The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 234

**Chapter 234**

Autumn Lopez had never envisioned that her history with Owen Bennett could be so intricate and layered.

As she reflected on their past, it struck her like a bolt of lightning—everything that had once felt odd and out of place now fit together seamlessly.

No wonder Owen had rushed to her the moment he learned about the baby, broaching the topic of marriage with a fervor she hadn’t anticipated.

At the time, she had thought his eagerness was a bit impulsive, perhaps even reckless.

Yet, as she considered her own actions, she realized that she was the one who had been reckless all along.

After all, it was she who had said yes to a marriage proposal without fully grasping the complexities of their situation, only to hesitate and withdraw due to their differing social standings.

From the very beginning, it wasn’t solely Owen who had made a choice; she had chosen him just as much.

With a deep sigh, Autumn felt as though a thick fog had finally lifted from her mind, revealing clarity she had long sought.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked, her voice laced with a mix of frustration and playfulness.

She shot Owen a teasing look, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “If you had spilled the beans earlier, I might have actually recognized you.”

As he gazed at her, seeing this soft, unguarded side of her, Owen felt his heart warm and swell.

“You hadn’t logged on in ages. I thought you had given up gaming altogether,” he replied, a hint of nostalgia in his tone.

Autumn’s expression grew wistful at the memory of those carefree days.

“It really has been a long time since I last played,” she admitted, her voice dropping slightly.

After discovering her pregnancy, Mars Wright had transformed into a veritable tyrant.

One moment, he would warn her that staring at her phone for too long would ruin her eyesight and jeopardize the baby’s health.

The next, he’d insist that using a computer would expose her to harmful radiation.

Her usual work became a struggle, let alone indulging in video games.

She vividly recalled the look of disgust on Mars’s face when he first learned of her passion for violent shooter games.

“What kind of respectable girl plays games like this? If people found out you spent your time on this shoot-’em-up nonsense, do you really think they wouldn’t judge you?”

“If word gets out, what will they say? That Mars Wright married a two-faced woman who appears all refined in public but secretly relishes this bloody, violent stuff? They might think you’re a psycho. They’d probably even believe that the ‘you’ in the game is the real you.”

“Just stop playing. You’re the chief secretary at Cloudbreak Corporation now. Wouldn’t that time be better spent figuring out how to manage client relationships?”

Autumn had wanted to argue fiercely.

After all, there was no rule stating that women couldn’t enjoy first-person shooters.

Loving violent games didn’t equate to being violent.

Video games were meant for entertainment and relaxation; everyone should be free to play whatever they desired.

But back then, Autumn had deemed gaming a trivial matter.

It hardly seemed worth igniting a massive confrontation with Mars over it.

So, she had swallowed her retorts and remained silent.

Looking back, she realized that Mars’s behavior was classic gaslighting.

Their differing values manifested in these seemingly minor issues.

At that time, she had been willing to sacrifice her own happiness for him.

Now, as she refused to tolerate it any longer, his true, unsightly nature had been laid bare before her.

“It’s cool, Autumn,” Nina chimed in, noticing Autumn’s distant gaze.

Assuming her friend was lost in nostalgic memories of epic gaming battles, she gave her a reassuring pat on the back. “We’ll play together later. I promise we’ll get you right back in the zone!”

Autumn instinctively glanced at Owen, her heart fluttering with curiosity.

She desperately wanted to know his thoughts on this.

He was a man, just like Mars. Would he prioritize the baby over her enjoyment? Would he think that her gaming while pregnant could somehow harm their child?

Meeting Autumn’s hopeful gaze, Owen smiled softly, his eyes reflecting understanding. “Nina, don’t pressure Autumn.”

With each word, the hope in Autumn’s eyes faded, piece by piece.

So, it seemed all men were fundamentally the same on this issue, weren’t they?

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