The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 190

**Chasing Light, Finding Peace by Rohan Verma**
**Chapter 190**

“What are you saying? Did you seriously cheat on me?”

Mars Wright’s lips quivered with disbelief, his heart pounding in his chest like a drum. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, a desperate search for words that seemed to elude him. The crowd below was frozen, their breaths held tightly in their throats, as if the very air had thickened with tension.

Who could have ever imagined that a simple birthday celebration would spiral into this whirlwind of chaos? The atmosphere was electric, charged with revelations that felt like bombs dropping one after another, leaving everyone scrambling to comprehend the unfolding drama.

“Don’t you dare put me in the same category as someone like you!”

Autumn Lopez shot Mars a glare that could cut through steel, her expression dripping with contempt. With the truth now laid bare, she felt no need to maintain any pretense. “You orchestrated a switch with Lydia’s egg, but the plan backfired. Instead of swapping my egg, they swapped your sperm with someone else’s.”

“So, the child growing inside me is my blood, yes—but not with you. And definitely not yours with Lydia.”

It was as if a storm had erupted in Mars’s mind, a clap of thunder that left him feeling utterly fried and disoriented.

“That… how is that even possible? I specifically instructed them to—”

His eyes widened, bloodshot and frantic, as the reality of the situation crashed down on him. He had honestly believed that even if Autumn discovered the truth about the baby, he could find a way to make things right. Perhaps a heartfelt apology would suffice, and she might even find it in her heart to forgive him. After all, she had always seemed to cherish this child above all else.

But now, faced with such a brutal revelation, a chilling understanding washed over him—*No wonder she had tolerated everything for so long.*

*She was acutely aware that, even with her evidence, the moment we demanded a paternity test, it would unequivocally prove that the baby inside her had no biological connection to me, Mars Wright. Legally, she would be the one left vulnerable.*

“You truly are a master manipulator…”

Mrs. Lopez and Lydia had believed their scheme was flawless, that they held the upper hand in this twisted game. They never anticipated that Autumn would turn the tables so completely. They had attempted a similar trick, but in the end, it was Autumn who emerged victorious, her cunning outshining their devious plans.

“You expect us to just accept your claim that this was all a mistake?”

Mrs. Lopez’s incredulity was palpable as she struggled to come to terms with this unexpected outcome. Watching Autumn bask in her smug triumph, she felt a surge of anger. “Perhaps this was your scheme from the start. You were cheating for a while, and you orchestrated all of this just to secure a divorce.”

“You used Lydia and Mars!”

Mrs. Lopez’s accusation struck a chord, swaying a few spectators in the crowd.

“That’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. If Autumn’s story holds any truth, then Lydia and Mars were involved in an affair for quite some time. What woman could tolerate that? Maybe she sought revenge, found another man to cheat with, and accidentally got pregnant. Then, when she learned of Mars’s plan to swap embryos, she simply played along…”

“If that’s the case, then Autumn is chillingly manipulative. She’s been orchestrating this entire situation while making fools of us all!”

A surge of fury ignited within Mars at these words. He lunged forward, his hands wrapping around Autumn’s neck with a desperation fueled by betrayal.

“Is it true?”

“Autumn, did you set all of this up? You did it on purpose, didn’t you? Just because I cheated, you engineered this entire fiasco to destroy me at my moment of triumph!”

“Autumn, how could you be so ruthless? We were married for so many years!”

“Even if I did cheat, it was just a mistake that any man could make! I promised you a million times that I would return to our family, that we could have a good life together. Why can’t you just let it go?”

“Are you trying to ruin my life on purpose?”

Mars’s grip tightened around her neck, his fury blinding him.

Autumn felt her breath hitch, but panic didn’t consume her. Instead, she calmly reached into her pocket and pulled out a taser.

“Zzzt—”

The electric shock surged through Mars’s body, a paralyzing jolt that made him release her in shock, collapsing onto the stage like a marionette with severed strings.

“Mars!”

Lydia’s shriek pierced the air as she witnessed the shocking scene unfold.

Autumn raised the taser, ready to defend herself.

If Lydia charged at her, she would deliver a full-power shock without hesitation.

But just as she prepared to act, the main doors of the hotel ballroom swung open with a force that seemed to reverberate through the chaos, and a flood of people rushed inside.

Several bodyguards moved with a speed that was almost blinding, vaulting onto the stage. One of them delivered a swift kick that sent Lydia sprawling, tossing her aside like a piece of refuse.

Mrs. Lopez let out a piercing scream, scrambling over to Lydia, her voice frantic. “Lydia! My daughter! Are you alright?”

“They’re murderers! Someone’s trying to kill people! Help!”

This unexpected turn of events sent ripples of panic through the party guests.

But before anyone could react, the newcomers parted into two lines, creating a clear path down the center of the room.

Then, under the scrutinizing gaze of all present, a man in a tailored suit strode in with an air of authority, moving like a king surveying his realm.

“Mr. Bennett?”

Someone in the crowd recognized him, their eyes widening in shock. “What are you doing here?”

The individual instinctively glanced over at Mars, who lay twitching on the floor, foam gathering at the corners of his mouth.

Was Mars truly that significant? Important enough to summon Owen Bennett to his birthday celebration?

But Owen didn’t even acknowledge the person who spoke. His focus was solely on Autumn, cornered and vulnerable on the stage.

He quickened his pace, approaching her with the unmistakable demeanor of a protector.

The crowd heard him speak to Autumn, his voice imbued with an astonishing gentleness. “Sorry I’m late.”