Salina Stoddarrt-Wolff, the daughter of a known Formula 1 team principal. Toto Wolff and his wife, Susie, has given everything to their only daughter for her to be a successful businesswoman and recently offered her to be a part-time owner of their...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
(Salina's Version)
I SCREWED UP, badly. Tonight is Nicolette's birthday dinner party and I invited Lewis to attend on Nicolette's wishes. And now I'm standing in the middle of everyone with my father and Lewis—he's just come to a realization that Toto has a daughter and that daughter is me.
He stares intensely at me, wanting answers. I don't know what to do, but to place my purse down on a random table and take his hand to go outside the outdoor area of the venue.
Lewis follows behind me as I pull him around near an empty area as the sun set behind us. I hold my breath in until I see that there's no else around us. My eyes meet with his dark brown eyes.
"Are you going to explain what the hell I just witnessed back there?" His eyes burn with a sense of some betrayal.
"I will—I am going to. Just let me think for a second, please." I let out a harsh breath.
"I was told your father died, but it's clear to see that he's well and alive inside." He traces his thumb and index finger around the corners of his lips. "Salina, I'm a little confused here."
I shake my head as my cheeks grow warm."I know you are and I didn't think any of this through. It's just my personal life has nothing to do with my work life, so I didn't think to tell you anything. But that's on me, okay?"
"I'm not saying that I blame you for me finding out like this. If there's anyone to blame it's your father, Toto. I've worked with him since I joined Mercedes and he hasn't mentioned you once. Neither has your mother." He points a finger in the direction of the party.
"I know, I know." My eyes shut tight.
"Toto is both my father and not my father." I reveal to him. "And it might seem crazy and confusing, but he's not my father; biologically. He's my step-father. My real father was the one you heard about that died a couple of weeks ago... due to cancer. His name was Walter. Him and my mother were only sixteen when they found out they were pregnant with me."
"When she told him, he knew he wasn't ready and left my mother alone to raise me. I resented him my whole life, knowing that he barely visited or cared to even write me a single letter to see how his own daughter is doing." My hands turn into fists, looking over the railing.
"When I was thirteen, that's when my mother met Toto. I've never seen her that happy in a long time..." A smile slips from me with the thought of my mother. "After they got married, Toto has treated me like I was his own. That's where I met Nicole, we've been like soul sisters ever since."
I don't feel like crying. If I did start and Nicolette found me in this state, I would ruin her night. "Lewis, I didn't mean to keep this a secret from you. It never was supposed to be one." My eyes turn to look back at him. "I just got caught up with work and all. I apologize."
