Chapter 1

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.