Reborn Racer Dad: My Ex Wants Me Back

After getting a second chance at life, I immediately cut all ties with Natalie Duvall and Cody Hudson. In my previous life, Natalie blindsides me with a divorce eight years into our marriage after falling for a race car driver. She looks down on me, complaining that I'm just a boring homebody who does nothing but cook and clean. Even Cody piles on, telling me, "Mr. Maddox is going to be a world champion one day, Dad. Stop being so pathetic and petty!" The two of them pack their bags and walk out on me. I can't let them go, but my desperate search for them that night ends in a fatal car crash. As my life bleeds out on the asphalt, regret consumes me. Natalie forgets that I used to be a world-class driver myself, only to give up my career and step out of the spotlight to focus on our marriage and raise our kid. So, with a clean slate in this life, I sign the divorce papers without a moment's hesitation and vanish without a trace. Five years later, at the Elandorian Championship, Natalie and Cody push their way through the crowd like madmen, cutting off my path. With bloodshot eyes, Natalie corners me and demands, "We spent five years looking for you. Did you seriously ditch your family just to go back to racing?" Her audacity takes me aback. Before I can even muster a response, my daughter, Daphne Hudson, grabs my hand. "Daddy, Mommy and the others are waiting to celebrate your big win. Who are these people?" Chapter 1 When I saw Natalie Duvall again, she and Cody Hudson were busy coaxing Shane Maddox, who had just tanked his race. I, on the other hand, had just taken the checkered flag in the rally. The second I pulled off my helmet, a chill ran down my spine, as if someone were staring daggers into the back of my neck. Before I could turn around, I heard footsteps rushing up behind me. The next second, a force yanked me backward. My eyes locked with Natalie's. In her gaze, I saw sheer shock and my own calm reflection. It had been five years. Her face was just as cold as ever, but her emotions were much closer to the surface now. "Benjamin Hudson? It really is you!" Her reaction was almost funny. Who else did she think it would be? Beside her, Cody froze right where he stood. He had grown a lot taller, and the look in his eyes was deeply conflicted. "Dad, what are you doing? Are you seriously trying to copy him?" I froze, his words instantly dragging me straight back to my previous life. Back then, Natalie and Cody were completely obsessed with watching Shane on the track. They would disappear for weeks on end, not even coming home. Desperate, I went up to the attic, dug out my dusty old helmet and racing suit, and drove out to find them. I wanted to prove to them that I was just as good as Shane. Instead, they tore me to shreds. "Dad, I can't stand a copycat," Cody had sneered. "No matter how hard you try, you'll never look half as cool as Mr. Maddox." "Look at yourself, Benjamin. You're completely out of shape. You look ridiculous trying to squeeze into a suit like that next to Shane." The memory made my blood boil with a mix of shame and fury. The thrill of racing had never been about a person's body. It was a combination of speed and technique. Driven by anger, I challenged Shane to a race right then and there. Shane was clad in a royal blue racing suit. He was lean, and his textured, messy hair gave him a rebellious edge. He was the center of attention, and a stay-at-home dad like me was beneath his contempt. "I don't race guys like you. It wouldn't even be a fair fight," he said. When I kept pushing, Natalie lost her patience and shoved me away. Cody hadn't been any kinder, looking at me with impatience written all over his face. "Dad, why do you insist on humiliating yourself?" With that, they slammed the door in my face. They left me out on the pavement, screaming and raging like a lunatic until my throat tore and I was coughing up blood. Broken and defeated, I finally drove home. On the drive back, my brain felt like a blown engine, buzzing with a deafening ring while tears blurred my vision. In a split second, the car clipped the shoulder and flipped violently. As my life bled out in the crash, I looked back at the absolute joke my life had been. I swore that if I ever got a do-over, I would never live like this ever again. Seeing that I wasn't responding, Shane ran a hand through his hair and smirked at me. Chapter 2 "Benjamin, it looks like I really left a scar on you. I can't believe you actually took up racing because of me." Shane looked at me with a pitying shake of his head as he clicked his tongue. "Too bad I never see your name on the leaderboard. Racing isn't a hobby you just pick up. You're getting up there in age, and you've always been a bit clumsy. Stop trying to force it." I glanced at him indifferently. Just minutes ago, I had clinched the overall championship trophy while he finished dead last. I had no idea how he could still stand there looking so full of himself. His scorecard was so embarrassing that I felt secondhand embarrassment just looking at it. Moreover, the only reason he hadn't seen my name on the roster was that I raced under a pseudonym, Blade. But I didn't bother correcting him. My wife and daughter were probably waiting for me. To him, however, my silence was obviously a cop-out. He sized me up from head to toe, noticing my bare face, just like the old days, and a satisfied smile spread across his lips. "It's been a rough few years for you, hasn't it, Benjamin? Why