thanks for all your recent support. i owe you guys <3
currently sick in bed with tonsillitis so i had some time to write this.
a 5k+ word chapter for you to (hopefully) enjoy. leave your thoughts in the comments as you go! and please don't forget to click that little star and vote for this chapter.
~***~
I was on cloud nine after the Italian Grand Prix weekend. I mean, how could I not be? It had been an almost perfect weekend for me (only almost because of that last lap blunder) and I wanted to experience the high for as long as possible. Even though I know I had experienced this emotion in the past, it still felt like a new feeling. This joy was immeasurable.
Max and I took a couple of days for ourselves following the Sunday race. With the final details of our new house being finalised through video calls and emails, we had no need to rush back to the UK. Murray and Lemon were able to stay in our luxurious hotel and, because Max had insisted that we train Lemon to go on a lead, we spent hours of the day wandering Monza and the surrounding city as a cute, little family. The next Grand Prix was in Singapore, a race that requires the utmost levels of stamina and persistence, and so it was in our best interest to relax a little before the intense training was to start.
My last experience at the Marina Bay circuit wasn't particular fond. Despite finishing second, it was yet another win opportunity that had been thrown away. I was still a little bitter that my team had messed up the tyre strategy, meaning that I couldn't close the gap to the leader who was on the better option. Also, I remember how shitty I had been feeling on my period because of the extreme heat and exhaustion. And then, to just top it all off, I attended a Red Bull dinner where my current boyfriend had invited his ex along just to get back at me. Max has apologised profusely for it since, and our relationship now is so much more stable and secure. There's none of that toxic, childish behaviour that tainted our first stint as a couple. We've both grown as people in our time apart, and then even more now that we're together again.
On Wednesday morning, Max and I boarded our separate flights. He had plans in Monaco for a few days and I had work to do in the UK. It wasn't unusual that our schedules didn't completely line up all the time. Some time for myself, in all honesty, would probably do me some good. I have a lot of preparation to do ahead of Singapore and friends I needed to catch up with. I had been seriously neglectful in the latter.
Bella was first on my list. It was a perfect coincidence that her day off from the publishing company she worked for was the exact same day my flight landed. She greeted me at the airport with flowers and a hug. There was just so much that I wanted to catch her up on that I could barely string a sentence together without interrupting myself with a tangent. She found it amusing, giggling with every new story. For the first time in a while, I couldn't think of any negatives I needed to rant about.
"...anyways, I've been talking your ear off since I got back," I said, settling down next to Bella on the cream sofa, the blush throw soft underneath my fingertips. We were spending the afternoon at hers, with plans to go out clubbing in the evening. Murray was cuddled up to her feet, whereas Lemon was content in my lap. "How've you been?"
Bella shook her head and smiled. "I don't mind it, Aly - really. Your smile... it's genuine. I haven't seen in like this before, and just seeing you so happy is making me happy."
"Don't; you'll make me cry," I chuckled, gently pushing her shoulder. "Oh! You need to tell me how it's going with Marcus. Every time I ask him, he just tells me that it's none of my business," I added with a roll of my eyes.
"Typical man," she uttered with fake disgust before letting out a short laugh, "but no, it's been going so well. We get on so well, have a lot in common, plus he's super fit."
"Anything official yet?"
Bella paused, before shaking her head. "Not quite, however we have agreed to be exclusive. We're just not putting a label on anything yet because it's still early days."
"Yeah, that's fair," I agreed.
"Unrelated to Marcus, there is something else I've been meaning to speak to you about." I offered her a short nod, beckoning her that is was fine to continue. "My father had an idea regarding those anonymous articles that they've been posting at MotionNews. I, uh, I've been offered a position with their company. I was initially going to deny it, I mean, why would I work for a group who only publish something that's going to get them attention regardless of facts or who it might hurt? But my father suggested that I take it to try and get an insight as to who could be publishing the articles and/or when they're going to be released so you have time to prepare some positive media to counter. I told him it's up to you. I can see the benefits, but I'm not just going to work for the company hell-bent on dragging down my best friend. It's fucked."
