The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 42

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

“And why is that?”

Mars’s voice sliced through the tension, firm and unwavering. This was a moment he had been preparing for, a chance to impart a lesson he deemed crucial for Lydia’s growth.

He chose not to dwell on his own failures, particularly how his tardiness had thrown their negotiations with the other company into disarray.

Instead, he pressed on, his tone edged with frustration, “Would you truly consider a business partner who can’t manage to set their phone down for even five minutes?”

“Lydia, you’re not a child anymore. When will you finally get your act together?”

Mars anticipated that his stern words would trigger a moment of reflection in Lydia, prompting her to acknowledge her mistakes and step up to the plate of responsibility.

However, he failed to recognize a glaring truth—Lydia had been pampered her entire life, first by her family and then by him. The idea that she would suddenly see her flaws and take ownership of her actions was nothing but a naive hope.

Almost instantly, her retort came, sharp and defensive, “Isn’t this your fault? If this project was so important, why didn’t you take it seriously?”

“If you understood the gravity of this deal, why were you wasting time with me in the first place?”

“Now the project has just been handed over to Autumn on a silver platter. Mars, were you deceiving me all along? When you said you didn’t have feelings for Autumn, was that just a ploy to keep me hanging? Deep down, you’re still fixated on her, aren’t you? That’s why you refuse to divorce her, and why you let her get pregnant!”

“You!”

A wave of fury washed over Mars.

In that moment, he grasped the sheer terror of having a partner who contributed nothing but burdensome weight.

He was suddenly flooded with memories of the early days at Cloudbreak Corporation, when Autumn had faced the world with unyielding determination, hustling tirelessly from one meeting to the next, securing investments and clients with a grace that left others in awe.

They were sisters, yet how could they be so fundamentally different?

Autumn navigated challenges with a poise that seemed innate, constantly brimming with innovative ideas. Lydia, on the other hand, appeared to excel only in the realms of indulgence—food, drinks, and parties. If she were a young man, she would embody the stereotype of a spoiled trust-fund brat—an insatiable parasite draining the family’s resources.

When there were no stakes involved, Mars found Lydia’s antics somewhat amusing. After all, wasn’t it expected for girls to be a little spoiled?

But now, with a significant opportunity slipping through his fingers like sand, Lydia’s behavior felt less like youthful exuberance and more like a childish tantrum. There was nothing charming about it any longer.

“Enough is enough. I refuse to argue with you about this, Lydia. You need to take a long, hard look at the mistakes you’ve made. If you don’t, I swear I will never forgive you.”

With those final, weighty words, Mars ended the call.

Lydia had anticipated him to return, remorseful and begging for forgiveness, so when he hung up, she was left in stunned silence.

Panic surged through her, a cold wave of desperation.

She quickly dialed her mother, Mrs. Lopez, her heart racing.

Her mother listened patiently, allowing Lydia to spill her tale, but when she finally spoke, her voice dripped with exasperation. “Honestly, what am I going to do with you? I’ve told you time and again to learn about business, yet you refuse to take my advice. And now look at the mess you’ve created.”

“The two things a man values most are his ego and his career. You can be a little clueless, but you cannot afford to be completely oblivious! The Mistveil Group is a major player in Grand City. Even your father was eager to collaborate with them back in the day. Cloudbreak finally had a chance, and you just had to ruin it?”

Lydia didn’t dare contradict her mother; instead, she whined, “But I didn’t want Autumn to take the credit.”

“Autumn is a force to be reckoned with. Who gave you, a nobody, the audacity to think you could take her on in the business world?”

“Haven’t I told you before? A woman just has to conquer a man, and he’ll conquer the world for her! Think about it—the more successful Cloudbreak becomes, the more respect you’ll garner as the CEO’s wife, right?”

“Your father has already handed the Lopez Group over to Autumn. He only receives a small fraction of the profits, and what you and I see is an even smaller share of that. You’re being incredibly shortsighted! If all this money went to Cloudbreak, it would all be yours!”

The weight of her mother’s words finally began to sink in for Lydia.

She stammered, “Th-then what do I do, Mom? I really didn’t think about that…”

“Don’t panic. It’s not too late. Just listen to me. Keep Mars wrapped around your finger. As long as he’s on your side, we can’t lose this battle.”

“And step up your game with Autumn. If you can force her to divorce Mars, you’ll have a legitimate claim to his side. Better yet, try to prove she cheated on him. Then she won’t get a dime in the divorce, and it’ll all end up in your pocket.”

A spark of newfound determination lit up Lydia’s eyes.

“I get it!”

Her mother was right. While she might struggle with business acumen, crafting traps and framing others? That was her true talent.

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