The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 164

**Chasing Light, Finding Peace by Rohan Verma**
**Chapter 164**

Mrs. Lopez found herself ensnared in a moment of paralysis, her surroundings fading into a blur of indistinct voices and chaos. Her focus was laser-like, fixated on Autumn, who stood before her, an embodiment of anxiety and suspicion. The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife, as Autumn’s eyes flickered with a storm of emotions that she struggled to verbalize.

Keeping her distance, Autumn wore an expression that was a fortress, guarded and cautious. She had learned the hard way that the Lopez family was not to be trifled with. The last thing she wanted was to jeopardize her own safety or that of her unborn child by becoming embroiled in their toxic drama.

“The police department called and asked me to come get you,” Mrs. Lopez finally managed to articulate, her voice strained with an artificial calm that did little to mask the turmoil roiling within her.

Autumn’s face remained impassive, a mask of indifference. “If you don’t want to leave, I can just head back.”

Was this a cruel jest? Did they genuinely still see her as that pitiful little girl who once begged for scraps and yearned for a chance to learn?

She was acutely aware of the strings Mrs. Lopez had pulled over the years, both overtly and in the shadows, to undermine her confidence.

In the past, she had chosen to overlook the manipulation for the sake of her father and Lydia, but now that the veil had been lifted, revealing the Lopez family’s true, unscrupulous nature, she vowed to show no mercy or compassion toward them any longer.

There was no way Lydia and Mars would have ended up together without Mrs. Lopez orchestrating their union. A woman who not only played the role of the other woman but also encouraged her daughter to do the same deserved to face consequences for her actions.

“Stop!”

As Autumn turned to leave, a wave of panic surged through Mrs. Lopez.

Bound by her own pride, she couldn’t rush over to Autumn physically; her only recourse was to raise her voice in desperation.

“Autumn Lopez, I told you to stop!”

Autumn detected the commanding tone in her stepmother’s voice, a cold smile flickering across her lips as she continued to walk away, deliberately ignoring the command.

Mrs. Lopez muttered curses under her breath, her frustration simmering just below the surface.

She didn’t want to concede to Autumn.

After all, she had spent years as Autumn’s stepmother, wielding power over her.

Watching that girl, once so dependent on her, now teetering on the brink of independence filled her with a twisted sense of accomplishment.

For years, she had reveled in her elevated status, feeling triumphant as she watched Autumn struggle. If she had to bow her head to Autumn now, wouldn’t that signify a defeat for both her and her daughter?

How could she possibly accept that?

She had worked tirelessly, patiently waiting for Autumn’s mother to falter so she could take her rightful place. She had banked all her hopes on Lydia, believing her daughter’s success would elevate their family’s status and erase the “homewrecker” label that haunted her. Wasn’t the ultimate goal to crush all those she loathed beneath her heel?

And now, she was expected to grovel before the daughter of the woman she despised most? What kind of twisted reality was this? How could she come to terms with it?

Autumn couldn’t read Mrs. Lopez’s mind, but she could sense the bitterness and fear swirling within her like a tempest.

A smirk danced on Autumn’s lips. If they were miserable, then she felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Who told them to be so utterly shameless? Clearly, being a homewrecker ran in the family.

Mrs. Lopez was one thing, but Lydia seducing her own brother-in-law? Knowing full well that she and Mars were married and had a solid relationship, yet still forcing her way in—what was that if not pure trash?

The only reason Autumn hadn’t sought direct revenge was that she had more class than that. But it didn’t mean she would allow them to parade around her as if they owned the world.

“Autumn Lopez!”

Just as she was about to push through the police station doors, a wave of panic gripped Mrs. Lopez. Terrified at the prospect of being left behind, her voice softened, a desperate plea escaping her lips. “Wait, don’t go! We can talk this out, okay?”

“Whatever you want, I’ll agree to it. Just get me out of here first.”

Mrs. Lopez’s thoughts turned to Lydia, still confined to the hospital. She couldn’t afford to linger here any longer.

Lydia would shatter upon learning her face was marred. She needed to go and soothe her daughter’s distress.

Upon hearing the words she had longed to hear, Autumn finally paused.

“Oh? You’ll agree to anything?”

Mrs. Lopez felt a tightening in her chest as she noticed the sharp glint of determination in Autumn’s eyes.

A strange sensation washed over her.

From what she understood of Autumn, she wasn’t the type to make such bold declarations.

She still held some lingering affection for her father and had always sought his approval by supporting the family.

What had caused such a drastic transformation in her?

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