The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 299

Chapter 299

Autumn Lopez heard the teasing in Margaret Bennett’s voice and blushed, looking down without saying a

word.

Margaret cheerfully answered her phone. “Owen, honey, what’s up?”

From her tone, Owen could tell his mom was having a good time, which made him happy.

But some things still needed to be said.

“Where’s Autumn?”

“You two have been out for a while. When are you bringing her back?”

“What do you mean, ‘bringing her back‘?” Margaret huffed. “Do I need your permission to take my daughter–in–law shopping? Go ask your father if he ever dares to rush me home when I’m out.”

Owen was exasperated.

“Is that really the same thing?”

“How is it not?”

Knowing his mother’s temper, Owen decided not to argue. “Where are you guys? I’ll drive over and pick you

up.”

“You really can’t be away from your wife for a single second.”

Margaret sighed with a helpless smile. “We’re at the cafe in the mall. Hurry up and get over here.”

“Okay.”

“Wait for me. I’m on my way.

Owen hung up immediately.

Margaret listened to the dial tone and shook her head, exasperated.

“That impatient boy.”

Autumn was sitting close to Margaret, so she had overheard Owen’s side of the conversation.

The tips of her ears turned red. Even though she and Owen had been together for a while, being teased by an elder still felt a little embarrassing.

“Excuse me… are you the actress, Charlotte Morgan?”

A young girl timidly approached, her voice barely a whisper, as if she were afraid of startling them.

Margaret was about to say no, but her heart softened when she saw the girl’s tear–filled eyes.

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“I am. What can I do for you, sweetie?”

“OMG! You really are Charlotte Morgan!”

“I’m a huge fan!”

Margaret hadn’t expected to run into a fan here. The girl looked so young, she couldn’t have been a fan from when Margaret first started her career.

Curiosity piqued, she asked, “How old are you?”

The girl looked down. “I’m sixteen.”

Margaret and Autumn exchanged a look.

“Only sixteen?”

Margaret had retired from acting over a decade ago.

Could this girl have seen her old films?

“Yes. I found your movies in a collection of old discs my parents left behind. I was captivated the moment I saw you.”

“I used to watch your films over and over on my laptop. I still remember so many of your lines.”

“Ms. Morgan, you were a beacon of light that guided me when I was lost.”

“I’m so, so grateful to you. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know how I would have gotten through that time.”

Neither Autumn nor Margaret had expected a sixteen–year–old to have such profound feelings.

They were both sharp and immediately guessed that the girl must have gone through some kind of family

tragedy,

“Would you like to tell us your story?”

Margaret invited the girl to sit down.

At first, the girl looked incredulous, but Margaret’s gentle, encouraging gaze convinced her to take a seat.

“It’s not much of a story. My parents were working out of town, and they got into a car accident while rushing back to celebrate my birthday with me.”

“They died on the spot. The other driver was drunk and got arrested for a DUI.”

“The insurance company paid a settlement, but the driver had no money to give and just defaulted on the

compensation.”

“His family kept begging me to forgive him, but I just… I don’t know how I could.”

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The girl’s eyes welled up as she spoke, as if she was reliving those difficult years.

“I was in a daze back then, just thinking that if I hadn’t had a birthday, my parents wouldn’t have died. If they didn’t have to raise me, they wouldn’t have had to work so hard out of town.”

“I was just so tired. The thought kept spinning in my head. So when the police took me to my parents‘ place to sort through their things, I made a decision.”

“I thought that once I packed up their belongings, I would take them and go find my mom and dad.”

“That way, I’d be sure to find them on the other side, and I wouldn’t get lost.”

Autumn’s eyes grew misty. She dabbed at the corners with a tissue, her voice hoarse. “And then you found Ms. Morgan’s discs?”

“Yes.”

The girl’s eyes lit up. “I saw a picture of Ms. Morgan right away.”

“Her smile was so gentle, just like my mom’s.”

“As if by some strange impulse, I put the movie in to play.”

“It was the last film Ms. Morgan made before she retired.”

“It was a story about a young girl searching for her parents.”

“I was so moved.”

“And it gave me an idea.”

In this world, it doesn’t matter if you have parents or not.

You have to live for yourself.

The girl quickly emerged from the shadow of her parents‘ death and started getting professional help.

With a therapist’s guidance, she recovered quickly.

Although her mental health struggles had set her back in school, having to repeat a grade was actually a relief.

“No one at my new school knows about my parents, so they don’t look at me with pity all the time.”

“I’m really happy.”

Margaret was stunned to hear what her young fan had been through.

She patted the girl’s shoulder, took a notebook from her purse, and got ready to sign her name.

“What’s your name, sweetie?”

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Realizing her idol was about to give her an autograph, the girl’s voice trembled with excitement.

“My… my name is Sophia Moore.”

Margaret nodded, writing “To: Sophia Moore” at the top of the page before adding several lines of

encouragement.

The girl was so thrilled she covered her mouth, desperately trying to hold back a sob.

After finishing, Margaret handed the paper to the girl. “You’re still so young, and you have a whole future

waiting for you to explore. You’ve got this, kiddo.”

“I’m sure you’ll achieve your dreams.”

“And I know you’ll find more and more happiness.”

The girl clutched the paper as if it were a priceless treasure. “Thank you.”

Just then, Owen called again. Margaret stood up, and Autumn followed.

“It’s getting late, we have to go. You should head home soon too, sweetie.”

“Okay.”

As they walked out of the cafe, Autumn noticed Margaret kept looking back over her shoulder. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Mom, are you thinking about helping her?”

Margaret paused and looked at Autumn. “You know what I’m thinking?”

Autumn smiled. “It’s not hard to guess.”

The girl was only sixteen, so young, without parents, and still needing to get through school. Life was probably incredibly tough for her.

They weren’t short on money, and if a small donation could help a girl get an education and achieve her dreams, they wouldn’t hesitate.

“I’ll have my foundation handle it.”

Autumn knew Margaret had her own charitable foundation, so she simply nodded without asking more.

When they got into Owen’s car, Margaret immediately told him about the encounter.

Owen’s brow furrowed. “It’s probably better to look into her story thoroughly first.”

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