Pole Position: Between Logic and Passion

The moment we stepped into the ballroom, I forgot how to breathe.

It was... breathtaking.

High vaulted ceilings with ornate golden trim, crystal chandeliers casting soft rainbows across the marble floor, and towering arrangements of white roses and baby's breath climbing up ivory columns. Candlelight flickered from every surface, casting a dreamlike glow. It looked like something out of a Disney movie - like a ballroom built for a princess.

For a second, I just stood there, hand in Charles's, trying to take it all in.

This was our wedding. And it was perfect.

The hum of applause and the swell of music pulled me back, and suddenly we were moving - greeting guests, accepting hugs and kisses, hearing the same phrases over and over again.

"You look radiant!"

"He couldn't take his eyes off you."

"It's like something out of a fairytale."

We posed for what felt like a thousand photos. At some point I lost track of how many times I smiled, how many cheeks I kissed, how many times I adjusted my dress. My jaw ached and my feet were already sore - but it didn't matter.

I was floating.

Then, as we were mid-photo with one of the engineers from the factory, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Amy."

I turned. Fred Vasseur stood there, grinning in that calm, unreadable way of his. He was holding something in his hand.

"I figured you'd want this tonight."

He held it out to me - a lanyard. A Ferrari badge.

My Ferrari badge.

Only this time, it didn't say Emily Carter.

It said:
Emily Leclerc.
Head Strategy Engineer.

For a second, I just stared at it.I blinked quickly, trying not to cry.

Fred patted my shoulder gently. "Congrats on the wedding Amy."

And just like that, he vanished into the crowd again, leaving me standing there - stunned, moved, and suddenly very aware of how loud everything felt.

-------

At some point, I lost Charles.
One moment he was beside me, his hand steady on the small of my back, and the next... gone.

I scanned the ballroom, but before I could find him, another wave of people swept in. More hugs. More congratulations. More cameras flashing in my face.

My cheeks were aching, and my temples throbbed from holding the same expression for what felt like an eternity. I laughed too loud, nodded too often, smiled until my eyes watered.

Eventually, I slipped away.

I found a quiet room at the end of the hall - one of those reserved suites with soft lights and untouched furniture. I closed the door behind me, pressing my back against it, letting the silence wash over me.

Finally.

I kicked off my shoes, sat down on the edge of the velvet chaise, and rested my elbows on my knees, letting my head fall into my hands.

The echo of voices and music was faint here, almost dreamlike. My body ached from the adrenaline crash, the weight of the dress, the emotion of the day - but mostly, I was just overwhelmed in the best, most exhausting way.

A soft knock on the door pulled me out of my fog.

"Amy?"

I looked up as the door creaked open and Charles stepped in. His tux jacket was undone now, his tie a little looser, hair slightly tousled.