did you have to be so stubborn back then? Now, you're all alone." He held up his hand, flaunting a diamond ring. "You didn't believe me when I said Natalie and I were just friends. Well, look at us now. We're getting engaged." The ring was a replica of the one Natalie had used to propose to me. I was at the peak of my career when Natalie fell for me at the track and pursued me relentlessly after that. I was young, successful, and entirely focused on my career. Having never been in love before, I fell completely under her spell within a few months. When Natalie proposed, my career was hitting a new high. She had held out a simple, modest ring, her eyes burning with an intense passion. My temporary lapse into that romance was what ultimately ended my professional racing career. Hence, looking at that ring now, I felt absolutely nothing. Natalie misread my silence for heartbreak, and a smug satisfaction twisted her cold features. She let out a chilly laugh. "You made your bed, Benjamin, now you have to lie in it. I still don't get what the hell you were thinking when you walked out on our marriage. "The second the papers were signed, you vanished off the face of the earth. Do you have any idea how much Cody cried over you? And I—" She cut herself off mid-sentence, her eyes darkening as she stared at me. My hands froze on the zipper of my racing suit. They were completely flipping the script, and I could barely believe what I was hearing. I walked out on our marriage? She was the one who used to pick apart everything I did, constantly holding me up against Shane. Even when I swallowed my pride to apologize, Natalie would just look at me with sheer disappointment. "Shane would never act like this," she used to say. "He has self-respect and ambition. He doesn't cling to people like a pathetic loser." In my previous life, her constant mind games would drive me to emotional breakdowns, yet I had desperately held onto the marriage anyway. Meanwhile, she kept dragging my name through the mud in front of our friends and family. "How did I end up married to such a lunatic?" she would complain. "Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life tied to a guy like this?" Her friends all took her side, even staging a group intervention just to pressure me. "Benjamin, just let her go. Don't you see how selfish you're being?" Even Cody turned on me. "Dad, Mom and Mr. Maddox are genuinely in love. You don't even bring home a paycheck, and Mom treats you well enough. Why can't you just let her be happy for once?" In this life, I had given them exactly what they wanted, yet they turned around and pinned the blame on me. It was absolutely sickening. I looked at them, my expression as blank as if I were staring at total strangers. "You're flattering yourselves," I said. "I've never regretted the divorce for a single second. I'm only here to fulfill my own dream. Besides, I already have a new—" Chapter 3 Before I could even finish my sentence, Natalie cut me off, her voice dripping with irritation. "When are you going to stop being so stubborn, Benjamin? If you aren't drowning in regret, why else would you be out here trying to race? You've spent years throwing yourself into this, and you still haven't made anything of yourself. Just swallow your pride and admit you messed up." Cody looked at me with total impatience. "Dad, why do you always twist Mom's words? We've been trying to get ahold of you for years, but you've ghosted us. You're throwing a tantrum. Now that you see Mom is finally moving on and marrying Mr. Maddox, you're freaking out, aren't you?" Looking at Cody with a calm expression, I couldn't help but sigh inwardly. The apple truly didn't fall far from the tree. He had inherited every bit of his mother's sharp, biting malice. I was the one who had poured years and endless effort into raising him, yet he never missed an opportunity to stab me in the back just to take her side. I had nothing left to say to either of them. The podium ceremony was about to start, and I only cared about sharing this milestone with my wife, Lauren Keegan, and our daughter. Those two had been teasing some massive surprise all morning, but they were taking forever to get ready. Nevertheless, just thinking about Lauren brought a genuine smile to my face. We met about six months after I moved to Aeloria, back when I was pushing my body to the limit in training. Every single day, an anonymous sender would leave lunch for me at the track. My guard was up at the time, so I threw them straight into the trash. Once Lauren realized what I was doing, she started leaving notes with the meals. It didn't take a genius to figure out she liked me, but my first marriage had left me broken, so I quietly kept my distance. Lauren didn't push, but she never missed a single one of my races. She would stand in the crowd, cheer her heart out, and slip away when it ended. It went on like that until I discovered she was secretly bankrolling my entire racing sponsorship. Her friend finally got fed up with the secrecy, brushed Lauren aside, and told me the truth with a laugh. As it turned out, Lauren had been harboring a massive crush on me for 13 years. Suddenly, everything clicked. It explained the vintage autographed photo of me she kept, and why she looked at me like we were old souls the first day we met. Even then, I didn't jump into a relationship with her. It wasn't until I fought my way back to the top of the podium and saw her celebrating harder than I was that I knew