During the F1 Grand Prix, my race car suddenly lost control and careened off the track.
But instead of my airbag deploying, a series of balloon-popping sounds exploded right by my ears.
And my genius engineer fiancé, Declan Hayes, was there, laughing hysterically with his assistant, Willow Greene:
“So this is a top-tier racer, huh? Can’t even tell the difference between an airbag and a balloon!”
I clung to my last shreds of consciousness and asked:
“Did you tamper with the car?”
Declan looked completely indifferent:
“Oh, Aurora, don’t blame me. Willow wanted a shot at the race too. If you’d taken first, she wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
I stopped arguing. Mustering my last breath, I dialed a number:
“Pick me up in seven days. I’ve agreed to your terms.”
All cameras instantly swiveled to me.
The commentator at the scene gasped:
“Oh my god! Top racer Aurora Reed has just made the first major mistake of her career!”
“Ambulances are already on site. Could this be the end of Aurora Reed’s racing career?!”
All my fans were on edge, worried sick.
But Declan snatched my phone away:
“It was just a joke! Do you really have to be so dramatic?”
Willow, standing beside him, chimed in with a look of feigned hurt:
“Exactly! Aurora, you created such a live stream moment! We hit over a million viewers!
“You’ll definitely be trending now. With this much exposure, you can snag tons of endorsement deals!”
Willow held the live stream camera, zoomed in on her beauty filter, and flaunted it in front of me, making sure more people saw my pathetic state.
“She’s so stupid! Can’t even tell airbags from balloons! And she calls herself a pro racer?”
“The legendary female racer? She’s nothing special, just riding on men’s connections.”
“Get out of the car, you brainless bimbo! Seriously, put a bone on the steering wheel, and a dog would drive better than you!”
I watched the live stream comments explode before my eyes.
Declan, meanwhile, was happily enjoying the show.
I stared at him in disbelief:
“So, you just agreed to her replacing the airbags for a live stream gimmick?”
Faced with my accusation, Declan grew impatient:
“You just signed a brand deal. If you don’t trend, how will the brand get exposure? I’m doing this for your own good.”
Willow overheard him and immediately looked heartbroken:
“Aurora, why are you talking like that? You’re not blaming me, are you?”
Before I could reply, her tears started to fall.
Then, she didn’t forget to aim the beauty-filtered camera at herself and sob into the live stream:
“I saw Aurora had been in closed training recently and wasn’t getting much exposure, so I wanted to help her boost her popularity. That’s why I thought of this prank.”
“A top racer being relatable and funny? That’s amazing for popularity!”
“Now the whole platform is buzzing, but she’s not thanking me, she’s yelling at me.”
“But why is she doing this to me?”
“Guys, you’ve got to help me out and tell me if this is fair!”
The comments section instantly filled up:
“Willow is so pitiful! Trying to do something nice and getting yelled at. It’s just so hard to be a good person!”
“Aurora is totally washed up, right? She blames everyone else because she can’t stay relevant. Classic move for someone who can’t handle not being in the spotlight.”
“Seriously, it was just a little prank. Is it really necessary to escalate things? She’s as fragile as glass.”
“Aurora crashed her own car and blames others? Why doesn’t she blame her shaky hands?”
“I always heard Racer Reed was jealous and bullied the female assistant around Engineer Hayes. Now I see it for real!”
I was so furious, my vision blurred.
Willow had only become Declan’s assistant because of me.
She had just graduated, struggling to find a job, when she bumped into me.
Declan had been complaining to me around that time that the team’s workload was too heavy and he needed an assistant.
So, I brought Willow back and had her help out with the racing team.
But I never expected that over time, Declan and she would get involved.
Not only did he protect Willow at every turn, but he was also adamant about helping Willow, who had no racing experience or talent, become a racer.
He took the top-tier, fifty-million-dollar engine I bought and put it in her car.
Then he gave me a beat-up, secondhand engine for mine, saying:
“A true racer is never limited by their equipment.”
But I never expected that I would still take first place with that junk car.
Willow’s face was utterly disgusted.
I didn’t think much of it at the time, focusing solely on my training.
I never imagined she would tamper with my car at the World F1 Championship and replace my airbags with balloons!
Not just the commentators, but even the fans on site were stunned.
They shouted:
“Check the car! That’s Aurora Reed! Her car must have been tampered with!”
“No cheating in racing! There must be something wrong!”
Even the commentator frantically yelled:
“Aurora is known for her cautious racing style! How could she make such a huge mistake?!”
“Didn’t her engineer notice any issues with the car?”
At that, Declan’s face darkened.
As I was being stretchered off the track by the paramedics, I could still hear the uproar from the stands.
Some spectators who had bet on me winning angrily hurled rocks and bottles at me.
I immediately started bleeding from my head.
As I lay there, covered in blood, reporters swarmed, camera flashes exploding.
“Aurora, did you intentionally cause this accident because you were jealous of Willow?”
