The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“How is she?” Owen’s voice was calm but edged with concern.

“The doctor says it’s nothing serious,” Autumn replied softly, unable to meet his gaze.

She felt a wave of guilt wash over her. This time, she had been recklessly careless, and in the process, she had dragged Owen—a man with a demanding schedule—into her mess to rescue her. The weight of that responsibility pressed heavily on her chest.

Biting her lower lip, she hesitated before finally whispering, “I’m sorry. I caused you so much trouble today.”

Owen’s expression softened slightly. “And thank you for coming to get me.”

She had meant to say those words the moment he pulled her out of danger, but then he had seemed somewhat irritated, and she was both physically and emotionally drained. The chance slipped away.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Owen said as he sank into a nearby chair. His presence instantly filled the small hospital room. Autumn caught the faint scent of fresh mountain air clinging to him—a crisp, clean fragrance that somehow calmed the storm of thoughts swirling in her mind.

“You’re free to live your life as you choose,” he continued, “but since you’re carrying a child, I hope you’ll lean on the Bennett Group a bit more.”

He paused, his gaze steady. “As long as it’s reasonable, the Bennetts will fight for you, have your back. You have no reason to put yourself in harm’s way.”

Autumn’s heart skipped a beat. Growing up, no one—aside from her grandmother—had ever said anything like that to her. The idea of someone standing up for her, watching her back, was foreign yet deeply desired. Those were the two things she had longed to hear above all else.

Even though she had always prided herself on her independence, she realized now that not needing someone and not having someone were worlds apart.

She remembered the SATs vividly. Her father, Oliver Lopez, had said, “Autumn’s always been so independent. I’m sure she can manage getting to the exams on her own, right?”

After she nodded, he was nowhere to be found during the entire testing period. For two days, she took care of her meals and lodging alone. Only after the exams did Oliver say, “Now that you’re done, come home. A lot piled up while you were gone.”

At first, Autumn had thought that was just his way—his inability to express genuine feelings. But everything changed the year Lydia took her SATs.

Oliver and her stepmother began planning months ahead. Her stepmother had a custom dress made embroidered with “Academic Champion.” On exam day, they wore matching outfits, waited outside the testing center with a banner, and after the tests, whisked Lydia away on vacation, saying she needed a break from stress.

Autumn was left behind, utterly alone, as if she had been erased from the world.

“Is that… possible?” she murmured to herself, eyes distant. “Do I still have someone I can rely on?”

She had once believed Mars Wright was her anchor—the angel sent to mend the wounds inflicted by her family. But when the truth surfaced, the pieces fell into place painfully.

Mars only visited when Lydia was free. Whenever they went out, his attention was always on Lydia. After founding Cloudbreak Corporation, he claimed to be busy daily, but in truth, Autumn was the one managing most of the company’s affairs.

His idea of “busy” was actually spending time with her stepsister. That bastard and that bitch had built their success on her hard work, drained her worth dry, and now they even wanted to use her womb to have a child for them.

Trust was a luxury Autumn could no longer afford.

Though she sensed Owen was different from Mars, she dared not take the risk. Losing once had left her with nearly nothing; she wasn’t about to repeat that mistake.

“Why not?” Owen suddenly stood, closing the distance between them. His voice was steady but firm. “You don’t actually believe the Bennett Group sees you as just an incubator, do you?”

Autumn looked up, meeting his gaze. “Don’t you?”

“That’s more than enough,” she said, offering him a sincere, grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Even if Owen had offered to take over the Lopez Group entirely, she would have refused. Cloudbreak was a cautionary tale—she would never let anyone else manage her company again. She was determined to steer the Lopez Group herself.

Autumn was deeply touched by Owen’s thoughtfulness.

“Don’t mention it,” he replied, pouring her a glass of water. “Get some rest. Just call if you need anything.”

Autumn took the glass, sipping carefully, almost choking on his words. “You’re staying here?”

Owen raised an eyebrow. “Is that a problem?”

Uh… not exactly a problem. Just… a little too intimate. Given their current relationship, the idea of Owen staying overnight to watch over her felt awkward.

Owen glanced at her, then picked up his laptop and settled on the sofa. The soft, rhythmic tapping of keys soon filled the room. It wasn’t loud enough to be distracting—in fact, it was oddly soothing.

Autumn must have been utterly exhausted because sleep came quickly.

Noticing she had drifted off, Owen paused his typing. After a moment, he closed the laptop, set it aside, and didn’t touch it again.

Meanwhile, far away, Mars Wright had been partying all night. Around noon the next day, his assistant’s call roused him in his hotel room.

“Mr. Wright, there’s a crisis at the company!”