The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 172

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

A glimmer of hope ignited in Autumn Lopez’s eyes, a fleeting moment that flickered like a candle in the wind. The words “What are you doing here?” danced on the edge of her tongue, eager to escape, but as she turned and recognized Mars Wright, she swallowed them back down, her heart pounding in her chest.

“And who might you be?” came the sharp retort from Ava Henderson’s sidekick, her voice dripping with disdain as her gaze flitted between Autumn and Mars. After a brief pause, she scoffed, “Wow, I didn’t realize you had so many guys on a leash.”

The venom in her words hung heavy in the air, and Autumn felt a rush of indignation. “Words have consequences,” she warned, her voice low and steady. “I won’t allow you to tarnish my reputation with your baseless slander.”

“Ooh, I’m so scared!” the sidekick replied, her face contorting into a mask of arrogance. “Go ahead, sue me. Let’s see who ends up more humiliated—a woman with your reputation, or me rotting in a jail cell!”

“Besides, what if I’m wrong? The worst that happens is I have to apologize to you later,” she added with a sneer, her confidence unwavering.

“Don’t think being pregnant makes you special. Who even knows who the father of that baby is?” she shot back, the words laced with malice.

“Instead of wasting your time on me, maybe you should focus on cleaning up your own messy life,” Autumn retorted, her annoyance bubbling beneath the surface.

It was clear the sidekick was trying to provoke Mars, and Autumn’s frown deepened as she glanced at him, uncertainty gnawing at her. She had no idea what had brought him here, but she knew his temper was as explosive as it was unpredictable. The last thing she wanted was for him to lose control over some absurd rumor. The thought of navigating not only these bizarre accusations but also Mars’s wrath made her stomach churn.

A wave of irritation washed over her, but just as she was formulating a plan to de-escalate the situation, Mars surprised her completely. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, and wrapped his arm around her waist in a gentle yet protective gesture.

“Ma’am,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “with a mouth that filthy, you should really think about washing it out. The stench is probably wafting down the whole street.”

The sidekick, furious that Mars had turned the tide against her, sputtered, “What the hell is your problem? Are you blind? We just saw something wrong and decided to speak up. Do you really have to blow it out of proportion?”

“I suggest you keep a closer eye on your woman,” Mars shot back, his voice low and menacing. “God knows what kind of shady stuff she’s been doing behind your back.”

Ava, sensing the shift in power, called out to her sidekick with a self-righteous air, “That’s enough. If they don’t appreciate our concern, we’ll just leave. It’s their business, not ours.”

“Exactly. We try to be nice, and this is the thanks we get,” the sidekick chimed in, her bravado faltering.

“Fine, fine. It’s not worth the trouble. We can just walk away, right? Ava, let’s go,” she said, her voice now tinged with defeat.

Ava nodded, and the two of them strutted into the club, their heads held high as if they had just won a monumental victory.

Seizing the opportunity, Madelyn Carter rushed over to Nathan Parker, grabbing his arm with urgency. “Uncle, you’re coming with me!” she insisted, her tone leaving no room for argument.

“This isn’t over until you give my aunt an explanation!” she added, her eyes blazing with determination.

Nathan felt a surge of annoyance at Madelyn’s attitude, but with Mars now in the mix, prolonging the confrontation risked exposing the delicate business collaboration he had with Autumn. He had no choice but to cast an apologetic glance at Autumn before climbing into the car with Madelyn and driving away.

The remaining onlookers, still buzzing with curiosity about the unfolding drama between Autumn and Mars, quickly scattered at the sight of Mars’s expensive attire and his grim, intimidating demeanor. In an instant, the once-bustling entrance of the club was devoid of life.

Autumn had planned to wait for Mars to break the silence, but to her surprise, he turned and walked away without uttering a single word. Hesitation gripped her momentarily, but she soon gathered her resolve and followed him.

Now, that boomerang had come flying back, hitting him square in the face. The realization of how hurtful his words had been began to dawn on him.

“Autumn…” he started, searching for the right words, but they eluded him. “That’s not what I meant. I…”

Seeing the guilt etched across Mars’s face, Autumn couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh to herself. If this were the past, such a sight would have softened her heart, but now, all she felt was scorn.

You never truly understand the pain of betrayal until you’re the one being stabbed in the back.

Now, Mars finally grasped the depth of his past mistakes. Too bad for him, Autumn had moved on and no longer craved his too-little-too-late remorse.

“Why are you here?” she cut him off, impatience lacing her words. “Don’t tell me you were meeting Lydia and the others at the club again?”

Another boomerang, indeed.

Mars’s eyes darted around, discomfort washing over him. “No, I heard you were here, so I came specifically to see you,” he confessed, his tone thick with grievance. “Autumn, it feels like ages since I last saw you. Ever since you moved out, we’ve barely crossed paths. And you haven’t been texting or calling me lately. What’s wrong? Are you still mad at me?”

Autumn pressed her lips together, refusing to respond. Mars took her silence as a signal of her softening heart. He quickly raised his hand, almost like taking an oath. “I swear, I’ll never leave you alone again. I’ll tell you where I’m going and what I’m doing every single day. Just move back in, and we can go back to how we were, okay?”

The air in the car thickened with unspoken tension, both of them trapped in a moment that held the weight of their shared past, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead.