Winning The Ex's Father

It was the fourth year since Jax promised to marry me.

He finally popped the question. Not in a quiet, intimate moment, but over a livestream at a press conference, fresh off his championship win, adrenaline still dripping from his pores.

Norah...

He held the trophy high, his grin electric, the kind of smile that usually got him out of speeding tickets.

"I said it back in the daywin the championship, get the ring. I know Im five years younger than you, and Ive got a whole career ahead of me. My mom keeps saying I should find someone in her twenties, but hey, a mans word is his bond, right?"

On the other side of the screen, the room erupted in laughter.

His teammate, Riley, threw her arm around his neck, cackling into the camera lens. "How about it, future Mrs.? The proposal speech I stayed up all night writing for my boy herepretty solid, right?"

"Look at her," Riley teased, pointing at the screen where my face was projected. "Shes so moved she cant even speak!"

Jax looked into the camera, eyes wide with puppy-dog anticipation. "Come on, Norah. Tell the whole world. Will you marry me?"

I stared at the screen, then glanced down at the ring already on my fingera promise ring from years ago. I felt... nothing.

"Let's not," I said, my voice flat. "I don't think your dad would approve."

...

Jax froze. The cheering in the press room died instantly.

The host scrambled to save the vibe. "Looks like the bride-to-be is a little camera shy! Shes joking, folks! Lets give her some encouragement! Marry him! Marry him!"

The chanting was sparse, awkward.

Then, Jax laughed.

"My dad?" He scoffed, brushing it off like a speck of dust on his racing suit. "Hes been recovering out of state for years. He doesn't give a damn what I do."

His tone shifted, becoming wheedling. "Babe, even if you're mad I haven't called in three months, don't use such a lame excuse to dodge me."

Behind him, the pit crew started laughing again. They were waiting for the waterworks, for the grateful, aging girlfriend to weep with joy that the golden boy was finally settling down.

Riley pointed a manicured finger at the camera, her expression shifting to mock seriousness.

"Listen, Norah. Jax is proposing in front of every racing fan in the country. He knows youre past your prime, hes trying to save you from dying alone. Dont make him a joke. Just say yes!"

Someone tried to pull her back. "Whoa, Riley, easy. Youre just scared youre gonna lose the bet and have to pay up."

Riley shook them off. "Scared? Please. I bet big, I play big."

She stared me down. "Jax, since she didn't say yes, I guess I lose. A bets a bet. Ill streak three laps around this track right now!"

She reached for the zipper of her racing suit.

Jax panicked. He grabbed her, pulling her into his chest to stop her.

"Are you crazy? Youre not stripping here!"

Then, he cut the video feed.

Right before the screen went black, I heard his voice, confident and dismissive:

"Don't worry about her. At her age, I'm the absolute ceiling of what she can get. Ill go home and smooth it over."

Listening to him, I realized my heart was finally quiet.

On the surface, Jax and I didn't look different. But that five-year gap on our IDs had become a thorn. It festered on the tongues of his friends and family.

I used to ignore it. But eventually, I understood: the five years weren't just time. They were different time zones.

His sun was just rising. Mine was setting.

Two days later, Jax flew back from the race.

I was at the apartment, finishing up with the real estate agent.

When Jax pushed open the door, he paused. He scanned the room, saw the agent packing up her laser measure, and immediately decided this was another one of my "hard to get" performance pieces.

"You've made your point. Thats enough."

He walked over, reaching for my hand out of habit. I side-stepped him.

He didn't get angry. Instead, he leaned in, his voice dropping to that husky register he used when he wanted something. "Alright. Did you post the response online yet? If Riley actually streaks, the teams sponsors will pull out. Its a PR nightmare."

He was referring to the demand his team manager had sent me right after the disastrous proposal.

They wanted me to post a selfie with the ring, caption it "I Do," and tag him and the team, thanking him for his "love that transcends age."

Obviously, I hadn't done it.

"Just a status update, babe," he teased, seeing my silence. "Poor Riley staked her whole reputation on this."

I finally looked up. I looked at that handsome, arrogant face, the smirk that used to make my knees weak.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" I picked up my purse. "You've been staring at her body through that fireproof suit for years. Now you get to see the whole show. You should be thanking me."

The smile vanished. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"Difficult?" I let out a dry laugh. "I thought your favorite line was that I was 'so mature for my age'?"

"You bragged that I didn't check your phone, didn't nag you to come home, didn't need to be coddled like those 'little girls' you date."

He flinched.

He realized I must have heard the locker room talk.

I knew about the races he threw, too.

The Shen family had moneyold moneybut the track didn't care about trust funds. Jax had spent his life trying to prove he wasn't just a nepo baby. He bought the best engines, hired the best mechanics. But he still couldn't beat Riley, who drove on pure instinct.

Years ago, rookie Riley crossed the finish line first and laughed in his face. "Hey rich boy, car too much for you to handle? Boring. Losers are so unsexy."

He had huddled in the corner of the garage, shredding his gloves. When everyone left, he asked me, eyes red-rimmed, "Norah, will I ever beat her? Am I really unsexy?"