I wet my lips with my tongue. The conversation had done a complete one-eighty. "As much as I appreciate your father's concern, I think that it would cause more problems than it solves. They know we're friends, I don't doubt a part of the reason for trying to hire you is in an attempt to get an insight. Your talent shouldn't be wasted on some low-life, scummy, company. We can handle anything they throw at me. Besides, they're usually counting down on my socials anyway for the next article."
"Okay, yeah, that makes sense," she replied, "I'm sorry for even bringing it up."
"No, don't be sorry, love." I offered her a warm smile and placed a reassuring hand on her knee.
"So, to turn the conversation back towards something more positive, what amazing co-ordinated outfits should we wear tonight? I have so many new pieces in my wardrobe that would look so sexy on you."
I pulled my mouth to the side as I thought for a moment. "The dress code for the club isn't too strict, right?" Bella nodded her head. "Okay, so I was thinking maybe just jeans and a nice top. As much as I would love to dress super slutty and have everyone looking at me, I'm not going there to impress anyone. The less attention, the better."
"You're leading the Formula One championship, Aly, you're going to get attention no matter what you wear," she said with a laugh, "but, no, I agree. Jeans and a cute top sounds comfy, yet with us wearing it, it'll be sexy enough."
"What time should we start getting ready?" I asked, glancing to the large clock on the opposite wall which read quarter past five. It caught me by surprise how late it had become already, and my stomach seemed to make a timely gurgle to remind me that I hadn't eaten a proper meal since breakfast this morning in Italy with Max.
"Maybe after we've had something to eat." Bella giggled and grabbed my hand. As she stood up from the sofa, she allowed me time to gently move Lemon aside so that she could pull me up. "There's plenty of food in the kitchen. I'm not letting you drink on an empty stomach, that would make me an irresponsible friend."
***
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alyssaarcher the other love of my life
view all 690 comments
just.in_bella so much love ❤️
maxverstappen1 i'm still number one, right?
| alyssaarcher insecure much babe?
***
Bella and I left hers a little after eleven. We had probably had a few too many shots or glasses of wine but the weightlessness I was feeling definitely made it worth it. I couldn't remember the last time I had drank this much, which was more than likely an indicator that I wasn't going to remember much from tonight. I didn't care. Tonight was going to be good, I could feel it.
The bass from the club could be heard outside and it was ripples it sent through my body were satisfying, almost as satisfying as the glaring looks from the people Bella and I jumped in the queue. We had tickets booked in advance, however because of my name, these were swiftly upgraded into a VIP booth in an exclusive corner of the club. The few friends Bella had invited to join us were also allowed to jump the queue. I would've invited some of mine, but we wanted this to be a girly night. The girls I knew were either looking after their kids, pregnant, they didn't drink, or they weren't close enough to travel.
Of course Bella's friends were all models, however it wasn't enough to deter guys away. Maybe it was the sparklers attached to the very expensive bottles of alcohol being delivered to our booth, or a more likely reason because of the pen in their hands (who even brings a pen to a club?) and cameras ready was that they wanted my attention. I was only as polite as I needed to be to not come across as a bitch. This night was about letting go from my job. I didn't want to be a Formula One driver tonight, I just wanted to be out with some good people having a good time.
It was a little after two when I excused myself to go to the bathroom. The rest of the girls were getting more mixers from the bar so it was a good opportunity to go. I declined Bella's offer to come with me, and I found myself regretting it when a hand grabbed my arm down the bathroom corridor and pulled me back. I wobbled, my balance inhibited by the alcohol.
"Let me go," I shoved the man's hand off with a scowl. His smile was lazy and his eyes unfocused; he had clearly had too much to drink. His white shirt was stained with something which I can only hope was coca-cola.
"Aww, c'mon, I've seen you eyeing me up all night," he slurred, moving his face closer to mine.
Grimacing in disgust, I pushed his chest. "You fucking wish."
"Don't be like that, baby." The man grabbed my waist and forcefully pushed me against the wall before I had a chance to react. My head hit the cool surface hard, causing a sharp pain to pulse where the claw clip had been holding my hair in place. I was strong, however now disorientated. I struggled to find the energy to push his weight from my body, twisting my head in whichever direction to avoid his scruffy chin and lips from touching me. He had both of my hands pinned and the positioning of his body made it impossible for me to move.
