["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!"]
No kidding, I thought, struggling to keep my face neutral. This was not how things were supposed to go. I'd only just managed to kick Erik to the curb, and now he was parading around with Elara, the heroine of this whole messed-up story? It was like the universe was playing some cruel joke on me.
As if things couldn't get worse, Erik noticed me staring and had the audacity to smirk. His arm draped casually around Elara's shoulders, and the look in his eyes was pure arrogance. He looked proud of himself, like he'd upgraded from a worn-out old model to a shiny new one. What a bastard.
[Favorability -5 with Elara. This makes -10 Favorability.]
The notification hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart sank as I realized that just standing there, looking like I'd been smacked with a fish, had made Elara hate me even more. I hadn't even said a word, and somehow, I'd dug myself deeper into this pit of negative favorability.
I want to cry. The thought was sudden and overwhelming. What was I supposed to do? I hadn't even opened my mouth, and now I was even more despised by the one person I was supposed to protect.
["This is… This is a catastrophe,"] the system muttered, sounding just as defeated as I felt.
["I have no idea how to fix this. The plot is completely off the rails. I'll need to… I'll need to leave for a bit to figure out what's going on."]
Leave? I thought, panicking. Now?
["I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise,"] the system added hurriedly. ["But this… This needs to be sorted out. I can't help you if I don't know what we're dealing with."]
And just like that, the system went silent, leaving me alone with my swirling thoughts and the sinking realization that I was in deep, deep trouble.
My parents, oblivious to the turmoil inside me, continued down the street, chatting about mundane things like where to have dinner.
I trailed behind them, my mind a mess. I couldn't stop thinking about that awful notification. Minus ten favorability? Already? The plot hadn't even begun properly, and I was already at a huge disadvantage.
And it wasn't like I had some grand plan to win Elara over, either. I had six days to recruit her for the company, and at this rate, I'd be lucky if she didn't set fire to the building just to spite me.
Once we got back to the car, I climbed in, still reeling from the encounter. My parents, however, seemed unfazed.
"Did you see how quickly Erik switched gears after you dumped him?" my mother, Helena, said with a scoff. "That boy is absolutely shameless. Can't get what he wants from one person, so he just moves on to the next. Disgusting."
"I always knew he was a slippery little snake," my father, Gerald, chimed in, shaking his head. "Good riddance. We're better off without him sniffing around our family."
I nodded numbly, but my mind was elsewhere. Forget Erik. He was the least of my problems now. The real issue was that Elara hated me even more than she did before, and I had absolutely no idea how to fix it. Should I laugh at the absurdity of it all, or just break down and cry?
As if sensing my internal turmoil, my mother placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"Don't let that scumbag get to you, Amara. You did the right thing by getting rid of him."
"Yeah," I mumbled, offering a weak smile. But it's not Erik that's the problem, Mom. It's the heroine who can't stand the sight of me.
The rest of the ride home passed in a blur. My parents continued their conversation about Erik and his many, many flaws, while I just stared out the window, barely listening. It was nearly evening by the time we pulled up to the manor, the setting sun casting long shadows across the lawn.
Dinner that night was a quiet affair. I poked at my food, my appetite completely gone. My parents talked about the usual things business, upcoming events, the latest gossip in high society but all I could think about was how I was going to turn this around.
The system had left me to deal with this mess on my own, and I was completely lost.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, dinner was over, and I retreated to my room. The moment I closed the door behind me, I slumped against it, feeling the weight of the day finally crash down on me. How did everything go so wrong, so quickly?
Just this morning, I'd been worried about impressing my parents and making it through the first day at the company. Now, I was facing the possibility of complete and utter failure before I'd even begun.
I moved to the bed and flopped down on it, staring up at the ceiling. The system had said it would be back, but when? And what was I supposed to do in the meantime?
I only had six days to recruit Elara, and so far, all I'd managed to do was make her hate me more. How was I supposed to convince her to join the company when she couldn't even stand the sight of me?
The worst part was that I didn't even know why she hated me. Sure, the old Amara had been a spoiled brat, but she'd never even met Elara before that fateful day in the restaurant.
All it had taken was one look, and I'd gone from zero to negative five in favorability. Now, after today's encounter, I was at negative ten. What was next? Negative fifty? Would she start actively plotting my demise?
I groaned and covered my face with my hands. This is impossible.
But then, a small voice in the back of my mind reminded me of something: the skill I'd been granted by the system. Strategic Planning Skill (Level 1). It wasn't much, but it was something. If I could just figure out a plan a really good plan I might have a shot at turning this around.
Okay, Amara, think. I pulled my hands away from my face and sat up, trying to focus. What do I know about Elara? What does she want? What's her dream?
The problem was, I didn't have much to go on. The system had given me the basics when I first arrived, but that wasn't enough. I needed to dig deeper, find out what made her tick. Only then could I come up with a plan to get her on my side.
But how was I supposed to do that when she wouldn't even look at me without glaring daggers?
I sighed, realizing that this was going to be a lot harder than I'd thought. I needed information, and I needed it fast. Maybe I could ask around, get some intel on Elara from people who knew her better.
But then again, that could backfire spectacularly if I wasn't careful. The last thing I needed was for Elara to find out I was snooping on her. That would only push me deeper into the negative favorability abyss.
So, that left me with…what, exactly? Stalking her? Trying to bump into her "accidentally on purpose" and hope she didn't claw my eyes out?
Great plan, Amara. Just brilliant.
I fell back onto the bed with a frustrated sigh. This isn't going to work. I'm doomed.
As I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, a new thought crossed my mind something that hadn't occurred to me before. What if I just let it all go? What if I stop trying to force this narrative and just…let things happen?
It was a dangerous thought, but also a tempting one. The system was gone, the timeline was messed up, and I was in way over my head. Maybe the best thing to do was to stop fighting it, to let things unfold naturally, and see where that took me.
But even as I entertained the idea, I knew I couldn't do it. I'd made a promise to myself, to the system, and in some weird way, to Elara. I couldn't just give up now, not when things were this bad. If anything, I needed to fight harder, to be smarter, to figure out a way to turn this disaster around.
Six days, I reminded myself. You've got six days to fix this.