Page 9 of The Wrong Promise

“No, he had to rush back to the office for a crisis meeting,” Franklin says offhandedly, as though it happens all the time.

My shoulders relax, and I push the weird disappointment out of my head, taking it as a change of luck with something going my way for once.

My cell pings with an email.

Dear Zara,

We received your email and intent to work with us in our London office.We will look over your credentials and be in contact within the week.

Yours sincerely,

Anthony Warburton

Warburton Investment

Oh, my God, it’s happening. He was good on his word.

Heat creeps up into my cheeks, remembering more about last night. I take a deep breath to compose myself before taking a seat beside Penny, tucking away my phone. The way Hugh is staring at me, he notices something is up.

Are you okay? he mouths.

I nod with a smile.

I love my friends, but I’m ready for my own journey.

I am more than okay.

3

ZARA

Four months later…

How does one measure happiness?

Research suggests certain theories, yet I am testing them in my own way. I’m living with the freedom of anonymity—not shadowed by my own past, by the person back home everyone knows me to be. People in London only know me at face value based on the woman I present when we first meet. A new country, a fresh new start, and a new timeline of happiness.

The warm feeling in my chest is an indicator of where the scale of happiness is stuck. Firmly on yellow. Sunshine in my heart.

Prior to leaving LA, my friends warned me about the dreary weather, and even though it’s the first week of October, in my mind, it feels like a hot summer day. I’vebeen here for a month, and already I’m loving everything about the city—the architecture, friendly people, and traditional bars.

Before starting my new job, I toured the sights from daylight to dark. On my first day, I rode on a red double-decker bus, and then stopped off at The Tower of London, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. Then I spent a week visiting castles. There is plenty of sightseeing, and with the recommendation of my new work friends, I’ll be traveling around the country every weekend for the next ten years. Living in London signifies my deep love for royalty, so I eagerly absorbed the history. This is my new home, and I refuse to be ignorant about the country’s heritage.

I’m stuck in fascination mode, and everything about the country is like a shiny new toy. It’s only been three weeks since I began working in the heart of the city and within walking distance from my hotel. Some nights are split between visiting an old-time pub and the cocktail bars closer to my hotel. The other half of the week, I stay in my hotel room to work on extra projects for the company and gain my footing in this new role while trying to set myself apart from the team in the event that a promotion opportunity arises. If I’m going to do what I said and accelerate my career, I need to be committed and stay up as late working as I do on pub nights.

While I love trendy cocktail bars, like the ones I frequented with my friends in LA, the old-time bars give a timeless feel since they have been around for centuries. As long as I’m not expected to quote Shakespeare, I have slipped into discussions relatively easily, especially since topics with my work colleagues have moved beyond questions about living in Los Angeles and why I moved when Hollywood was at my doorstep.

A career change and making a name for myself as aprofessional is my response because every time I think about home, tears threaten to unhinge me, and I question my decision.

Penny.

Hugh.

Every morning, when I open my eyes, I think about them, their families, and how happy they are. Taking the risk and creating a new life is hard when all I want to do is hug my best friends.

And Penny’s baby.

Being mindful of my happiness and not feeling like the worst best friend is more difficult than I thought.

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