“Rumor has it your relationship with Declan is strained. Was this accident a deliberate publicity stunt?”
“Netizens are saying your acting is superb, that there was nothing wrong with the airbag. How do you respond?”
Before I could even speak, Declan stepped in front of me and declared with a righteous expression:
“She’s just been under too much stress, and her mental state has been unstable recently. I hope everyone will stop hounding her.”
His words caused a stir among the reporters.
“So, you’re saying she does have psychological issues?”
“I heard Aurora previously showed symptoms of mental illness due to declining performance. Is that true?”
“Engineer Hayes is so considerate, even covering for her.”
I stared at him, numb.
He didn’t even glance at me when he said that.
Willow stood behind him, eyes red-rimmed, murmuring:
“Aurora has been really exhausted lately. Last night, she even ripped up all her design plans, saying she wanted to ruin this race.”
She looked understanding, pitifully vulnerable.
The media cameras instantly focused on her.
Someone quietly sighed:
“What a thoughtful girl, even defending Aurora.”
Declan instinctively pulled her behind him:
“Don’t film her. If you want to film anyone, film Aurora. Willow is just an assistant, don’t involve innocent people.”
That protective gesture completely ignited the fuse of public opinion.
#Aurora Goes Insane#
#Racing Goddess Falls#
#Declan Protects Willow Like Treasure#
In just five minutes, seven trending topics exploded.
Mr. Blackwood, the club owner, was so furious he cursed me out right beside my stretcher:
“Aurora, do you have any idea how much sponsorship money this accident cost us?!”
“Declan warned you repeatedly to check your car, but you wouldn’t listen!”
“Three hundred million dollars in breach of contract fees! And it’s all on you!”
Coach Miller also had a frosty expression:
“I told you your emotions have been too volatile lately; you shouldn’t have been on the track.”
“Willow will replace you at the club. You can go scrub toilets for all I care!”
“At least Willow listens, unlike you, always doing whatever you want!”
The rest of the race crew glared at me, not a single person speaking up in my defense.
Reporters’ microphones practically jabbed at my face:
“Aurora, are you jealous Willow is taking your endorsements?”
“Did you tamper with the car yourself and then try to frame Declan?”
I lay on the stretcher, coughing up blood, and let out a desperate laugh:
“I almost died on that track, and you’re all making up stories for a trending topic. How creative.”
“This was all Willow’s doing—”
“Aurora!”
Declan cut me off sharply, then turned to the media:
“She’s been through a lot; she’s not thinking straight. Please don’t pay attention to her words.”
Willow also quickly stepped forward, taking my place, tears streaming down her face:
“Declan, don’t blame Aurora. She just misunderstood…”
As she spoke, she even clasped my hand:
“Aurora, I know you don’t like me, but I truly didn’t mean any harm.”
Her voice trembled, as if I were the aggressor.
The surrounding reporters raised their cameras in unison.
In the lenses, she was tearfully pleading, while my face was a picture of fury.
It was clear who looked more like the perpetrator.
Suddenly, the entire internet sided with Willow Greene.
The club’s board of directors expressionlessly announced:
“Effective today, all of Aurora Reed’s racing qualifications are suspended pending an internal investigation.”
“Declan and Willow will take over from Aurora to complete the races and promotional events.”
This news quickly spread throughout the racing circuit.
The commentator exclaimed excitedly:
“Aurora’s mistake this time was clearly due to a problem with the car!”
“Yet the club’s top brass chose to directly replace Aurora!”
“Does this mean Willow will become the new rising star to replace Aurora?!”
The fans in the audience were outraged:
“This isn’t fair! They made this decision without fully investigating the car!”
“Aurora is being wronged!”
But their cries were soon drowned out by the applause for Willow.
I struggled to take my phone from the paramedics.
A flood of comments instantly assailed my eyes like venomous snakes.
“Crazy woman still wants to ruin someone else’s future?”
“Declan is such a good guy; he’s still sticking by her.”
“Willow is so unlucky to be dragged into this mess.”
“Aurora, get out of racing. Don’t embarrass the country.”
As my head reeled, Declan came over to me.
He dismissed all the medical staff.
“Aurora, I’ve already suppressed the trending topics about this for you.”
“As long as you immediately release a statement, clear Willow of any involvement, and admit it was your own operational error and mental instability, I’ll let you receive treatment.”
I looked at him coldly:
“If you and Willow hadn’t tampered with my car, I never would have crashed! And I wouldn’t be like this now!”
“This wasn’t my fault to begin with. I won’t release any statement!”
Declan looked at me coldly, a smile playing on his lips:
“Then don’t blame me.”
“Aurora, for every day you refuse to speak up, you won’t receive treatment.”
“You can just lie here and die!”
“No! You almost ruined Willow; I’ll make you suffer more than death itself.”
Declan was true to his word.
Soon after, the front page of “International Racing Times” featured my terrified, distorted face.
