We're in This Together

Episode 58

Charles Pov :

Today is the British Grand Prix day, and all the drivers were preparing for the race in their respective garages. While I was doing some warm-up exercises in my room, one of my team members came in.

"Charles," he called out as he swung the door open.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"The boss is calling," he said briefly before walking out again, leaving the door open, which made me frown slightly. After he left, I quickly put on my race suit and stepped out of my room to meet with our Ferrari Team Principal.

As I arrived at the garage, I immediately spotted my teammate, Carlos. He was already in conversation with our Principal. It seemed he had also been summoned to the meeting. When they noticed my arrival, both turned towards me.

"Hello, Charles," our Team Principal greeted me.

"Hello," I replied with a small smile.

"How is your day, guys?" he asked us both.

"Yeah, everything is fine," Carlos responded quickly, and I nodded in agreement.

"Well, glad to hear that," he added, then paused briefly before continuing. "I want to talk to both of you about today's race," he said, looking at us, causing a slight worry to rise in my chest. "We need to be on the podium today," he stated firmly. "We have to do our best and earn points from this race," he added. "Do you guys understand?" he asked, and Carlos and I nodded in acknowledgment.

"Moreover, Charles," the principal addressed me directly. "You need to win a Grand Prix, boy," he continued, looking me in the eyes. "Carlos already got his win in the previous Singapore race," he paused and pointed to Carlos. "Now it's your turn, Charles. You need to bring home a Grand Prix victory this year, starting with this race. Do you understand?" he asked, gripping my shoulder.

"I understand," I whispered, and he nodded, patting my shoulder.

"Don't forget why you are in this team, and don't forget to carry on Jules' legacy," he added, turning to leave the garage. But before he stepped out, he made another statement that left me numb inside.

"You have to fulfill many tasks for Jules. Don't forget that, Charles," he said, disappearing from the garage, leaving us alone. While I was lost in thought about his words, Carlos grabbed my shoulder.

"Don't let it get to you too much, Charles," he said, squeezing my shoulder gently. "You are already talented; just don't overthink it," he added, trying to reassure me. I quickly put on a wide smile, masking the turmoil inside my head. 

"I am fine, Carlos. Thanks, mate," I replied, and he nodded in acknowledgment.

"Alright then. See you later on the track," he said with a small smile before stepping out of the garage. Once he left, I walked back to my room, locked the door, and sat on the floor. I let out a huge sigh, covering my face with my hands. The looks of disappointment were still clear in my mind. People had been looking at me like that ever since I started losing races.

Some people say I only have a seat at Ferrari because of Jules, not because of my talent. At first, I ignored those rumors and focused on my work. But the longer I went without winning, the more I started to believe them. 'Am I really here just because of Jules? Not because of my talent?' These questions kept gnawing at me. I sighed again, rested my head against the door, and looked up at the ceiling before mumbling to myself.

"What should I do, Jules?" I whispered, closing my eyes. As I rested, I heard a knock on the door.

"Charles, the race is about to start soon," my engineer announced, knocking on the door.