Life After Death by Ice Cream

"Thanks, Dad," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. "I'll do my best."

With a nod, my father led the way down the sleek, glass-lined corridor to his office, my mother walking beside him. The executive suite of Lyselle Media was every bit as luxurious as you'd expect from a top-tier entertainment company. The walls were lined with awards, framed posters of successful movies, and tastefully chosen art pieces. The entire space screamed success, power, and too much money.

We reached my father's office first, a large room with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the city skyline. His desk was a massive, dark wood piece that probably cost more than my car not that I'd ever really driven it. The room was immaculate, the shelves lined with books and binders organized by some unholy combination of color and size. A plush leather chair sat behind the desk, and two smaller chairs faced it, clearly meant for visitors , visitors who were likely scared out of their wits by the sheer intimidation factor of the place.

"This is where I spend most of my time," my father said, gesturing around the room. "You're welcome to come here if you need anything, but for now, we've set up a temporary desk for you outside."

Translation: You're our new secretary. Have fun with that.

I plastered a smile on my face and nodded. "Great! Can't wait to start… organizing things." Like my sanity.

My mother's office was next door, equally as impressive, but with a warmer touch. The walls were a soft cream, and there were fresh flowers on a side table. Her desk, while still enormous, was less intimidating and more functional. The sunlight streaming in made the room feel inviting, a sharp contrast to the cold, professional atmosphere of my father's office.

"This is where I handle the creative side of the business," she explained, adjusting a vase of lilies on her desk. "You'll be spending time here too, observing and learning. But don't worry, we won't throw you into the deep end just yet."

"Thanks, Mom," I said, relieved. The last thing I needed was to drown in a sea of spreadsheets and contracts. "I'm really excited to learn."

Excited. Sure. And pigs can fly.

They showed me to my "temporary" desk, which was just outside their offices, tucked into a corner. It was a simple setup a computer, a phone, and a stack of folders that I had no intention of opening unless someone held a gun to my head.

"For now, just get settled in," my father said. "Observe, take notes, and get a feel for how things work around here."

My mother nodded in agreement. "And don't be afraid to ask questions, darling. We're here to help."

With that, they left me alone in the office, closing the door behind them. The silence that followed was deafening, and I sat there for a moment, staring at the screen in front of me.

Okay, Amara, you've got this. You just have to… do nothing.

I drummed my fingers on the desk, my mind racing. How am I going to prove myself if all I'm doing is sitting here like a glorified paperweight?

My thoughts quickly turned to the real task at hand: figuring out how to get Elara into the company. That's when I remembered my newly acquired skill. Strategic Planning Skill (Level 1). It was supposed to help me create a solid plan for the company's future. I needed to use it to prove my worth to my parents and to myself.

Before I could dive into that, the system's voice chimed in, making me jump.

[Amara, I have news.]

I sighed. "Of course you do. Alright, hit me. What's the bad news?"

There was a brief pause before the system responded. [The bad news is that your complete and utter rejection of Erik has altered part of the plot.]

My heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, 'altered part of the plot'? How bad is it?"

[Well…] the system hesitated, and that was never a good sign. [Remember the day Erik came to visit and you… how do I put this… humiliated him?]

I smirked. "Yeah, that was a good day."

[Yes, well, it seems that your dismissal caused Erik to cross paths with Elara much earlier than intended.]

The system then flashed an image in my mind a scene of Erik storming out of the Lyselle Manor, his pride in tatters, only to run smack into Elara on the sidewalk. She was just passing by, probably on her way to save a kitten or some other goody-two-shoes nonsense.

"Oh, this can't be good," I muttered.

[Let's just say it was a… memorable encounter,] the system continued. [Erik, being the charming idiot that he is, decided to pester Elara immediately.]

The scene played out like a bad rom-com. Erik, ever the persistent fool, immediately tried to chat Elara up, leaning in with that smug grin plastered on his face.

Erik's Thoughts: This girl is way better than that uptight Amara. She's perfect a real heroine! And I'm the hero, so naturally, we belong together. This'll be easy.

Elara, on the other hand, looked like she was trying to decide whether to punch him in the face or run away. She clearly wasn't interested, but Erik was too dense to take the hint.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked, her tone polite but cold.

"Just thought you might want to grab a coffee sometime," Erik replied, flashing what he probably thought was a dazzling smile.

"Thanks, but I'm busy," Elara said, turning to leave.

Erik, being the persistent moron that he is, decided to follow her, continuing to blabber on about how they were meant to be. He was like a bad cold that just wouldn't go away.

The system and I watched as Elara's expression grew more and more irritated, but Erik just kept pushing, oblivious to her discomfort.

"He's like a human cockroach," I grumbled. "Why won't he just go away?"

The system snickered. [I don't know, but this is highly entertaining. Look, she's finally caving in just to get rid of him.]

Sure enough, Elara, clearly fed up, agreed to meet him for coffee just to shut him up. She didn't even try to hide her boredom as she walked away, leaving Erik to pat himself on the back for his "success."