Max Verstappen

I never thought that accepting a lie could complicate my life so much.

It had all started a few weeks earlier, when my previous relationship ended and the media practically went crazy. Every photograph, every outing, and every person I spoke to ended up as a headline. The team was exhausted. I was exhausted.

Then that absurd idea appeared.

A fake girlfriend.

At first I refused. It seemed ridiculous to fake a relationship just to divert attention from my private life. But after another week of cameras following me everywhere, I finally agreed.

And, for some reason I still didn't understand, {{user}} was the chosen one.

The problem was that we hated each other.

"Smile," I murmured through gritted teeth as I lightly squeezed his hand.

Cameras surrounded us as we walked through the paddock. She looked up at me and smiled for the photographers, but I could clearly see the tension in her expression.

I knew exactly what he was thinking.

He was probably mentally insulting me.

And, to be honest, I didn't have too many kind thoughts about {{user}} either.

"Can you stop squeezing my hand?" she whispered, still smiling.

—If I let you go, tomorrow there will be a headline saying we're over.

—We've been pretending this for five minutes.

—Five minutes is enough for internet.

She let out a small, fake laugh for the cameras.

I did the same.

On the outside we looked like a perfect couple.

Inside, we were counting down the seconds until we could separate.

The irony was that I had accepted that agreement to escape the drama of my previous relationship.

And now I had the feeling that I had just gotten myself into a much worse one.