Chapter 11: The Trial

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TWO MONTHS LATER
LONDON, United Kingdom

"Vickie... they want me to testify against Martin" she told Victoria on Facetime while pacing back and forth in the small space available in her room balcony.

Victotia gasped in shock. "Oh, Anita. I'm so sorry." She sounded worried because she knew what this would require.

"Vickie..." she sighs while trying to hold back her tears.

"It's okay, darling. So, are you going to do it?"

"I don't know. To be honest...I don't know." She was trying to shield the pain and worry from her voice

"What does your gut tell you?"

"Well, my heart tells me I should go to the trial. Put him behind bars so he couldn't hurt any more people." Her tears finally began to fall.

She is trembling and is on the verge of a fullblown panic attack.

"Anita...breathe..." Victoria states calmly.

"Breathe..." as Victoria breathes in as a signal for her to follow

"I don't know if I can face him, Vickie. I'm still terrified" she admits to her bestfriend

"Will it help if I come with you?"

She starts to weep as Victoria tried to console her and calm her down

"Vickie...it's too much to ask...You have the baby now and Lily..."

"Anita, you know I will always be here for you and I'll know you'll do the same. When is the trial?"

"Week after next in New York"

"Okay, I will free up my schedule. I'm still on maternity leave anyway."

"Vickie... you know what else is stopping me?"

"Charles." Victoria said without hesitation. Victoria knew how much she loves Charles and how she cares about him. She can't distract him by telling him about her problems.

"The trial..." Anita tries to continue speaking in between sobs "the trial will be public. I cannot drag him into the mess... not with the championship being so close"

"Don't overthink this.  Anita, you need to talk to him."

"Not now, Vic. I can't be a distraction. You know how important this is for him. You know because it's like this with Carlos, too."

"I know. But you're in a relationship, you cannot be unilateral about these things, Anita."

"I need time to think...I'll talk to you later. The party is at 7, I need to meet Papà by 6."

"Okay. Talk to you later. Breathe and don't overthink. Love you"

***
ONE WEEK AFTER
LOSAIL, Qatar

"Charles, we cannot have any mistakes now. Losail is not our best track but we have to be in the podium at least to increase your chances of winning the championship" says Fred Vasseur their new boss at Ferrari.

"I know. We just push and find a way to better manage the tyres in these conditions" Charles responded with confidence even if he is already feeling so much pressure from the management and the fans about winning the championship.

After the meeting, he wanted to decompress so he checked his phone to see if Anita sent him a message or if he missed a call. He tried calling her 4 times since yesterday and no answer. They haven't been together in more than a month and they've been both busy that they weren't able to talk the past two days.

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