He almost killed a man
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May 1998, Verstappen family's House.
A new year had begun, and this time the Verstappen family was adapting to the presence of their little Max, only seven months old. Sophie, once a brilliant karting driver, had almost completely put her career on hold to devote herself to her son. Jos was not at the top of his career. Still under contract with Benetton, but only as a test pilot, he spent more time at home than he would have liked. When he wasn't looking after Max, he seemed to escape into the world of karting, a refuge he shared with his father, Frans, and some friends. He often went out for long days on the circuits, leaving Sophie alone with the baby, which worried her. Sophie didn't even dare take Max to the tracks, saying it was too dangerous for a child so young." He will have all the time in the world to find out," she thought, although a small voice whispered that he would inevitably follow their footsteps.
That day, the house was bathed in spring sunshine, and Sophie was preparing Max's afternoon snack in the kitchen. The baby was in his park, playing with his plastic cars when a sudden noise made his mother jump: the phone. She quickly wiped her hands on a cloth and answered, slightly exasperated. But the deep and formal voice that she could hear stopped her on the spot.
"Hello?"
"Mrs. Verstappen, I'm calling from the Lanaken police station. Your husband is in custody"
Sophie felt her heart stop for a moment. Her fingers twitched around the phone.
"Excuse me what? What happened?"
"There was a serious altercation and I can't tell you more. We advise you to come to the police station."
"But... I have a baby..." A sigh escaped from her open lips knowing she had no other choice. She stood for a moment, looking at her son, the telephone pressed against her ear. These words resounded in her head with an almost painful insistence. "Okay im comming"
She hung up and leaned against the wall, looking away. "Fuck what did he do..." she murmured to herself, a hint of anger mixed with anxiety in her voice.
She didn't take the time to put makeup and she quickly took her purse with some essential items and put jackets and shoes on Max and herself. She rushed to get Max into his car seat before leaving the house. Her mind was spinning in a loop, imagining all sorts of scenarios. At every red light, she glanced at Max, who was happily sitting in his seat, unaware of the tumult that agitated his mother.
She was just hoping that nobody would recognize her at this moment when stress is invading her. Especially with her baby and towards the police station
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The entrance was icy, the door of the police station of Lanaken clapped gently behind Sophie as she entered, Max nestling in her arms. The atmosphere weighed heavily, each murmur and movement amplified the anguish that tied her stomach as she advanced to the reception. The building's pale neon lights accentuated the cold and impersonal atmosphere. A policeman in uniform barely raised his head, obviously used to seeing worried faces pass in front of him.
"Hello, huh... I'm Sophie Verstappen... I've been called in because my husband Jos is in custody."
He browse through files without further explanation, leaving Sophie feeling alone. Max began to wriggle, probably disturbed by the tense atmosphere. She gently stroked his back to soothe him, while trying to keep her calm.
"You might see him soon, one of my colleagues will first explain to you the situation, please wait."
The worst thing that could happen was to have to keep Max in her arms. Thank Gods he is a calm baby for his 7 months only. Then the young pilot kissed her son on the cheek tenderly to relax him, or rather to reassure herself. He laughs and she wonders again how this situation could have happened. They should have been all three, sitting safe on the carpet in the living room playing games. Try to teach Max to stand up or even say mom and dad.
Max pulled on her hairs and she suddenly noticed the policeman coming towards her as she looked up, her heart pounding.
"Hello, Mrs Verstappen?" The man with a cold air was very kind. After all who wouldn't be in front of a strained young woman with a baby in her arms?
"Yes hello" She gets up quickly, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder that Max was having fun to pull.
"Follow me, we'll talk first."
Sophie nodded and followed him into a dark corridor, her steps resonating on the tile. They entered a small sober room where he invited her to sit down. Max, curious, was watching the room around him from his mother's arms.
The officer sat down in front of her, crossing his hands on the table.
"Are you all right? Maybe you'd like a glass of water or something for the little one?"
"Oh, no thanks."
Sophie remains frozen and he sighs before speaking,
"Your husband was involved in an altercation today at the kart track, there were violent exchanges, and he hit a man. The victim was hospitalized with a fractured skull."
"What? A skull fracture? Is it that serious!?"
"Yes, witnesses confirm that your husband was the aggressor. We had to put him in custody to clarify the circumstances.
