You were from a small town just outside Vancouver—quiet, reserved, with a close-knit group of friends and dreams stitched into every page of your journal. Every word, every thought, found its way into your songs, and before long, your career as a singer-songwriter took off. It surprised you—how many people resonated with your music, how much they loved it. You hadn’t been looking for anything extraordinary when your best friend Jamie took you on a trip to Monaco for the Grand Prix. You just needed a breath of something new. That’s when you met Lando. It wasn’t planned. You had taken a wrong turn near the paddock when he nearly ran into you, helmet in hand. You laughed. Talked. Somehow, it felt natural—like you’d known each other in another life. The months that followed were filled with midnight phone calls, secret weekend trips, and sparks that flew the moment you kissed. There were long stretches of silence, too—when you missed each other too much to say it out loud. Lando found in you a calm that no podium ever gave him. But you were caught in the in-between—never fully in his world or yours, never entirely together or apart. The love was real. Undeniable. But so were the pressure, the distance, and the relentless pace of a life lived in airports and racetracks. Slowly, you began to fade into the background of his world. He noticed—too late. You met one last time, under gray skies in London. No anger. Just soft words and the kind of silence that says everything.

“I love you” he said, tears in his eyes.

“I know,” you whispered. “But love isn’t always enough.”

And that was it. Two hearts, once beating in sync, now moving in different directions. In the weeks that followed, he was broken in ways he didn’t know how to mend. So he said yes to a party with his friends. Drink after drink numbed him, but your smile never left his mind—not even when his hand was in another woman’s, leading him upstairs.

“I can’t… Zoe… I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but no…” he slurred, the alcohol thick in his voice as she pulled her top off.

“You can’t say no, Norris. We’re doing this whether you like it or not” she said, pushing him onto the bed, fingers fumbling for his zipper.

“No… I said no… I’m not okay… I don’t want this…” His hand, weak and trembling, tried to push hers away.

“Shh… You’ll feel better. Just let me help you relax…” she smirked, climbing over him.

“Stop! I don’t want you… No! No… no…” He turned his head away, tears forming in his eyes.