I had held his face, wiping the grease from his cheek. "You're going to win the championship on your own merit. And when you do, I'll steal my birth certificate and marry you."

That was the spark. "Deal," he said. "Win the cup, get married. You can't run."

But soon after, Riley joined his team.

And in every race after that, if they were both in the finals, something happened to Jax. A blown tire on the last lap. Sudden "food poisoning" during qualifiers.

He earned the nickname "Eternal Silver."

I knew he had the talent. Winning should have been as easy as breathing. But I never dug deeper into why he kept losing.

Until three months ago. We were on a break, a cold war of silence.

I went to the clubhouse to surprise him. Instead, I heard him laughing with his pit crew.

"Jax, man, the finals are coming up. We need a win. You can't keep personally financing the team just so you can 'strategically' take second place."

Someone giggled. "But if you actually win this time... you gonna give up the whole forest for Norah? Shes five years older than you, dude."

"I'm gonna make a move on Riley!"

"Don't you dare," Jax snapped, sounding genuinely possessive. "Shes mine."

Then, the sound of a lighter flicking. A deep exhale of smoke. "Forget it. Norahs clock is ticking. I can't keep her waiting forever. Ill just settle."

That was the moment I knew.

The boy who said hed tattoo my name over his heart was throwing races, sabotaging his own career, and paying out of pocket to cover the team's lossesall to avoid marrying me.

And in the end, he was "settling."

Standing outside that door, the fog lifted.

Why were we fighting that week? Right. Riley again.

I had been working late and saw Rileys Instagram story. A photo taken in my living room.

She was wearing my silk pajamas, straddling Jaxs suitcase, flashing a peace sign.

Caption: Boot camp time! Helping the man-child pack his bags!

Those pajamas were from our first anniversary. He didn't use his dads money; he saved his wages for three months to buy them. They were sacred to me.

When I confronted him, he didn't even look up from his phone. "She got wet in a water fight. She borrowed some dry clothes. Stop being so sensitive, Norah."

That sentence was the needle that popped the balloon.

I broke my silence to ask for an answer. And I got it.

Leaving the clubhouse that day, I got drunk. For the first time in years.

Everyone told me I should be grateful Jax wanted to marry me. Even my best friend said, "You're almost thirty. Locking down a guy like Jax is like winning the lottery. Men mature late. If hes ready to settle down, just swallow your pride."

But if he didn't want to marry me... he could have just said no.

"Norah... look, about what you heard..."

Jaxs voice softened, guilt creeping in. "Okay, my bad. I talk trash when Im with the guys. Its just locker room talk, it doesn't mean..."

I held up a hand. "I have things to do. Make yourself at home."

It was always the same explanation. He felt inferior dating an older woman, so he had to play the "player" card to keep his status with the boys.

"Thanks," I told the agent. "Bring buyers whenever you want."

As the agent left, I grabbed my bag. Jax lunged, grabbing my wrist.

"Norah, stop! Are you done throwing a tantrum? First, you say crazy shit about my dad during the proposal, now you're selling the apartment? Im a public figure. Do you know how many people are watching us?"

"Oh, so now you know you're a public figure?" I pulled my hand away, cool and detached. "Is that how public figures propose?"

His face darkened. "God, you're so petty. Weve been together for years, who cares about the format? besides, isn't it the truth..."

He caught himself.

"Look, no matter what, you're special to me..."

I looked down and laughed.

Special?

Because I was five years older? Did that make me a charity case? An old maid?

Even if I was an old maid, he was the one who chased me.

In the beginning, he loved flaunting me. "Norah has five years more wisdom and elegance than any of you," hed brag. "Im lucky she even looks at me."

Until Riley joined the team.

Shed tease him in front of everyone: "Does Jax have mommy issues or what? Always finding these aunties to take care of him... drags her everywhere like a security blanket."

The team would laugh. And slowly, he stopped bringing me along.

I knew exactly why Riley wrote that proposal speech. It wasn't a joke. It was a public humiliation ritual.

She knew I wouldn't say yes. She knew Jax wouldn't let her run naked. It was a win-win for her.

I was done.

I walked past him without a word.

"Just because I didn't come back for three months?" he yelled after me, desperate now. "Don't forget who started that fight over a stupid pair of pajamas! I said Id buy you ten new pairs, and you still freaked out!"

"I stayed away to let you cool off! You know how intense training camp is!"

"I know," I interrupted, not turning around. "Just a reminder: the condo is listed. Pack your shit."

He stood frozen. The line "I came back to comfort you" died in his throat. It didn't work anymore.

I reached the elevator, only to run into the rest of the pit crew.

Riley was spinning a set of car keys on her finger. She arched a brow. "Ooh, running away to lick your wounds, Norah?"

I ignored her.

She stepped in front of me. "Geez, relax. Jax and I are just bros. You don't have to give me the death stare every time. How are you gonna be the matriarch of the Shen family with skin that thin? No wonder Daddy Shen looks at you like you're something stuck to his shoe."

Jax came stomping down the hall. "Riley, enough!"

"What did I do?" She pouted, instant victim mode. "It was a joke! Can't she take a joke?"

Seeing Jax actually looked upset, she smirked and tried to link her arm through mine.

