𝙾𝚛𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢┃ Charles Leclerc┃

Chapter Thirty Six - The Other Shoe

So, I discovered that I had a new-found fame.

Okay, so being a Formula 1 driver brought you a certain amount of attention in the first place. However, being titled "Charles Leclerc's New Girlfriend" by the press was a whole new level.

To start with, the comments on my Instagram posts were NUTS.

The buzz  surrounding Charles and I had reached a fever pitch. Charles' fans were a passionate bunch, showering us with love and support, but along with the adoration came a deluge of hate comments aimed squarely at me.

With every 10 positive and complimentary comments came one catty one that briefly made me feel self conscious. The feeling was fleeting, but it was always there. I brushed off approximately 99% of them, but every now and then, one stuck.

I tried not to let it faze me, scrolling past the hurtful words with a practiced indifference. But sometimes, late at night when the world was quiet and the darkness pressed in, those cutting remarks found their mark. They whispered doubt into the shadows of my mind, casting shadows on the happiness I'd found with Charles.

Yet, amidst the noise of the virtual world, there were moments of genuine connection. Messages of encouragement from fans who saw beyond the headlines and recognised me for who I was —a determined racer with dreams and aspirations of my own.

The Belgian Grand Prix was going well. Very well, in fact. I qualified P2 on Saturday, and finished P2 on Sunday, so everything was nice and consistent. Zak, despite sacking me, even told me that he was proud of the result. Lando finished P3, so it was a double McLaren podium. All in all, everything was going borderline perfectly.

Well, that was until a very frantic looking Charles came bursting into my paddock suite, pink cheeked and wide eyed.

"Carlos is leaving!"

My eyes bolted open. "What?!"

Charles slumped down on the papaya orange sofa, putting his head in his hands and shaking it back and forth. "He's leaving Ferrari! He hasn't told me where he's going, and neither has Fred. I don't actually think they know, but he is leaving."