The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 101

**Chasing Light, Finding Peace – by Rohan Verma**

**Chapter 101**

“Ahem…” Mars muttered, the words barely escaping his lips, “You should’ve just said it was a gift from the organizers.” His pride was too inflated to allow for an apology, and his eyes flitted around the room, avoiding the piercing gaze of Autumn.

Lydia, standing nearby, felt a surge of jealousy bubble within her, her fists clenching tightly as she fought to suppress the emotions threatening to spill over.

“You’re just so capable, Autumn,” she spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “getting a personal gift from the event organizers. By the way, what party are you even going to?”

Autumn arched an eyebrow, skepticism etched across her features. “And why would I tell you?”

In an instant, Lydia transformed her demeanor, her eyes glistening with faux tears as she launched into her pitiful act. “Autumn, are you still mad about what happened? I only said those things because I didn’t know. Can’t you please forgive me?”

As she spoke, her gaze flicked desperately toward Mars, as if seeking his validation.

Typically, Mars would have jumped in to defend Lydia, offering her the support she so desperately craved.

But with the curious eyes of their colleagues watching, he felt the weight of the moment, unable to openly side with her as he usually would.

Lydia’s anticipation hung heavy in the air, but Mars remained silent, his lack of support igniting a fire of resentment in her.

“It’s okay, Lydia,” he finally offered, his voice softer than he intended.

In the end, he couldn’t bear to witness Lydia’s embarrassment. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Have you packed your things? Why don’t you head home and finish up? You don’t need to worry about what’s happening here.”

Lydia recognized the gesture for what it was—a chance to escape.

Yet, the burning curiosity about Autumn’s mysterious event gnawed at her. She couldn’t bear the thought of not knowing.

With a playful tone, she attempted to charm Mars. “Mars, there’s no way Autumn can change into that gown by herself. How about I go help her try it on? That way, if anything doesn’t fit, we can get it altered in time. Don’t you think?”

The thought of someone else gifting Autumn that dress grated on Mars, sending a wave of irritation through him.

He bit back his frustration but couldn’t resist a caustic remark. “She’s so capable she can get someone to gift her a designer gown. You really think she can’t handle a simple fitting issue?”

“Enough! Mind your own business,” Lydia snapped, her voice rising.

“Your sister’s affairs are not your concern,” he shot back, his patience wearing thin.

Despite her reluctance to leave, Lydia could sense Autumn’s growing impatience with their little drama.

With a decisive movement, Autumn grabbed the dress box, retreated to her office, and slammed the door shut with a resounding bang.

Lydia’s cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and humiliation. Seething, she turned to Mars, whispering venomously, “Autumn really is something else, getting that kind of special treatment from the organizers. It looks like the future of Cloudbreak and the Lopez Group will depend on her from now on.”

Mars’s expression darkened at her words, a storm brewing behind his eyes.

Instead of unleashing his frustration on Lydia, he pivoted to face the gawking employees, his voice booming. “Get back to work!” he thundered. “Or I’m docking everyone’s pay!”

As chaos erupted in response to his command, Mars seized Lydia’s hand, pulling her into the sanctuary of his office.

As he closed the door, he cast a pointed glance toward Autumn’s office, expecting to catch her peeking through a crack. Instead, the door remained firmly shut, as if she were entirely uninterested in the turmoil outside.

This only fueled Mars’s anger further.

With a furious slam, he shut his own door.

Inside her office, Autumn was oblivious to the commotion outside.

When the loud noise reached her ears, she didn’t even bother to glance up.

Cloudbreak is my baby, no doubt. But I’m not that naive girl anymore.

In the past, I meticulously selected every detail for the company, even down to the choice of printer paper, ensuring it was the best value for our needs. I had employees coming to me, married ones, asking for links to buy supplies on Amazon.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify