Life After Death by Ice Cream

With a huff, Erik turned on his heel and stormed out of the salon. I watched him go, feeling a mix of satisfaction and lingering disgust. How on earth did the old Amara ever fall for that? The very thought made my stomach churn, like I'd just swallowed something rancid. Honestly, just thinking about it made me want to scrub my brain with bleach.

As if on cue, my parents entered the room. My mother, Helena Lyselle, was the first to speak, her eyes wide with surprise and a touch of admiration. "Amara, darling, did I just hear correctly? Did you finally kick that little weasel out of the house?"

My father, Gerald Lyselle, followed behind her, his expression a mix of shock and approval. "Well, I'll be damned. I didn't think you had it in you, kid."

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but inside I was doing mental cartwheels. "It was about time, don't you think? That playboy piece of trash has been draining me dry long enough."

Helena clapped her hands together, looking genuinely pleased. "Oh, thank goodness! I've been telling you for years, Amara, that Erik is nothing but a gold-digging pretty boy with zero substance."

Gerald nodded vigorously. "Exactly! The guy's all flash and no cash well, except for the cash he mooches off people like you. The man has the integrity of a wet paper towel."

"Honestly, what did you ever see in him?" Helena added, her voice laced with exasperation. "He's nothing more than a shallow, self-absorbed scoundrel who only cares about himself."

I grimaced, trying to suppress the mental images that came with that question. Good question, Mom. What did the old Amara see in him? Because all I see is a walking disaster with the personality of a cheap cologne. "I have no idea. It must have been temporary insanity."

"Must've been," Gerald agreed, chuckling. "Well, good riddance to bad rubbish. Now that you've finally seen the light, we can focus on more important things."

"Like getting you ready for your first day at Lyselle Media," Helena said with a gleam in her eye. "And speaking of which, you need to look the part. Most of your wardrobe is, well…let's just say it's not exactly business appropriate."

I looked down at my outfit a burgundy blouse paired with a decent pair of black pants. Not bad. But that was only because I had scrapped together one of the few decent pieces from my closet that wasn't a disaster. The rest of my wardrobe looked like a unicorn had exploded on it clashing colors, sequins, glitter, and more patterns than a kindergarten art project. A far cry from anything remotely suitable for a serious work environment.

"You're right. I could use a few things that scream 'I'm here to work, not to stumble home at 3 a.m. from some club.'"

"Exactly," Helena said with a satisfied nod. "Let's go shopping. We'll get you something more suitable for the office something that says 'I'm a serious professional who definitely doesn't hang around with leeches like Erik.'"

Gerald gave me an approving look. "It's about time you started acting like a Lyselle. We've got a reputation to maintain, after all. And I don't want to hear a peep about Erik ever again."

"Deal," I said with a grin. "I've officially wiped him from my memory."

With that, we headed out the door and into the luxurious car waiting outside. The drive to the city's upscale shopping district was filled with light chatter, mostly my parents discussing the latest gossip and upcoming business deals.

I tuned out, letting their voices blend into the background as I stared out the window, wondering how on earth I was going to manage everything.

Once we arrived at the shopping district, Helena wasted no time. She marched us straight into one of the high-end boutiques, her eyes scanning the racks with the precision of a hawk.

"We need to find something sharp and classy. Something that says 'I'm here to take over the world,' not 'I just rolled out of bed.'"

Gerald hung back, clearly not as enthusiastic about the shopping trip as my mother, but he gave a supportive nod. "Nothing too frilly, Helena. We don't want her looking like she's heading to a tea party."

Helena waved him off. "Of course not. We're going for power suits, clean lines, and maybe just a hint of 'don't mess with me'."

I chuckled, letting my mother take the lead. Helena had always been a force of nature, and when she had her mind set on something, there was no stopping her. At least she's using her powers for good this time, I thought as she shoved a pile of clothes into my arms and pushed me towards the dressing room.

As I tried on the various outfits sleek blazers, tailored trousers, and chic blouses I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Damn, I actually look like I know what I'm doing. The old Amara would have scoffed at these clothes, but I felt a sense of confidence I hadn't expected. Maybe this whole 'turning over a new leaf' thing isn't so bad after all.

After what felt like hours of trying on clothes, we finally settled on a few outfits that my mother deemed appropriate. I had to admit, I looked the part. Now I just had to make sure I could act the part too.

As we were leaving the boutique, shopping bags in hand, we rounded a corner and I nearly collided with someone. I looked up, my eyes widening in shock as I recognized the two people standing in front of me.

Elara, the heroine of this twisted world, was standing there in all her radiant glory. Her perfect, angelic face was framed by soft waves of golden hair, and she was dressed in a simple yet elegant outfit that made her look like she'd just stepped out of a fairy tale. But it wasn't Elara that made my blood run cold.

It was the man standing next to her. Erik.

I blinked, trying to process what I was seeing. What the hell is he doing here with Elara? This wasn't supposed to happen. The plot hadn't even started yet! I hadn't even begun my mission to protect her from that walking red flag.

["What in the name of all that is holy is going on?"] the system's voice echoed in my head, sounding just as bewildered as I felt.

["This isn't right. The timeline is all wrong. Erik shouldn't even be near Elara yet!"]