The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 105

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

Mars Wright hesitated for a moment as he slid into the driver’s seat of his car, the familiar scent of leather enveloping him like a second skin.

Driven by an unexplainable urge, he glanced upward and caught a glimpse of Autumn Lopez.

She stood there, poised, as she pressed the button for the elevator, her fingers lingering for just a heartbeat longer than necessary.

Time didn’t seem to slow down, yet as Mars watched her fade behind the sliding doors, a heavy, unsettling ache settled in the pit of his stomach.

“Autumn…”

He whispered her name, the sound barely escaping his lips, a soft sigh lost in the evening air.

But she was oblivious to his quiet plea. The elevator ascended, and with it, she vanished from his view entirely.

Suddenly, memories of their years together surged through Mars’s mind like a tidal wave, each moment more vivid than the last.

He had once made a solemn vow to himself—he would always cherish Autumn, never take for granted the love of a good woman who had invested her heart and soul into their relationship.

Yet, as time passed, something within him shifted.

Autumn, once a radiant jewel in his life, had morphed into a barrier he felt compelled to navigate around.

He found himself trapped in a relentless cycle of comparisons, measuring her against an ever-growing list of expectations.

The distance between them seemed to stretch endlessly, an insurmountable chasm that threatened to swallow the remnants of their love.

Gradually, the bond they once shared began to crumble, his heart drifting away like a leaf caught in a turbulent wind.

When Lydia reentered his life, that drifting transformed into a complete and irrevocable departure.

Mars had once believed he would remain untroubled by regrets, but now, standing on the precipice of his choices, panic gripped him like a vice.

Just then, his phone rang, its shrill tone cutting through his thoughts. Expecting it to be Autumn, a flicker of delight ignited in his chest as he answered, his voice tinged with hope, “Au—”

But before he could utter her name in full, Lydia’s voice crackled through the receiver, dripping with a mixture of urgency and annoyance. “Why aren’t you back yet? Did my sister keep you from leaving? Mars, I really need you. Can you please talk to her for me? She’s pregnant, so it’s not like she can do anything with you anyway. Besides, she’s so strong; she can handle things on her own. I’m not like her… I’m nothing without you…”

Under normal circumstances, Mars would have relished the attention, the way Lydia put him on a pedestal, elevating his ego to dizzying heights.

But today, his expression hardened, and he retorted sharply, “I’m her husband. Do I need your permission to drive her home?”

“Lydia, haven’t I made it clear? Don’t push me on this. Have you forgotten that your sister is pregnant?”

The silence on the other end was palpable. Lydia was taken aback, her mind racing to comprehend the sudden shift in Mars’s demeanor.

“Mars, what’s wrong with you? Did my sister start a fight with you?”

In her mind, she blamed Autumn for this unexpected confrontation.

“How could she do that? You work so hard. Why can’t she be a little more considerate?”

Mars felt a surge of anger boiling within him. “This has nothing to do with Autumn! Lydia, is this how you speak about your own sister?”

“Are you Lopez girls trying to walk all over me?”

Lydia was completely thrown off balance, her mind struggling to reconcile the Mars she knew with the man before her now.

This was the kind of banter he used to thrive on!

Yet, why was he suddenly lecturing her with such self-righteous fervor?

Wasn’t he the one who had wronged Autumn the most?

A cheating scoundrel who had treated his wife like nothing more than a vessel, and now he wanted to don the guise of a reformed man?

Too bad there was no audience for his little performance!

Lydia’s voice cracked, tears evident as she responded, “Fine, fine, it’s all my fault, okay? Just don’t come looking for me again. Go on, be your perfect husband and a great guy!”

Lydia felt emboldened, knowing she held a secret that could shatter Mars’s façade.

Without her, he was rendered… impotent.

That knowledge gave her an edge, a sense of fearless confidence.

She was convinced that it wouldn’t be long before he came crawling back to her.

And sure enough, not long after the call ended, Mars found himself returning to Cloudbreak Corporation, flowers and pastries in hand, a desperate attempt to bridge the growing gap.

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