The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 174

**Chapter 174**

The atmosphere in the car was thick with tension as Oliver and Mrs. Lopez engaged in a fierce argument before arriving at their destination. The air was electric, crackling with unspoken words and simmering anger.

They had come dangerously close to a physical confrontation just moments ago, the kind of fight that could spill over into something truly regrettable. Oliver, however, had a moment of clarity, realizing he had crossed a line he could not uncross. He quickly relented, his pride momentarily set aside. If he hadn’t, it was likely that the three of them would have found themselves at the hospital, nursing wounds that ran deeper than the physical.

Mrs. Lopez, though, wasn’t ready to let Oliver off the hook so easily. There was a storm brewing within her; after all, he had chosen to be with someone else when she and Lydia needed him most. The betrayal cut deep, and having once been the other woman herself, she found it impossible to overlook his actions. Yet, amid her anger, she was acutely aware of the precarious situation they were in. They needed Oliver, at least until she could secure the assets that rightfully belonged to her and Lydia.

With a steely resolve, she buried her rage, planning to settle the score with Oliver at a more opportune time. She knew how to play the long game.

Oblivious to the storm brewing in his wife’s heart, Oliver felt a surge of triumph. Having regained control over the Lopez Group’s shares, he believed his status had skyrocketed. This victory was a massive boost to his male ego, a validation of his worth as a man. He reveled in the satisfaction that he felt was long overdue.

Each of them, carrying their own hidden agendas, conferred in the car before ultimately deciding to seek out Mars Wright. Their trust in him far outweighed their concerns for their own daughter, Autumn.

The four of them—Oliver, Mrs. Lopez, Lydia, and Mars—were united in their mission, while Autumn remained a mere outsider in this intricate web of familial dynamics. Oliver had always overlooked Autumn, seeing her only as a means to an end, a tool for generating wealth for the family. Now, witnessing the stubbornness she had inherited from her mother, his feelings for her had diminished even further. With the Lopez Group firmly back in his grasp, he considered Autumn utterly expendable.

“What are you doing here?” Mrs. Lopez’s voice cut through the air, a sharp edge of disbelief lacing her words as she spotted Autumn at Mars’ villa.

Oliver, trailing closely behind, regarded Autumn with a look of disdain, as if she were a homewrecker standing defiantly in their midst.

Autumn felt the weight of their glares and wanted to retort, but a quick glance at Mars reminded her to tread carefully. She clutched her stomach, feigning surprise, as she took a step back. “Am I not supposed to be here? I suppose I should just leave, then,” she said, her voice dripping with faux innocence as she turned to exit.

She had Lydia’s past lessons to thank for her performance. Autumn might not have perfected the art of manipulation, but she certainly knew how to put on a show when necessary.

The sight of her retreating form only deepened the frowns on Oliver and Mrs. Lopez’s faces.

“Autumn, what’s with the theatrics?” they demanded, their expressions twisted with displeasure. “Don’t think you can walk all over us just because you’re pregnant. Do you realize that by refusing the skin graft for Lydia, you’ve left her disfigured?”

Mrs. Lopez’s teeth ground together as she spoke, the mere mention of Lydia’s condition igniting a fire within her.

Since she couldn’t unleash her fury on Oliver just yet, Autumn became the perfect target for all her pent-up frustration.

“How is that my fault?” Autumn replied, lowering her gaze to conceal the disgust simmering within her. Her voice quaked with emotion, yet she held her ground. “Is it wrong for me to want to protect myself and my baby? Just because I said no, does that mean I’m responsible for Lydia’s disfigurement? Was I the one who operated on her?”

“I’ve always known you had favorites, but do you really have to be so blatant about it? Haven’t I been good enough to her my whole life? When you two were off gallivanting around the world, who was supporting you from the shadows? How can you be so greedy, wanting it all?”

“Shut up!”

Autumn had struck a nerve, and Oliver’s expression darkened ominously. “Are you trying to lecture me and your mother?”

“Look at you, Autumn. You think being pregnant gives you a free pass to say whatever you want?”

“That baby in your belly—”

“Dad!”

Mars interjected just in time, cutting Oliver off with a sense of urgency.

Mrs. Lopez snapped out of her rage, grabbing Oliver’s arm and hissing at him, “That’s enough! What nonsense are you spewing?”

Autumn couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

This family was a mirror of dysfunction—a match made in hell. They were always the instigators, and when they found themselves on the losing end, they simply threw their hands up in surrender, refusing to accept any responsibility.

They would never admit their wrongs; instead, they would find a way to shift the blame onto someone else.

In the past, Autumn had been willing to accept this treatment, valuing her family above all else.

But that was no longer the case.

Putting on an act for people with such rotten cores felt like a waste of her time—and her life.

“Then why don’t you say that when they bring up the past? Mars, and here I thought you genuinely wanted to make this work. I can’t believe you’re still like this.”

Autumn huffed. “I’m just going to return to my own place. At least there, no one will question my presence.”

With those final words, she shot Mrs. Lopez a cold, withering glance before turning on her heel and striding purposefully toward the door.

Mars’s expression shifted in an instant. “Wait, Autumn! You’re still pregnant! Be careful! This is our marital home; where do you think you’re going?”

He had expected Oliver and Mrs. Lopez to support him, but instead, Mrs. Lopez began to cry dramatically. “It seems it’s all my fault. Autumn still can’t stand me, her stepmother. What a curse… I’ve slaved away for the Lopez family for so many years, only to be treated like the wicked stepmother… My daughter is still in the hospital, and I can’t even say a word about it…”

Mars stood there, speechless. “Mom, what are you even talking about?”