"Fine, I forgive you for being moody. Youre probably heading out to buy groceries to cook us a victory dinner, right? I'll come with. I can carry the bags"

I yanked my arm back and hit the elevator button.

"Id save those hands for the steering wheel, Miss Jiang. Who knows if youll keep your racing license after the indecent exposure charge."

Silence sucked the air out of the hallway.

Riley forced a stiff laugh. "Jax... I told you she can't take a joke..."

"My bad. I just trusted her love for you too much. I thought shed definitely say yes, thats the only reason I made the bet..."

She took a deep breath. "Fine! I lose!"

Jax frowned at me. "Norah, why are you being so aggressive?"

"We cancelled our team celebration to come here and make things right with you. What more do you want?"

The peanut gallery chimed in.

"Yeah, Norah, lighten up. Riley didn't mean anything by it."

"Shes just a gambler, she wants you guys to be happy!"

God, these people were exhausting.

"Fine, Norah!" Jax grabbed my hand again. "I get it. You weren't ready. Even if you don't want to get married yet, just put out a statement saying you accepted the proposal. We need to present a united front. Once this blows over..."

"United front?" I scoffed. "Since when am I on the team?"

"And if you love betting so much, pay up."

I shook him off and stepped into the elevator.

As the doors closed, I heard someone whisper, "Jax, she looks serious this time. Maybe you should..."

"Let her go," Jax snapped. "She thinks walking away gives her power? She'll be back begging me before the week is out."

I checked into a hotel. Ten minutes later, a news alert popped up on my phone.

RACING STAR JAX SHEN ANNOUNCES ENGAGEMENT: GIRLFRIEND SAYS YES!

I tossed the phone onto the bed.

It was just a bet. I didn't believe for a second that Jax would actually let Riley streak, regardless of what I did.

The next morning, I stepped out of the hotel and was blinded by flashbulbs.

"Norah! Is it true you demanded a championship trophy before youd marry him?"

"You rejected him on the livestream. Was that a prank to make Riley jealous?"

"How do you feel about the engagement announcement?"

I paused.

The "girlfriend" in the article... wasn't me?

Before I could speak, the crowd surged. Jax was coming out of the hotel lobby, shielding Riley with his body. The reporters swiveled.

"Guys, give her some space," Jax said, laughing charmingly. "Shes young, she gets shy. Don't scare her."

I tried to slip away, but a cameraman bumped into me, hard. I stumbled, dropping my bag.

The noise drew attention. Jax looked over.

Panic flickered in his eyes. "Norah?"

He clearly didn't expect to see me there.

I ignored him, crouching to gather the papers that had spilled from my purse. "Excuse me, let me through."

Jax blocked my path. He leaned in, his voice a harsh whisper.

"Don't make a scene. I proposed to Riley because you wouldn't post the statement. I couldn't let her run naked..."

"Luckily the bet was just that a girlfriend had to say yes. You almost ruined her life..."

"Is that so?" I stood up, smiling brightly. "Well then, wishing you a hundred years of happiness."

He blinked, stunned.

I moved to leave. He reached out to grab me, but his finger hooked the strap of my bag. It tipped over again.

A medical file slid across the marble floor. The cameras zoomed in.

"Oh my god! 12 weeks? Is Norah pregnant?!"

Jaxs face went white.

He remembered the night he came home three months ago...

He grabbed me, dragging me into a corner. "Norah... I... I'm not ready to be a father... I'll pay for everything. The best clinic. Painless. I promise."

I almost laughed out loud. "Jax, get therapy."

I tried to pull away, but his grip was iron. "You can't leave! You have to clarify this right now. Tell them it's a misunderstanding!"

"If you don't, the media will spin this. They'll call Riley a homewrecker!"

Then, realization dawned on his face.

"Wait. You stayed at this hotel on purpose? You dropped the pregnancy test on purpose? You're trying to ruin her? Norah, do you have a heart?"

"To be honest, if Riley hadn't made that bet, I wouldn't have proposed to you at all!"

"You've been waiting years for a ring, and instead of thanking her, you pull this toxic crap?"

He had found his moral high ground. He looked down his nose at me.

"Apologize to Riley. Right now. Or I swear to God, I will never marry you."

Never marry me?

I didn't know I could get that lucky.

My face relaxed into genuine relief. "Thank you for your mercy."

"You..."

Jax was shaking with rage. The reporters were swarming now, microphones shoving into my face.

"Norah, is the baby a Shen?"

I paused. I hadn't planned to go public, but I wasn't going to hide, either.

I nodded.

The crowd gasped.

Jax looked at me with pure venom. He raised his voice, addressing the cameras.

"Norah, I know you want to trap me with a baby."

"But let me be clear. I am young. I am not ready to be a dad. If you insist on having this kid, I will not acknowledge it!"

The hotel guests were stopping to watch. The murmurs were getting loud.

"That's Jax Shen and Riley... wait, the ex is pregnant? Is she trying to force a marriage?"

Hearing the narrative twist against me, I felt a snap.

Slap.

My hand connected with Jaxs face. The sound cracked like a whip, silencing the lobby.

"Who said the baby is yours?"