After spending half a month in the hospital, I was finally discharged.

The racing team threw a small party for me, supposedly to "shake off the bad luck" so it wouldn't affect the next race.

There wasn't much real concern behind their words, though.

They mostly seemed to think I was useless. After all, no one had managed to get into an accident while scouting a race route and ended up wrecking one of the team's heavy-duty vehicles.

I just pretended not to hear them and focused on my food.

Towards the end of the dinner, Rory finally arrived, fashionably late with Malaya in tow.

When we first met, Rory used to talk about her a lot.

Back then, his face was filled with anger as he swore to climb to the top of the racing world to get revenge for her betrayal.

But who would've thought that his idea of revenge, a few years later, would be passionately making out with her?

Maybe I should've seen it back then. Rory never hated Malaya. He was just never over her.

Malaya's smile was sweet as sugar, and she handed out small, carefully wrapped gifts to everyone.

She said, "Sorry, we're late. I was thinking about what to bring for our first meeting, so I dragged Rory out shopping. That's why we're late."

The group was flattered, showering her with compliments about how pretty and kind-hearted she was. She handled the attention with grace, effortlessly turning the gathering into her own stage.

Rory watched her fussing over the gifts, a soft smile tugging at his lips. When he looked at me, however, his brow furrowed.

He clearly had something to say, but I acted like he wasn't even there, and instead, gave Malaya a polite "thank you" as she handed me my gift.

Malaya took my hand warmly and said, "You must be Julie. I've heard about you online. Thanks for taking care of Rory all these years."

A few years ago, I really had taken care of Rory like an older sister.

But hearing it from her felt like she was reclaiming something that had been left with me for safekeeping. Her words didn't sit well with me.

I shook off her hand without a word, my expression blank. Malaya was left a little embarrassed, looking at Rory with an innocent expression.

The manager, who had been watching, finally couldn't take it anymore. "Are you planning on being mute all night? Miss Solis was gracious enough to come, and you repay her by being rude? What kind of attitude is that?"

His words made me laugh.

Everyone here knew I was Rory's girlfriend, yet they all turned a blind eye to the public spectacle of his affair. Instead of calling him out, they scolded me for not being more gracious to the woman he was cheating on me with.

Malaya pouted. "Oh, don't say that about Julie. I've been riding shotgun with Rory for the past few weeks, and it's honestly a little scary. She's amazing to have been able to co-pilot the whole race with him. It's no wonder she has a bit of a temper."

Her tone was casual, but she deliberately revealed that she'd been spending every day with Rory lately. Her eyes flicked towards me, full of pride.

Something in what she said made Rory cringe.

The manager burst into laughter. "Oh, come on. She was just sitting in the car. It's not like that's a big deal."

His tone was full of condescension, and everyone at the table laughed along. Malaya covered her mouth as she giggled, her expressive eyes now filled with disdain.

The manager was the type who thought he knew everything but was clueless about the importance of a navigator in rally racing.

But since he was the boss, no one dared correct him. Instead, they all humored him, laughing like they were at some circus show.

And I was the clown.

The only person not laughing was Rory. His sullen voice cut through the noise. "Have you all had too much to drink?"

The room quieted immediately. Even the manager had to show him some respect.

I stood up and addressed everyone. "Since you're all here, I have two things to say. First, Rory and I have broken up."

The room went dead silent. Rory's eyes drilled into me.

Malaya pretended to be shocked, her expression filled with feigned pity. "Oh? So, you two were dating? Is it because of me? I'm so sorry. My fans think you're just his assistant."

I cut her off, my voice firm as I turned to the manager. "Second, I'm resigning from the team effective immediately. Let's consider this dinner my farewell."

Rory's face twisted in disbelief. "Say that again."

The manager was furious too, shouting, "We were just joking. You're seriously quitting over this?"

I was done talking to them. I pushed past Malaya and headed for the door.

Malaya, ever the actress, gasped dramatically as she stumbled into Rory's arms. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she apologized, "Is it because of me? Please, don't be mad, Julie. I promise I'll stay away from Rory. You don't have to leave the team."

I stayed calm. "Don't blame yourself. You don't matter to me."

Her face fell in shock, and she began sobbing even more pitifully.

Rory followed me out and grabbed my wrist. He snapped, "We've got a race in a month. How can you walk out now? Where's your professionalism?"

I chuckled, "Are you really going to talk to me about professionalism?"

This was the same man who left work because of personal issues, nearly getting me killed in the process. He had no right to bring up professionalism.

His face turned pale, then red. He leaned in and, before I could react, pressed a quick, wet kiss to my cheek.

I flinched back in disgust.

"Come on, babe, don't do this. I was wrong, okay? Let's talk after the race, please," he pleaded.

I sneered, "Babe? I thought I was just the other woman."

"It was all for publicity," he explained, looking at Malaya for validation.

Seeing him like this, without the rose-tinted glasses of our past relationship, made me realize how pathetic he was.

My skin crawled with disgust.

I said, "Don't make me sick. We're done."

He had never been rejected like this before. His patience snapped, and his grip on my wrist tightened.

He growled, "Julie, I've already apologized. You need to know when to stop. You'll finish this race with me."

I smirked, "You think you're so good you don't even need a navigator, right? You've got the roadbook. Learn from Stanley, memorizing the whole thing and driving solo."

Rory's expression twisted even more.

Stanley was a legend in the racing world, a few years older than Rory, and had won every major championship without a dedicated navigator.

Unlike the flashy Rory, Stanley stayed out of the spotlight except for race, which made the media thrive on comparisons between the two.

Every time their names came up together, it was a storm of controversy.

Rory had never accepted being second to anyone, especially not to someone like Stanley. Now, the chance to prove himself was right in front of him.

His eyes narrowed, and he sneered. "Is that it? You've fallen for Stanley because he saved you? You're leaving me for him?"

I couldn't take it anymore. I slapped him hard across the face just as the door behind us opened, revealing the entire team. They all saw what had happened.

Rory stood there in shock, while Malaya gasped.

And at the end of the hallway, standing with an unreadable expression, was Stanley.

Our eyes met, and for a moment, I could've sworn he was smiling.

It was hard to believe.