Doomed - Charles Leclerc

20

-Charles-

The sun began to set as Charles drove through the streets of Imola. He had arrived on Monday for some PR business and was gearing up for a busy schedule starting the next morning. As he turned left, his mind drifted to Aurora. His chest ached thinking about their encounter that morning. For someone who was supposed to be his wife, it didn't feel like it anymore. It felt like he needed to win her heart all over again, but he had no idea how he managed it the first time. It must have been a mix of circumstances that he didn't know how to recreate. Besides, coming across as desperate probably wasn't helping. Yet, how could he not feel desperate when the love of his life no longer looked at him with the same affection?

If he was being honest, what happened to Aurora really messed him up. He felt like he was drowning, unable to catch his breath. The worst part was that the person he wanted to talk to about his struggles was also the cause of his distress. He didn't want to burden her with his problems because she couldn't do anything about them. She didn't ask for this, and he didn't want to add to her troubles. Things were hard enough for her already. Still, he wanted to talk to her about everything, but he didn't know how. That's why he had been in therapy ever since her accident. He had been there that morning when he and Aurora had a disagreement. He couldn't tell her the truth because he didn't want to weigh her down with his mental state. But when she thought something was wrong, the look on her face made his chest ache. His lie, even though it was for her own good, made her put up even more walls. Now, they weren't even on speaking terms.

The universe had been cruel to him. First, he fell in love with this amazing woman. Then, she had a terrible accident and lost all her good memories of them. Just when he felt like they were getting closer again, and they finally kissed, they ended up in a place where he didn't even know if she wanted to talk to him. What had he done to deserve this? He knew he wasn't perfect, but really, universe?

As he tossed and turned in bed that night, he couldn't help but send her a text: "I hope you had a good day." She read the message almost immediately but didn't reply. He barely slept that night, fearing that his marriage might be ending. He didn't know how to show his love for her or how to win her heart again.

-

On Tuesday morning, Charles met Carlos and the PR team at the track. They were preparing to create some fun content for social media, including challenges and behind-the-scenes footage. The team wanted to capture the playful camaraderie between the two teammates to engage their fans. As Charles walked towards Carlos, he checked his phone once more, still not having heard from his wife.

"Hey, Charles!" Carlos greeted him with a grin. "Ready to show the fans some fun today?"

Charles forced a smile. "Yeah, let's do this."

The first activity was a go-kart race. Charles and Carlos were set to race against each other, and the team had set up a mini-track within the paddock area. They both put on their helmets and got into their karts. As the race began, Charles felt a brief moment of freedom, focusing only on the track and the competition with Carlos.

The race was close, with both drivers showcasing their skills. Just as they approached the final turn, Charles received a notification on his phone, which was mounted on the dashboard for safety. Distracted for a split second, he nearly lost control but managed to recover and cross the finish line just behind Carlos.

Carlos jumped out of his kart, cheering. "I won! That was close, man!"

The PR team surrounded them, capturing the excitement on camera. Charles took off his helmet and glanced at his phone. His heart sank. A picture of Aurora and Lando, hugging on a beach at night, had gone viral. The caption read, "New romance in the paddock? Aurora and Lando spotted in a cosy moment."

Charles felt a rush of anger and disbelief. "What the hell is this?" he muttered under his breath, his fingers tightening around the phone.

Carlos, noticing the change in Charles' demeanour, walked over. "What's wrong, Charles?"

Charles showed him the picture, his jaw clenched. "Did you know about this?"

Carlos looked at the photo, his eyes widening. "No, man, I had no idea. This must be a misunderstanding."

Charles couldn't contain his frustration. "A misunderstanding? It looks pretty clear to me."

The PR team sensed the tension and tried to intervene. "Hey, Charles, let's focus on the content for now. We can deal with this later."

Charles took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. "Fine, let's get this over with."

Throughout the rest of the day, Charles struggled to stay focused. His mind kept returning to the image of Aurora and Lando. As soon as they finished the day's activities, Charles retreated to his hotel room and called Aurora.

The phone rang several times before she picked up. "Hello?"

"Aurora, what's going on with you and Lando?" Charles demanded, unable to keep the edge out of his voice.

There was a pause before she replied. "Charles, it's not what you think. Lando and I were just talking."

"Just talking? At night? On a beach?" Charles' voice rose. "Do you have any idea how this looks?"

Aurora sighed. "I know it looks bad, but it wasn't like that. Apparently, we knew each other before my accident. You never mentioned that to me."

Charles clenched his fists, trying to control his emotions. "Maybe if you talked to me about it, or talked to me at all, I would have been able to tell you."

"That's not fair and you know it," she said. "It's not my fault I lost four years' worth of memories."

Charles took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I know, Aurora, but it isn't my fault either."

She didn't say anything after that, and after a few seconds, she hung up. Charles felt a mix of anger and sadness. The road ahead seemed even more uncertain now, but he knew he had to focus on his racing. For now, he had to put his personal troubles aside and face the challenges ahead, both on and off the track.