she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. It turned out her family practically ran the business world across Elandor, but they never once looked down on me. Instead, they treated me with nothing but respect. Hence, all I wanted now was to cherish the family I had built and enjoy the career I had earned. Blinking back to reality, I tried to step around Natalie and her entourage to head toward the restrooms. Natalie grabbed my arm by instinct. "Where are you going?" Shane let out a condescending laugh, casually reaching out to grab her wrist. "The award ceremony is about to start. He's probably making a run for it so he doesn't end up embarrassed." Cody smirked. "Come on, Mr. Maddox. If my dad finds out you're taking home a trophy today, he'll be green with envy." Upon hearing this, I stopped in my tracks. I knew exactly what trophy Shane was getting. It was a participation prize. Natalie had essentially dumped millions of dollars into the event sponsors just to buy him a trophy. Deciding they weren't worth another second of my time, I turned on my heel and headed into the restroom. Just as I stepped back out into the hallway, my phone lit up with an incoming call from my daughter, Daphne Hudson. "Daddy, Mommy and I are almost there!" Daphne's cheerful tone completely melted away my annoyance, and my tone softened instantly. "Hey there, Daphne. What are you in the mood for tonight?" "You won the championship, so dealer's choice!" I heard Lauren chuckle softly on the other end before she took the phone, sounding playfully jealous. "Oh, I see how it is. It's all about your daughter now? No love for me?" I raised an eyebrow at that. "Come on, you're a grown woman. Besides, it's her birthday today, remember? I already have her present—" The words abruptly died in my throat as I froze where I stood. Chapter 4 Daphne's birthday present had been torn completely open. Cody caught me staring and looked slightly embarrassed, but he quickly covered it up with a look of disdain. He held up the unboxed model car and scoffed, "Dad, I'm way too old for toys. Why would you even get me this?" Seeing Daphne's gift being handled so carelessly made my stomach turn. Swallowing my rage, I snatched the box right out of his hands. "This isn't for you," I said, my voice sharp and laced with reproach. "Who gave you permission to touch my belongings?" Cody's arrogant little smirk died instantly as he stared at me in utter disbelief. Honestly, I couldn't blame him for the shock. In my previous life, I had never once chided him, let alone raised my voice at him. He had been the apple of my eye. But right now, Cody could clearly read the impatience and disgust written all over my face. Tears welled up in his eyes, a look of utter confusion washing over his face. In the next second, Shane pulled him into a protective embrace, putting on an over-the-top show of comforting Cody while tearing into me. "It's just a stupid toy. Stop acting like such a drama queen! This is your son we're talking about. No wonder they walked out on you." Shane yanked open his wallet, pulled out a wad of cash, and threw the bills at my chest. "You must be desperate for money. This should buy you a dozen of those pathetic toys." Shane's words immediately emboldened Cody, whose gaze turned hostile as he looked at me. "You're not my dad! You abandoned me for five years, so it serves you right that Mom hates you. Mr. Maddox is my dad from now on!" "Enough out of you!" Natalie snapped, her brows drawing together as she cut Cody off. Cody went pale with fright, clamping his mouth shut and refusing to say another word. Shane let out a cold snort, but before he could speak, his name echoed over the loudspeaker for the award ceremony. He lifted his chin and marched past me with his head held high. "Watch closely, Benjamin Hudson. I just won the exact thing you'll spend your entire life dreaming about." I shot him a fleeting glance. This complete joke of an award wasn't something I'd want even if they paid me to take it, so he had absolutely nothing to be proud of. As soon as he left, Natalie visibly relaxed. She stared at me intently, as if she couldn't get enough of looking at my face, but I kept my expression completely blank and ignored her. Just as she was about to speak, Shane came running back, practically vibrating with excitement. "The Keegans are here! They're one of the main event sponsors, and word is they're actually going to hand out the awards!" Cody's eyes lit up. "You mean the Keegan family that's in the aircraft business?" "That's them." Shane nodded, a flash of regret crossing his face. "It's a shame they'll probably only present the trophy to the champion." Cody immediately piped up to comfort him. "It's okay, Mr. Maddox. You're still getting an award, which is way better than going home empty-handed." The dig was incredibly obvious, prompting a chuckle from Shane. The two of them stood there whispering like a real father and son, their eyes locked on me. Then, the announcer's voice boomed across the track, calling out for Blade. I quickly stood up and headed toward the stage. Shane burst into a loud guffaw, making several people in the crowd turn around to stare. "Where does he think he's going? Has he no shame?" I tuned him out, weaving through the crowd. A few spectators recognized me along the way, calling out to me as I passed, "Congratulations, Blade!" I smiled and nodded in response before stepping onto the podium. Instantly, the crowd erupted into a deafening roar that made my ears ring.