The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 217

Chapter 217

Autumn’s eyes were red.

She never imagined someone would treat her with such care.

And that someone was Owen Bennett.

“Why are you…”

She was about to ask why he was being so incredibly accommodating when a

surprised voice called out from behind her. “Autumn?”

“Is that you, Autumn Lopez?”

Autumn froze, reflexively wiping the tears from her eyes before turning to see who

it was.

The woman wore a sharp business suit, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. She radiated competence.

“You’re… Faye Russell?”

Faye’s face lit up when Autumn recognized her. “It’s me! Oh my god, I can’t believe

I’m running into you here!”

Faye hurried over to them.

It was only when she got closer that she noticed the handsome man standing with

Autumn.

“And this is…?”

Faye and Autumn had been in college together. Back then, Mars Wright’s pursuit of Autumn had been a campus–wide spectacle, and plenty of people had envied the golden couple.

Faye squinted, sizing up the man in front of her. Wow, she thought, birds of a feather really do flock together.

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This guy’s looks and vibe were easily on par with Mars Wright’s.

In fact, he might even have an edge in every way.

“This is my-”

Autumn had been about to say “my fiancé,” but she caught herself. News of her divorce from Mars hadn’t reached her old college friends yet. Introducing Owen as her fiancé now would just open a huge can of worms.

After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “He’s my boss.”

Owen was, technically, the majority shareholder in her new company.

She was essentially working for him.

Calling him her boss wasn’t exactly a lie.

Faye didn’t seem to suspect a thing. She just looked at Autumn with envy. “Wow, sounds like Cloudbreak Corporation is doing better than ever! Your Mars finally let

you come out and work?”

“It makes sense, though. We all thought it was such a waste for you to be his secretary. Everyone knew you were the star student of our year!”

“No wonder all the guys on campus were dying of jealousy. Mars marries a brilliant woman like you, and a few years later, his company goes public. If I were a guy, I would’ve been chasing you like crazy too.”

Autumn listened with a faint smile as Faye recounted the past.

She didn’t have the heart to tell her it was all a fantasy.

Mars had only put in all that effort to win her over because he planned on using

her from the start.

It was an ugly story. And while Autumn wasn’t ashamed of the truth–after all, she wasn’t the one who should be embarrassed–she also wasn’t the type to air her

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dirty laundry to every acquaintance.

So she just smiled. They were just old classmates. Other than the occasional reunion, their paths would likely never cross again.

There was no need to get into the messy details.

The moment the word ‘reunion‘ crossed Autumn’s mind, Faye said, “Oh, by the way! The big alumni weekend is coming up. I don’t think you’ve been back to campus in years, right? You’ve skipped every single reunion. We all understood you were busy before, but you can’t bail on this one.”

I’m telling you in advance so you can talk to your husband and clear your schedules. This one’s part of the main homecoming event, so you absolutely have

to be there.

With Faye putting it like that, Autumn couldn’t really refuse.

She nodded with a smile. ‘I’ll make time for it.”

“Great! We can really catch up then.”

Faye glanced at her watch and gave Autumn an apologetic smile. “I’ve gotta run.”

“Okay.”

After a polite goodbye, Autumn watched Faye’s back recede into the distance, finally letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“So, are we-

Before she could even finish asking if he still wanted to get food from the stalls, Owen turned and started walking sullenly toward the food truck park.

Autumn blinked, then instinctively hurried after him. “What’s wrong?”

He was perfectly fine a minute ago. Is Owen… mad?

Owen’s pace wasn’t fast, so Autumn caught up to him easily.

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But the man clearly had no intention of talking, just forging ahead in silence.

Autumn followed for a bit before she couldn’t take it anymore. Her voice was

tinged with hurt. “I thought you were going to get snacks with me. Why are you walking so fast? If you don’t want me to eat this stuff, we can just go home, you

know.”

Hearing the wounded tone in her voice, Owen finally stopped.

He shot her a look of pure exasperation. “Can’t you tell I’m angry?” he snapped.

Autumn’s eyes went wide. “Why?”

Everything was fine. Who could have set him off?

Seeing that she was completely clueless about why he’d been fuming this whole time, Owen’s expression was a mix of frustration and resignation.

When Owen didn’t say anything, Autumn hesitated for a second before walking over and tentatively taking his hand.

His hand was suddenly ice–cold, so much so that her first instinct was to pull

away.

Sensing her intent, Owen tightened his grip, pulling her hand into his coat pocket

along with his own.

Warmth instantly flooded her skin, and for some reason, her eyes started to burn

again.

Seeing her on the verge of tears, Owen felt completely helpless.

“Autumn, are you really this clueless, or are you just pretending to be?”

Her nose felt stuffy, and a tightness constricted her chest.

Her voice was nasal. “What are you trying to say?”

I’m not a mind reader. How am I supposed to know what he’s thinking every

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