My heart rate, which was already elevated from the alcohol, was picking up in intensity. Oh, why couldn't someone just walk past us? My protest were going ignored and his sloppy mouth eventually made contact with my collarbone. I nearly vomited. At the action, his weight shifted momentarily. I felt the pressure lift from my leg and I instinctively brought up my knee and made sharp contact with his intimate area. The man groaned and stumbled back, releasing me from his cage, and I took that opportunity to head straight to the bar where the girls had previously bene.
The spinning lights and loud music was sending my mind into sensory overdrive. It was at this point that I was acutely aware that I had drank way too much. It was nearly impossible to see over the crowd of people, but I didn't want to hesitate where I was; more than likely he'd follow me out. I had zero idea where the security personnel were situated in this venue because it was my first time coming here so I needed to get assistance from elsewhere. I stuck my hand through the group of people at the bar and squeezed my way to the front. The bartender was preoccupied with pouring a large order of drinks.
"Excuse me!" I tried to call over everyone else to get her attention. Out of the corner of her eyes, she looked at me, and the smile she had been wearing fell slightly. She probably thought I was just another customer demanding to be served next.
"Give me a sec, please," she replied, not giving me a second look.
"I'm sorry, I just want to know if Angela is working tonight?"
There was a small moment where my words hadn't registered, then she looked over at me properly. Tucking a strand of her pink hair behind her ear, she put down the glass she had been holding and muttered something to a coworker who had been restocking the spirits at the back of the highly decorated bar. She gently took my hand and walked to my side of the bar. "Follow me, I'll show you to her."
I increased my grip on her hand when I spotted the guy. Now, I could get a better look at his appearance now that I had the space to breathe. As the door of a secluded room closed behind me, I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. The music was suddenly reduced to the thumping bass and whispering lyrics, allowing me to hear my thoughts. "That guy by the toilet corridor... white shirt with a brown stain, uh, denim jeans, slight mullet, kinda blonde, about six foot..."
Immediately, the girl pressed the button on her earpiece and repeated the description I had given. She pulled a bottle of water from a crate and handed it to me to sip. Finally, I looked down at her name tag - it read Elodie. "Do you feel comfortable telling me what happened?"
"I just needed to pee..." I trailed off, feeling my voice cracking with emotion. "He grabbed me and wouldn't let go even when I told him to get off. I didn't want him to kiss me but he wouldn't stop trying."
Once again, Elodie repeated what I had said into the radio, before turning to me with a sympathetic smile. "Security are on it now. I'm a member of the management so I can make sure he is removed from the venue and never allowed back in. No one should ever make another feel unsafe, especially when they're out to have a good time."
"I shouldn't have left my friends," I sobbed, unable to hold it back.
"Hey," she soothingly rubbed my shoulder, "the only person at fault here is him. You did so well to report it."
"I'm sorry, I'm usually this emotional," I tried to smile through the tears, grateful for the woman standing in front of me. "If you ever want tickets to a Grand Prix race, just let me know and I can sort you out."
Elodie chuckled. "As much as I appreciate the offer, Alyssa, I'm only doing my job. It's part of my responsibility to keep you safe and I'm just glad that I could help."
"You know my name?"
"Everyone here does," she replied. "It's been the talk of the night since you arrived. We saw the name on the booking but didn't believe it was going to actually be you since a lot of people use fake celebrity names to try and get discounts. Behind the scenes, we were fighting over who was going to bring each bottle to your table."
Even with the tears streaming steadily down my cheeks, I couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't think as many people would care as much as they have."
"You don't realise how much of an impact you've had already have you?" Elodie asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked up at me. "I mean, I didn't start watching the sport until you revealed your identity. There's just something about a powerful woman dominating a group of guys that makes it better."
I giggled to myself at the joke I made in my head, before the lack of judgement made me say it out loud. "'A powerful woman dominating a group of guys' is my boyfriends most searched on porn websites."
Elodie put a hand over her mouth to hide her very obvious smile. She opened her mouth to reply but stopped short, holding her hand up to her earpiece. I could hear the distinct crackle of someone speaking over it. When it finally stopped, her smile grew even more. "Alright, the guy has been kicked out. He made a huge fuss and went to swing at a member of security, so the police are on their way."
