is my room!”

“Your room?” She laughed as if it were the funniest joke she’d ever heard.

Just then, Barb burst in, stopping dead when she saw me on the floor and the goddess of death standing over me.

“Barb!” I scrambled behind her like she was my savior. “She pushed me! Avenge me!”

Barb shielded me, giving the woman an awkward smile. “Hera, it’s a misunderstanding! This is my little brother, Leo! This is Hera, a… a good friend.”

I clung to Barb’s arm. “The front desk said this was my room!”

Barb smacked her forehead. “Oh, you little disaster! The front desk messed up. Your room is next door. I have your keycard!” She pulled out another keycard.

I looked at the card in her hand, then at the one I’d used to open this room, and my brain short-circuited.

I found out later that because it was peak season, Barb had last-minute given the penthouse to her VIP guest, Hera. She’d told the front desk to “put my brother next door,” but in the rush, they’d never updated the system and gave me the master keycard for the suite.

Barb dragged me out of the room, her heart still pounding. “Leo, for the love of God, do not mess with her. That’s Hera Seimetz, of the Westport Seimetzs. She’s rich, powerful, and has a temper that could curdle milk. She’s been raised to take over the family empire, and she’s like this with everyone. Pissing her off is like kicking a hornets’ nest.”

I rubbed my sore knee. “So what if she decides to come after me?”

Barb sighed, then rolled her eyes at my hopeful expression. “What, you want me to be your human shield? Not a chance.” But seeing my reddened knee, she stuck her chin out. “But if she really tried to hurt you, I’d… I’d definitely have a word with her!”

Then she muttered, “You’re lucky, though. She’s been in an online relationship recently. Spends all day giggling at her phone. She probably doesn’t have time to deal with you.”

I thought of my own gentle, sweet girlfriend. Thank God my girl was nothing like this Hera.