The silence that followed was deafening. Sophie tried to digest this information, her thoughts blurred by a mixture of anger and confusion.
"Can I see him?" she finally asked, her voice trembling.
"Yes, but I'd like to warn you: he's with his father. They were... let's say, agitated."
Sophie took a deep breath and nodded. She held Max in her arms, trying not to let her anguish show through in front of her son.
She followed the officer through another corridor, still with her heels resonating weakly on the tiled floor. The heavy silence was only interrupted by the small noises of Max, who sucked his soother while having fun pulling the collar of his mother's shirt this time. Finally, they came to a thick door with bars, like a prison. Behind the small window, Sophie saw Jos and Frans.
She breathed deeply and penetrated the room. The atmosphere was heavy, almost suffocating.
Jos immediately raised his head as he saw her enter, and his expression of frustration mingled with shame in a moment.
"Sophie," he muttered, his voice raucous, as if he had been shouting for hours.
"Jos," she replied simply, her tone firm and neutral.
Frans gave her a light tired smile, nodding his head as a greeting.
"Sophie, what are you doing here with the little one? You shouldn't..." he said calmly. "This is no place for a baby."
Opening his mouth to speak again, Sophie raised a hand to interrupt him.
He grunted and did not try to any more, preferring to sit in his chair. Sophie turned her attention to her husband, his eyes were tired, marked by the cold look she threw at him.
"Jos, what happened?" she asked, her voice trembling but determined.
"It was... it was an accident," he says, starting to raise the tone." This guy... he said things... I didn't think."
"Not thinking? You fractured a man's skull, Jos!"
Her voice was raised in spite of her, and Max, troubled, began to cry. Sophie lulled him gently to appease him, while she glared at Jos.
Jos looked away, unable to support his wife's accuser.
He hid his face with his hands, his agitation always palpable.
"You know how much I trust you," she said, more softly this time." But here you have crossed the line. You have a son, Jos. You have a family. A family that needs you. You can't go on like this."
"It's not my fault," he abruptly released, always trying to find an excuse. "He provoked me! He insulted me, he talked about my career, and I..." Fists clenched and frowns, obviously nervous. He spoke loudly, almost in anger, while Frans, sitting quietly on a chair, remained impassive, arms crossed.
She approached, Max still in her arms, and stopped a few steps away from him. The baby reached for Jos, babbling innocently as if to calm the atmosphere. Jos stared at his son, his face twisting under the weight of the emotion he was trying to hold back.
She felt her heart beat so fast that she felt it was about to break her chest.
"And you've lost control," Sophie finished in a cold voice. "Don't let your anger destroy everything we're trying to build... I see you differently, I love you. You can't do things like that"
Jos held a hand in his hair, his shoulders sagging under the weight of his own mistakes.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice broken.
Frans turned his head, his features still marked by anger. Until then he was silent and he cleared his throat.
"I warned you, Jos. That kind of behavior was going to come back on you. Now you see where it's going. You can't fight everyone. Sophie knows you better than anyone so listen there."
"I'm going home with Max, we'll talk about it there, when you will be out." she said firmly. "And... Jos... I don't realize that you did something like that... We'll have to figure something out, because I'm not going to keep doing this."
Jos nodded faintly, unable to say anything. Sophie turned back, her heart tight, and left the room without a word.
As she walked through the corridors of the police station again, Max snuggled her face against her neck, as if to offer her some comfort. Sophie felt a tear roll on her cheek, but she held her son against her, determined to be strong for him.
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In May 1998, at the Lanaken circuit, Jos took part in a violent fight and fractured the skull of a man. He and his father will be arrested by the police.
Chapters are short for now but at least they are coming out quickly !
Jos has started his crimes... They will only know in 2 years what the court has decided, so we will have to wait. Sophie makes me a lot of pain when I know what will happen to her after. You too the fact that she was called "Sophie Verstappen" breaks your heart?
The fact that Jos fractured a man's skull is fairly well known, but it took me a while to find the city, month, and other things in archives.
The next chapter will be a little softer, at least for Max❤️
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[CANNOT PUT PICTURES ON AO3 FOR NOW, COME SEE THEM ON WATTPAD (I will start soon posting them on tumblr)]
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