"That should all be cleared up by the time me and my friends leave then. Close is at four, right?" Elodie nodded her head in reply. "Well, I need to do some cheering up, but I'll try and stay until the end. I want to personally thank the staff here for the service and support."
"You should feel no pressure to do such a thing, I can always pass on the message if you change your mind." Reaching into her pocket, Elodie pulled out a small card with her name scribbled on the from. I thought it was cute how she signed her name with a smiley face at the end. "Here's a card with my name on, just ignore the business number. If you need anything at all for the rest of the night, just ask for me and show them the card. I'll come to you as soon as I can."
I gratefully took the card and slipped it into the back of my phone case so that I didn't lose it. I'd like to say the action was smooth, however my coordination is far from good, and it took a few fumbled attempts to even pry the corner of the case from my phone. "You're the best. I cannot thank you enough."
After a short hug, Elodie was kind enough to guide me back to the VIP booth. Bella immediately came to hm rescue, using her emergency makeup kit in her bag to fix what crying had broken. I had never seen her so mad, either. She wanted to head outside just to try and find the man and 'cut off his dick', and if it hadn't been for Elodie reassuring her that he was long gone, I don't doubt she would've. Bella even refused to leave my side for the rest of the night and, honestly, it was really comforting. She had a glare capable of making anyone run away with their tail between their legs. Even when we were saying our goodbyes to the members of staff and handing out the rest of our spending cash as service tips, she had my hand held tightly in hers.
I don't know how we made it home that night. The usual twenty minute Uber drive didn't feel like the right choice for us and so we stumbled back for over an hour and a half, fuelled by the greasy food from an en-route kebab van. The sun was even coming up by the time we stumbled through the front door, and we were greeted by Bella's father who was just about to leave for work. He helped us climb the steep stairs and even tucked us into bed - it was probably the most peaceful night's sleep I had had in a long time despite the spinning room. I was so out if it that I almost didn't wake up when Bella gently shook me awake.
"Aly!" she whispered frantically. I opened my sleepy eyes to meet her wide ones. In her hands was my phone, the screen alight with multiple notifications that were still pinging. "I had to put it on silent because the stupid thing woke me up, but you need to see what it's about."
"Huh?" I grumbled, still half asleep. I lazily pushed my upper body from the mattress so that I say upright against the wooden headboard. My stomach did not feel good, but I didn't think I was going to vomit.
"There's been another article posted... and this one is so much worse than the others."
"What do you mean worse? They're all bullshit."
"Aly, this one almost had me believing it. Who knows what others are going to think..." she trailed off, handing me my phone to unlock. I didn't bother reading any of the notifications, focused solely on finding the article and figuring out what the fuck was going on.
A quick search of my name in google and the dreaded article was the the first thing to pop up. I felt my heart sink as I read the headline, and reluctantly I opened up the tab and scrolled through the text:
Exposing the Two-Faced Try Hard
Article by Anonymous, Published in Association with MotionNews
Alyssa Archer, current leader of the Formula One championship, and popular member of the paddock... although I doubt both will be said after this article. This might come as a shock to her blindly devoted fans, but the self-declared Queen of the paddock isn't all she makes out to be. She likes to present herself as friendly, compassionate, and loyal. My purpose is expose the true Alyssa - someone who is bitter, jealous, and traitorous.
Don't believe me? Just read.
Alyssa likes her secrets, we all know that, however these secrets will make her wish that she had kept her helmet on after her debut season. Remember how she was rushed to the hospital after the Canadian Grand Prix after collapsing inside the cockpit of her Mercedes? It wasn't just an endometriosis diagnosis. No matter how desperately she tries to cover it up with Instagram and Twitter posts for sympathy for her condition, it was not the reason for her admission.
Formula One is known to be a dangerous sport, those who jump into the fast cars risk their lives with every corner they round. Alyssa wasn't just putting her life at risk when she did the exact same for she was responsible for an innocent life that had yet to begin - her unborn baby. The g-force experienced in such high speed corners, which can exceed 5Gs at some circuits, is one of the prime reasons why she suffered the miscarriage that landed her in emergency surgery. She's a murderer, there's no two ways about it. So selfish in wanting to maintain the lead of the Championship that she completely disregarded the blossoming life inside of her. It's no wonder she wanted to keep this a secret.
