The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 173

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

He reached out for Autumn’s hand, his voice adopting a whiny, almost pleading tone that grated on her nerves.

“C’mon, babe, pretty please?”

Autumn felt a wave of nausea wash over her.

She had always known Mars to be devoid of compassion, but this level of shamelessness was something she had never anticipated.

So now he’s scared I’ll leave him? Where was all this concern when I needed it most?

Mars feigned ignorance, pretending not to notice the storm brewing in Autumn’s eyes. He leaned in, attempting to wrap his arms around her, but she instinctively pulled back.

The rejection struck Mars like a physical blow. He froze, his once adoring gaze now clouded with shock and confusion.

“Autumn? What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so cold?”

A gnawing panic twisted in Mars’s gut.

He had always held the conviction that he and Autumn were destined to be the perfect couple, a bond unbreakable.

Even during the times he had betrayed her trust, even when he had orchestrated the swapping of her embryo, he had never felt this kind of desperation.

He knew, deep down, how fiercely Autumn loved him.

Back in the early days of their company, Autumn had poured herself into her work like a woman possessed, as if she wished there were forty-eight hours in a day.

He remembered asking her, curiosity piquing his interest, why she pushed herself so relentlessly.

With a determined smile, Autumn had replied, “So we can have a home of our own as soon as possible, of course!”

At that moment, Mars had truly understood the life she had endured with the Lopez family.

His heart had ached for her, and for a fleeting time, he had genuinely treated her with kindness and respect.

But everything changed when Lydia returned.

Mars began to convince himself that Autumn’s previous struggles were merely her attempts to garner sympathy, her way of playing the victim.

The Lopez family had never deprived her of essentials; she was the one who had become obsessed with wealth, blaming her family for her own ambitions.

Gradually, resentment seeped into Mars’s heart, and he found himself growing indifferent to her emotions.

Even as he became more distant, Autumn continued to treat him with the same unwavering affection—if not more.

Later, when he declared that having a child would complete his life, Autumn willingly left her job and committed herself to conceiving, even undergoing IVF for him.

Countless injections, her body swelling with ascites as if she were eight months pregnant—through it all, Autumn never once shed a tear or voiced her exhaustion.

Even when he wanted to tell her to stop, to give up the fight, she would simply smile at him, her face pale and drawn, and say, “Let’s try one more time, Mars. We’ll definitely have our own baby, and your dream will come true.”

In those moments, Mars realized the depth of her love: Autumn loved him more than she loved herself.

She would never abandon him.

And so, he grew increasingly brazen in his actions.

He had naively thought their relationship would continue in this manner indefinitely.

He never anticipated that Autumn would suddenly decide to leave.

Lately, she had been colder than he had ever seen her.

Deep down, Mars recognized that his treatment of Autumn had been appalling. He had wronged her repeatedly for Lydia’s sake.

He had assumed she would simply endure it all in silence, never making a fuss.

He never imagined that this time, she would refuse to accept it.

The panic in Mars’s heart ignited like a wildfire.

He had always believed he had fallen out of love with Autumn long ago. It wasn’t until she was gone that he understood what it felt like to have someone genuinely care for him.

Lydia, Hannah—it didn’t matter who they were.

They were merely tools to satisfy his desires.

Perhaps Hannah could assist him in his career, but Cloudbreak Corporation without Autumn felt like a man who had lost a limb. If he wanted to elevate the company, he needed to secure his home front first.

Seeing his cautious and gentle demeanor, Autumn buried the mockery in her eyes and nodded, merely to appease him.

“Fine.”

Mars beamed with joy. “Great, great! Then it’s settled. I’ll have someone book the tickets right now.”

As Autumn watched Mars bustle around, the mockery in her gaze was no longer concealed.

They say a reformed man is priceless. If anyone else witnessed Mars acting this way, they might think she was being ungrateful.

But only Autumn understood how deeply she had been wounded when the truth came to light.

Everything Mars was doing now didn’t even begin to cover the interest on his debt, let alone make amends.

Moreover, she hadn’t asked him for any of this. His actions were merely a means to soothe his own conscience and to keep his dutiful little wife firmly by his side.

Oh, Mars. Whether you’re sincere or just putting on a show, I’m done playing this game.

Autumn lowered her gaze, refusing to spare Mars another glance.

Mars, in his eagerness, had his assistant book the tickets. To ensure Autumn could rest comfortably, he even initiated a video call with a local real estate agent, hoping to buy a house outright so she would be as at ease as possible upon her arrival.

Listening to the sounds of him making arrangements, Autumn’s eyelids grew heavy.

With her last ounce of strength, she sent a text to Owen Bennett before succumbing to sleep, unable to wait for his reply.

When she awoke again, she found herself back in the house she had once shared with Mars.

The residence appeared unchanged, just as she had left it.

The items she had instructed the housekeeper to discard had been replaced by Mars at some point, creating a surprisingly tidy environment.

Yet none of it stirred any emotion within Autumn.

As she stepped out of the house and prepared to leave, she spotted Oliver and Mrs. Lopez emerging from a car.

The moment they laid eyes on her, the expressions on both their faces shifted dramatically.