Hello, Cupcake!

by Alan Orloff

About the Author: Alan Orloff has published eight novels, including PRAY FOR THE INNOCENT. His debut mystery was an Agatha Award finalist; his flash piece, “Happy Birthday” (Shotgun Honey) was a Derringer Award finalist; and “Rule Number One” (first appearing in Level Best Book’s SNOWBOUND) was selected for THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES 2018, edited by Louise Penny and Otto Penzler. www.alanorloff.com

Excerpt

Every evening after dinner, Tammy retreated to the computer in her den, flitting from one social media site to another for hours, seeking refuge from her long-decaying marriage to Brad, a now-rich, son-of-a-bitch who had been treating her like dirt for the better part of a decade.

One of these days—a day fast approaching—she would screw up her courage and divorce the bastard, taking him for every cent she could squeeze from his XXL body.

Now, dinner dined and dishes done, Tammy fired up the computer on her desk and waited for it to finish booting before she could lose herself in the virtual world of cyberspace, safe for the moment from Brad’s condescending attitude and verbal abuse. Not that the Internet was without hostility. There, though, when trolls crawled from the shadows and launched an attack, you could simply close the window and be done with them. If only it were that easy with Brad.

When her homepage appeared on-screen, an email subject line caught her attention:

Tammy, You’re Invited to ReKonnect!

She clicked open the email. You’re invited to join ReKonnect, the new social media site that allows you to renew past acquaintances, rekindle past loves, restart old relationships, and return to those friends and family members you may have lost touch with. Using our unique “rejection-proof” system, you can search out people from your past without them knowing about it. Only if BOTH parties agree will a rekonnection be made.

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