The headline read:
Aurora Reed’s Loss of Control: A Self-Directed Tragedy.
My disheveled appearance was perfectly captured.
I became the laughingstock of the world.
All my sponsors terminated their contracts, and the club canceled my agreement.
Even my fan clubs were all disbanded.
They all flocked to Willow Greene, calling her the new “Racing Goddess” and “Racing Darling.”
Collapsing in the lounge, I lay half-conscious and hazy for a long time before I finally came to.
When I woke, the stark white lights hit my face, making my eyes ache.
Declan walked in.
He frowned, glanced at my gruesome wounds, and was uncharacteristically silent for a moment.
But then, his voice low and hoarse, he said:
“Aurora, just admit your mistake, and I’ll send you to the hospital immediately.”
I looked up at him:
“What ‘mistake’ are you referring to? That I didn’t die, or that I didn’t kneel and thank Willow Greene for tampering with my car?”
“Aurora!”
Just as he was about to say something, Willow burst in, clutching her phone.
She looked anxious and wronged:
“Declan! This is bad!”
“All the major media outlets are reporting that Aurora used performance-enhancing drugs during the race, and all her previous achievements are being canceled!”
My head snapped up, the color instantly draining from my face.
“What?”
She held the screen out to Declan, her fingertips trembling slightly:
“It’s an official announcement. It says the International Testing Center confirmed she violated rules multiple times.”
On the video interface, the red seal of the International Racing Association was glaring.
It clearly stated:
Aurora Reed repeatedly refused random drug tests, suspected of using performance enhancers to boost reaction time.
I almost shrieked:
“It’s fake!”
“Declan! You know this is all fake!”
Even Declan was startled now; his pupils constricted, and a hint of unbearable pity crossed his face.
Everyone knew that for a racer, past achievements were more important than life itself.
Just then, Willow suddenly covered her mouth and cried:
“Declan, this is all my fault.”
“I just casually asked a testing official that day if they had Aurora’s sample, and they just…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence, choking back sobs.
“Act! Just keep acting!”
“Willow Greene! Even if you ruin me, you won’t get anything that’s mine!”
I had endured too much in these few hours, making my emotions spiral out of control.
I shrieked, even pushing myself up to lunge at Willow.
“Enough!”
Declan shoved me away violently.
My body was already beyond its limit, and I crashed against the wall.
A sharp bone shard instantly pierced through my wound.
“Ah!”
I let out a piercing scream.
A flicker of heartache crossed Declan’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.
He was about to speak, but Willow, as if terrified, burrowed into his arms, her eyes red:
“Declan, I’m so scared… Aurora is already mentally unstable, can we please not provoke her?”
Declan patted her back, saying gently:
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. She can’t do anything to you.”
Then he looked at me, his expression stern:
“Aurora, how can you still have the nerve to accuse people now? Could the testing center’s report be fake?!”
Before Declan’s angry roar subsided.
The race track’s security and several team members burst in, drawn by the noise.
They glared at me:
“Don’t let her go crazy anymore! At this rate, she’ll ruin the team’s reputation!”
“The trending topics are everywhere now, and the International Racing Association is threatening to blacklist our team! It’s all Aurora’s fault!”
“Willow was kind enough to help her check her car, but instead of being grateful, she’s now slandering her! When in reality, she’s a criminal who used banned substances, yet she’s still acting like a victim!”
They spoke over each other, one after another.
Several team members couldn’t take it anymore and rushed forward, pinning me to the ground.
I struggled violently, my wrist twisting with a ‘crack,’ the pain making my vision blur.
Willow continued to cry pitifully while feigning kindness, speaking up for me:
“Please stop scolding Aurora. She must have just wanted to win honor for the team, but she accidentally went down the wrong path…”
“Honor? She’s making everyone on the team take the blame with her!”
“And ‘top racer’? Now she’s made our entire team an international joke!”
“The whole world knows she’s a cheating queen, and she still insists she’s innocent?”
“Get out of the club already; just seeing her makes me sick!”
They spat insults at me, one after another, completely missing the fleeting look of triumph in Willow’s eyes.
Even outside on the track, my former supporters began to change their tune with wave after wave of news.
“So all these years, Aurora only got those results with banned substances? This trash should be permanently banned!”
“She totally deserves to crash! She’s a disgrace to the racing world; she should have died on the track already!”
“When she won the championship back then, I knew it. That quick reaction time? No way without drugs!”
“Now we know she relied entirely on drugs. Laughable! No wonder she was so neurotic!”
Waves of shouts for “Refunds! Refunds!” echoed in my ears.
Declan, with a cold smirk, spoke:
“Aurora, I misjudged you. I never thought you’d be this kind of person.”
“From now on, our team has nothing to do with you! With your disgraceful conduct, no racing team in the world will want you.”
His words made me laugh, spitting out blood.
I looked up, a cold smirk on my face:
“Declan, do you really think I have nowhere else to go besides this club?”
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