The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 281

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

**You’re Triggered**

Amidst the swirling chaos of the party, a sudden, anguished cry escaped from Mars Wright’s lips, cutting through the laughter and chatter like a knife. The festivity that had once filled the air now felt heavy with tension.

Just as abruptly as it began, the stream of venomous words pouring from his mouth ceased, leaving a thick silence in its wake. Autumn Lopez, her heart racing, glanced up in alarm, only to find Owen Bennett standing before Mars, his expression a mix of fury and determination. Without a moment’s hesitation, Owen’s fist connected with Mars’s face, a brutal punctuation to the words that had incited this violence.

But one punch was clearly not sufficient to satiate Owen’s wrath. He swiftly raised his foot and delivered a brutal kick to Mars’s knee, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud thud. As Mars knelt before Autumn, his face contorted in pain, the atmosphere thickened with a sense of impending doom.

“Owen Bennett! Looks like I struck a nerve, didn’t I?” Mars spat defiantly, trying to mask his vulnerability.

Owen laughed, a harsh sound that echoed in the stunned silence. “Hahaha, I knew it! No ordinary man could handle this, especially not you!” His tone was mocking, filled with a sense of vindication.

“Pretty embarrassing, huh, Owen?” Mars shot back, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.

“Now everyone knows you have… unique tastes. That you like picking up—mmmph!” But before he could finish his taunt, Nina, quick-thinking and fierce, seized the nearest object and shoved it into Mars’s mouth, silencing him.

The crowd was in disbelief. Who would have thought Owen Bennett would throw a punch at his own family’s gathering? It was a scandal that would ripple through social circles for weeks to come.

After a moment of stunned silence, all eyes shifted toward the elder Bennetts, their expressions a mix of shock and amusement. Many socialites, their envy of Autumn’s second marriage to Owen evident, wore smiles that betrayed their delight at her misfortune.

“Well, she’s finished,” one woman whispered, her voice dripping with malice. “Humiliated by her ex-husband in front of her in-laws… no respectable family would ever accept a daughter-in-law like that.”

“Especially not the Bennetts,” another chimed in, her eyes gleaming with schadenfreude.

“When have the Bennetts ever been insulted like this? This is why people in our circle should stick to their own kind. You never know what kind of trash you’re bringing home…”

“Isn’t that the truth?” came another voice, echoing the sentiments around the room.

“And here I thought Owen Bennett, the unreachable ice prince, would end up with a high-society heiress. I guess even a titan like him has a rebellious phase,” one socialite remarked, her laughter ringing hollow.

“Hahaha, but it makes sense, right? He’s still a man. He’s seen all the debutantes in our circle; of course, he’d want to try something… different.”

“Still, you have to admit Autumn is lucky. A public proposal from Owen, a baby on the way… her future is pretty much set,” another added, a hint of envy in her tone.

“It’s just a shame about the baby. It’ll probably be illegitimate,” someone muttered, and the others quickly joined in, eager to spread the gossip.

“So what if it’s illegitimate? That’s better than having *her* for a mother, right? If Mrs. Bennett is really like that, people will be talking about her everywhere she goes. If she cared about the kid, she’d have it quietly and then disappear,” one woman suggested, her voice laced with disdain.

“Exactly,” another agreed.

“That’s a fair point,” many nodded, their whispers growing louder, unaware that Autumn could hear every single word.

A chill crept through Autumn, and a sickening feeling twisted in her stomach as she instinctively cradled her belly, panic flooding her senses. What if something was wrong with the baby? She forced herself to breathe deeply, trying to quell the rising tide of fear.

“Autumn, what’s wrong?” Nina was the first to notice her distress, rushing to her side, concern etched on her face.

“Autumn, are you okay?” she pressed, her voice filled with worry.

“Don’t scare me like this,” Nina added, her brow furrowed in concern.

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