The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 156

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

Oliver Lopez was a cauldron of simmering rage, and as he watched Mars Wright rendered speechless by Autumn’s probing questions, the fury etched across his face was palpable. It was as if the air around him crackled with tension, each breath he took a reminder of the storm brewing within.

He marched purposefully toward Autumn, his hand raised high, ready to deliver a slap that would echo through the room.

In days gone by, he might have executed such an act without a second thought, believing himself untouchable.

But today was different. The hospital room was teeming with onlookers, and even though Autumn was visibly pregnant and moving with a certain slow deliberation, the well-meaning crowd was not about to stand idly by.

As gasps filled the air like a chorus of alarmed birds, Oliver heard a door swing open with a crash. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, a man burst into the room, his presence commanding and fierce, seizing Oliver’s wrist with a grip that felt like iron.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The man stood before Autumn like an unwavering mountain, his expression a mix of disgust and protectiveness. “I heard everything from outside,” he declared, stepping forward in defense of the woman who needed it most. “Your daughter’s condition isn’t as dire as you claim. All she needs is a skin graft to heal. Skin grafts aren’t like bone marrow transplants—they don’t require a perfect match. You could have found a donor ages ago and scheduled the surgery. So why are you still trying to force your other daughter into this?”

“Do you even have a heart?”

The man’s voice rose, fueled by indignation. “She’s pregnant for God’s sake! And even if she weren’t, do you think just providing the sperm gives you the right to treat her like a possession? She’s a human being, not your property or some dog you can command. What gives you the authority to dictate her choices?”

“In all my years, nothing irritates me more than deranged parents like you. Mark my words, if you pressure this young woman again, I will break your skull. Do you believe me?”

The crowd erupted in a wave of cheers, their support for Autumn palpable.

Someone from the back shouted, “Look at that! A complete stranger shows more compassion for this pregnant girl than her own father, who’s trying to force her to sacrifice herself for her younger sister. Anyone who didn’t know better would think the one lying in that hospital bed was on the brink of death!”

“What cold-hearted parents!”

“And the husband isn’t any better! His wife is pregnant, and he’s running around with her little sister! I saw him helping her earlier and thought he was the husband, not the brother-in-law. You don’t think there’s something going on between them, do you?”

Mars Wright’s face morphed through a spectrum of colors: white, red, and then a deep shade of purple as he absorbed the crowd’s murmurs.

Instead of defending himself, he rushed to grasp Autumn’s hand, desperation etched in his features.

“Autumn, it’s not what it looks like. Let me explain…”

But Autumn stepped back, evading his touch, her expression resolute.

The burly protector was quick to intervene, placing a firm hand against Mars’s chest and giving him a slight shove.

He didn’t need to exert much force; Mars was a shell of his former self, worn down by a lifestyle of partying and reckless behavior—he had even resorted to medication to enhance his performance.

He was all bluster, no substance, and in the chaos of the moment, he had failed to notice the toll it had taken on his body.

The shove nearly sent Mars crashing to the floor.

Staring in disbelief, he looked as if he wanted to lash out at the big guy but thought better of it.

He could only turn to Autumn, who was now securely shielded by her protector, his voice tinged with desperation. “Autumn, can we please discuss this properly?”

“Let’s find a quiet place, sit down, and talk it through.”

When Autumn remained silent, Mars’s tone softened further, almost pleading. “Autumn, we’re family. Are you really going to create a scene over this?”

But she never anticipated that Autumn would shed her previously meek demeanor and become so fiercely assertive.

Unable to contain herself, she tugged at Mrs. Lopez’s sleeve, and her mother immediately understood the urgency in her daughter’s eyes. Tears began to flow down her cheeks as she spoke, “Oliver, maybe we should just drop this… If we keep pushing her, what if Autumn does something irreversible?”

“All these years… I know she’s always viewed me as the other woman, and that Lydia doesn’t deserve to be your daughter. Mars has tried tirelessly to mend our family’s fractured bonds, but it seems…”

“I guess we just weren’t meant to be a happy family. I don’t think you should pressure Autumn any further. It’s not easy for her, either.”

“As for the skin graft, our family will figure something else out. If Lydia’s face is truly ruined because of this, then I suppose it’s just her fate. We can’t blame anyone else.”

Oliver’s fury erupted at her words, his voice rising in disbelief.

“She doesn’t even have a boyfriend! How can we just ‘forget it’?”

“How can a person be so selfish? She won’t even part with a small piece of skin. I refuse to believe that taking a patch of skin from the back of her hand is really that painful!”

Oliver and Mrs. Lopez likely thought their impassioned speech would elicit sympathy from the crowd.

But the big guy was a man of action. He simply held out a fruit knife, his eyes glinting with challenge. “Painful or not, why don’t you find out for yourself? Go on, cut a piece of skin off right now.”

“You can be the guinea pig for everyone here. If you can slice off a piece of your own skin without anesthetic and without flinching, then I think this young lady here can do it too.”

“So, what’s it gonna be? You gonna start now, or do you need to work up the nerve first?”

Oliver froze, his face draining of color, eyes wide with terror at the sight of the knife.