We can only hazard a guess at who the father of the baby was given her reputation, and it's unclear if they were even made aware of the pregnancy before it was wrongfully lost. Professional estimates from Louis Quinn, M.D, put the age of the foetus at 14-20 weeks judging by the weight gain clearly visible in the attached images. The only small positive from this devastating event is that the poor child doesn't have to suffer with having someone like Alyssa Archer as their mother.
Now, it's one thing to put the life of an unborn child at risk, but it's another to then take their death out on supposed friends. Two key members in Alyssa's life, Victoria Verstappen (Max Verstappen's sister), and Cate Gasly (Pierre Gasly's wife), are expecting. Now, when a close friend reveals to you that they are expecting, the emotion any sane-minded person would feel is joy, right? Well, Alyssa is far from sane-minded. In her twisted and jealous mind, she has expressed very few positive thoughts towards them.
If the situation wasn't so bad, it would almost laughable that she could feel any sort of resentment towards the two girls, especially since she has no one to blame for her loss but herself. The young Brit has been reported to have said by a reliable source, 'their happiness and optimism makes me so... angry. I hate it. It should've been me.' If only she had taken a moment to step back and analyse her selfish actions before she climbed into the car in Canada. Further quotes include: 'I'm more deserving', 'just seeing their happiness fills me with an indescribable emotion, and not a good one', and 'it's unfair'. What's unfair, Archer, is your feelings towards those who have been by your side through a lot of your avoidable problems. Alyssa has gone as far as to wish misfortune to her pregnant friends just to try and make her feel better about herself for killing a baby. Somewhere in her bitter mind she thinks that another loss could right her wrong-doings. Now, Alyssa - if you're reading this, which I'm sure you are because you love to read articles in an attempt to inflate your huge ego further - I hate to break it to you, sweetie, but it's not going to work. You're going to have to live with this shame forever, and rightfully so.
Alyssa's streak of being a bad friend doesn't end there, and I doubt she'd have many left, if any at all, if they knew her true thoughts and feelings towards them. Where to start, eh?
How about with Stoffel Vandoorne, the Belgian Formula E driver who replaced her teammate for seven races this season? The pair have given us some great content and really pushed the narrative that teammates can be great friends, but does a friend get angry when the other wins their first race in Formula One? Well, that's exactly what Alyssa felt. She felt that the win in Monaco was hers. After a penalty due to contact with Kevin Magnussen at the Safety Car restart, five seconds were added to her time after she crossed the line, demoting her to third. It's a result most drivers would feel happy about, especially when their closest championship rival failed to score any points. No - not Alyssa Archer. One can only imagine the tantrum she threw in private before crying about it all to her therapist.
Next on the list is Damien Myung. A fan favourite of the paddock for his hilarious reactions during driver interviews and pleasant social media presence, Damien also doubles as Archer's PR and media manager. He replaced Kudzai Bandera at the end of the 2020 season. There's speculation as to why she left the role just to take up the same position with another driver, perhaps Alyssa is just too difficult to work with? That certainly wouldn't come as a surprise to this reporter. Her difficulty to work with isn't the topic of this exposé, however. According to multiple sources, Archer has been in talks of firing her friend. It's rare you ever see her have anything positive to say about one of her closest friends - 'he never pays rent', 'he's full-on', 'his work is unsatisfactory'. Does that sound like someone you want to be friends with in the first place? Up until now, Damien has done an exceptional job at covering up Alyssa's many secrets and scandals, but I'm just too good - I can get information from anyone. It's unfair that she takes her poor choices out on those who only have her best interests at heart.
Now how about her teammate, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton? There's no denying that Archer holding the spot of number one driver at Mercedes was influenced by the horrifying crash Lewis experienced during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend. The crash could've been fatal, and left the fan-favourite with injuries putting him out for ten of this season's races. When he made his return, he won the race, whilst predictable mistakes left Archer to pick up a measly 2 points. I'm sure you readers will have no trouble believing that Alyssa felt some happiness for her teammate's crash. If Lewis were to know this fact, their relationship on and off the track probably wouldn't exist. There's just no competition when you compare the two - Archer knows Lewis deserved the number one driver spot more than she did, and so she relishes the fact that he was unfit to race for so long. If she wins the championship, it'll be because her teammate couldn't be competitive. She's the only person who would be happy to watch their friend crash.
