𝐿𝐼𝑉𝐸 𝐿𝐼𝐾𝐸 𝐿𝐸𝐺𝐸𝑁𝐷𝑆 - 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎 𝑜𝑛𝑒

𝒮𝒾𝓍

Her mother brushed off her achievements, stating, "Enough of that, Amalia. I'm very busy; I don't have time to watch you drive around in circles. If you honestly think you're going to have a career from it, you're kidding yourself."

"But I am, Mother! I'm going to Formula One next year. It's the top one in the world," Amalia insisted.

Her mother remained dismissive, saying, "Don't come running to me when they all ditch you, and you have nothing. Anyways, I called you for a reason. I have accepted some modeling jobs for you that I expect you to do happily. I will send over your new diet and workout routine. I better see improvement and no complaints"

She hung up before Amalia could get another word in. Left alone with her mother's harsh words, Amalia found herself looking down at her body in her crop top tank top and shorts. Suddenly, her stomach felt too big, and her thighs felt massive. The weight of her mother's criticisms lingered, and she began scratching at her stomach and thighs, trying to claw away the overwhelming feeling. Tears streamed down her face as she grappled with the emotional aftermath.

Amalia lost track of time, sitting on the patio in a daze after the panic. The sound of the patio door opening stirred her from her thoughts. Quickly grabbing a large throw pillow, she covered her stomach and thighs, red nail marks visible on her skin.

Phoebe emerged and sat on the couch across from her, looking disoriented. "Ugh, how are you up right now? I don't even know what happened last night."

Amalia, still emotional, replied, "I definitely had way less to drink last night than you. Plus, I had to answer a call."

Phoebe inquired, "Who called?"

"It doesn't matter. How are you feeling?" Amalia deflected.

"I'm never drinking again. I just spent the last 10 minutes hunched over the toilet," Phoebe declared.

Amalia teased, "You always say that, yet you never do. How'd you sleep last night? Was the company nice?"

Phoebe blushed and retorted, "Shut up."

Amalia continued to tease, "You looked so cute snuggled up together. Where is Leclerc, speaking of?"

Phoebe explained, "He went back to his hotel room to change and shower. So, what did we get up to last night? Did I imagine that you almost hooked up with a guy at the club last night? OMG, are those hickeys?"

"No, you didn't imagine anything. Nothing else happened anyway. After you interrupted, I had to carry you and Charles back to an Uber, and you two would not shut up about being hungry, so we made a McDonald's stop," Amalia chuckled, trying to lighten the mood and cover her hickeys on her neck.

Phoebe chuckled, "That explains the fries I found in my dress. Thanks for taking my hair out and taking off my shoes."

"Of course. Now, go take a shower; you look dreadful," Amalia teased.

Phoebe tossed a pillow at her, saying, "Wow, thanks a lot."

"You know what I meant," Amalia laughed.

"I know, I'm just messing with you. Congratulations again; I'm so proud of you," Phoebe said, giving her a hug before heading off.

Amalia felt grateful for her best friend, even though Phoebe didn't know of the phone call earlier; she somehow managed to make her feel better. Phoebe went off to shower in one of the bathrooms, and Amalia decided it was time for her to get up and go shower as well. The day had a fresh start, and with Phoebe's support, Amalia felt a bit more ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

To conceal the marks on her body, Amalia decided to opt for longer layers. Thankfully, the cooler weather provided the perfect excuse for such clothing choices.