He Gave My Race Car to a Rookie,But I Became Champion Again

Right before the Ferrari Circuit Rally, my fiancé Rufus Delgado stopped me as I was heading out to the track.

"Christine Swanson, we're swapping the starting driver for this race. Margot Fox's taking the lead. You'll run blocker and shield her out there."

I froze where I stood.

Rufus knew exactly what this meant. This was my last race before retiring to get married.

It was also the most important race of my career—my shot at a sixth straight championship, at becoming the number one female driver in the world.

Six years ago, Rufus's team was on the verge of folding.

I was the one who took title after title, who dragged the team from total obscurity to the top tier of the sport.

And now they wanted me to step aside for a rookie who'd barely scraped through her qualifying trials.

I refused outright.

"This is my race. I'm not giving it up."

Rufus frowned.

"Margot needs this championship."

"You've already won five. One more doesn't mean anything."

His face darkened.

"Christine, this is the team's decision."

"If you won't follow it, you know what happens."

I laughed.

"You'll fire me?"

Rufus didn't deny it.

And the entire crew—the people who'd stood beside me through all five championships—silently went along with it.

Then it hit me. This wasn't about Margot needing the championship.

It was that they'd decided the team didn't need me anymore.

I pulled the team badge off my chest, then slid the engagement ring off my finger and pushed them both across to Rufus.

"In that case."

"I don't want the team. And I don't want you either."

——

I turned and walked toward my car.

Only to find Margot already sitting in it, dressed in a brand-new racing suit.

When she saw me coming, she seemed to startle, then said timidly,

"Christine, I'm so sorry. But Rufus said that starting today, this car belongs to me."

My head buzzed. I spun around and grabbed Rufus by the collar.

"What is this? You gave her my car? On what grounds! This is my car! Who said you could hand it to her!"

My eyes burned red as I locked onto him.

"This car is six years of my work! It's a masterpiece!"

"Three hundred-plus point races over six years. Broken bones, hospital beds—that's the data we earned. Countless all-nighters with the engineers tearing it down and rebuilding it!"

"It carried me to five world titles! And you gave it to me…!"

I bit down on my lip, fighting back the tears rising in my chest.

It was also the first car Rufus ever built—the gift he gave me when we fell in love.

That day, he wheeled it out in front of me, face flushed, and asked if I'd be willing to climb to the top of the racing world with him, side by side.

He said, "Christine, racing is a dangerous sport. Out on that off-road circuit, you face life and death alone. But I want this car to face it with you, in my place."

And now he'd handed that car—the one that meant everything to both of us—to someone else.

Rufus just pried my hands off his collar, his voice flat.

"That car is registered under the team's name."

"Every modification cost went through the team's books."

"Didn't you just say you didn't want the team, and you didn't want me either?"

"Since you're leaving the team."

"Then naturally you've got no right to use team property. Why shouldn't I give it to a newcomer?"

The words landed like a knife.

I stared at him, and a chill spread through my whole body.

Six years ago, when the team couldn't even cover the cost of renting a track,

I poured in every cent of my prize money. I ran race after race, chasing sponsors day and night, holding the whole thing together until now.

So all those years of money I'd earned with my life had gone into the team's account—and just like that, it had nothing to do with me anymore.