Although it's not explicitly clear how Alyssa feels towards her own family, being estranged from one side and having no contact with the other seems like a pretty good indication. Reports show that she declined a later flight to spend time with her siblings on the anniversary of their father's death. Alyssa had been very open about how much her dad has had an impact on her racing career so far, and it's a heartbreaking sob story about how he passed away before he got a chance to watch his pride and joy race in Formula Two. You'd have thought she'd have a little bit more respect; he payed for her karting hobby and did nothing but encourage her. Apparently being a good daughter and sister isn't high up on Archer's list of priorities.
And what kind of friend keeps secrets, but then openly displays said secret on TV? I can answer that for you - Alyssa Archer. Whilst the current condition of her relationship with championship rival is on the rocks, the two had previously been engaged. It was short lived. She made an effort to hide the relationship from the cameras for so long, however made it so obvious by wearing the expensive engagement ring during interviews in Hungary (see image attached for a screen capture from her interview with Channel 4). The lies that followed about the ring being a gift from best friend and MotoGP driver Marcus Haywood were about as believable as the Earth being flat.
With something huge coming up in Alyssa Archer's life, you'd have thought she'd be a little bit more careful when it comes to trying to maintain her friendships. Don't worry, dear readers, this anonymous author won't keep you in the dark for much longer. Expect an article in the coming weeks exposing yet another closed chapter of the selfish driver's life. Knowing her track record, she'll be able to mess this up, too.
I sat and stared at my phone for a few minutes in disbelief. Water blurred the edges of my vision as the anger inside of me boiled. Even over my thumping heart, I was able to make a connection that I hadn't before - I wanted to be sick. There was only one person who I trusted with my deepest and darkest thoughts, and that person was supposed to be under strict confidentiality rules.
Turning off my phone, I threw it down onto the mattress, the force sending it flying into the wall; I didn't care. I looked back up to meet Bella's wide and concerned eyes. Her mouth was slightly parted and she looked like she was struggling to find the words to make this situation better. I held my trembling lip between my teeth and let a few tears fall down my hot cheeks, before finally speaking up: "I need a lawyer... and a new therapist."
~***~
*not edited*
AHH
been teasing something like this for so fucking long and now that it's all unravelling... ah, i can barely contain my excitement. who are lys's true friends? are people going to believe the article? what repercussions will there be?
alyssa's advice for the chapter - never mess around with a guy best friend (even more so when they're your coworker) if there aren't any feelings because he'll fuck you off in favour of a girl he fancies and choose her over you 🙃 this bitch made accusations about me, saying i was yelling insults at her whilst at work, and got me sent home early. he believed her. so fuck men and bitchy girls.
as a bartender, i feel like not enough people know of the 'ask for angela' scheme. it may be known as something else in other countries, for example i know in the usa it is common to ask for an 'angel shot' when needing assistance. this system is something i firmly believe in. if you are ever out at an establishment in the uk, most staff would have been trained in how to deal with the situation. it is to be used if you ever feel unsafe, such as a blind date who isn't who they said they were, or someone making you feel uncomfortable with advances and won't take no for an answer. there are many more similar situations where it can be used, these are just the more common ones. the procedure is to deal with the issue in a safe and discrete way, whether it's to reunite you with your friends, or get you into a taxi safely home. no-one should be allowed to make you feel unsafe. if you are in a position where you can seek assistance and feel safe to do so, please do.
qotc: do you think max's first championship should be taken away? why?
aotc: it's no lie that i was rooting for max for the entire 2021 season. even though i believe lewis should've won in abu dhabi, the season did deserve to go to max. yeah i know that's not how seasons work but i'm a firm believer that it was more deserved. now with the over spending scandal coming to light, it's tricky. on the one hand, you can argue that the couple million that red bull have reportedly overspent wouldn't have made a huge difference on the performance of max's car, however none of the other teams did. they need to be held accountable, but revoking the championship isn't going to solve much. the damage has already been done. let's just hope mercedes can give lewis a championship winning car - there's no-one more deserving of an eighth world title.