The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 53

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

**Chapter 53**

Autumn stood resolutely, her gaze fixed on Mars Wright, who stood before her like a statue, chiseled from the very essence of worry. His anxious demeanor was palpable; the deep lines etched around his eyes and the tautness of his lips spoke volumes about his internal turmoil. To any other woman, his striking good looks might have evoked sympathy or concern.

But for Autumn, those feelings were as distant as the stars.

As her thoughts drifted to the clandestine dealings he had orchestrated with Lydia Lopez, her heart turned to ice, solidifying into an impenetrable wall.

She found his show of concern utterly absurd.

Just moments before, he had donned the mask of the perfect brother-in-law, charming her parents with a facade of warmth and attentiveness that felt as false as a cheap imitation.

Yet, when the tide had turned against her, with her parents uniting in opposition, he had stood silent, a mere observer at Lydia’s bedside, seemingly eager to distance himself from the chaos.

Now, with her parents out of the equation, he was frantically trying to piece together his “good husband” image, as if it were a jigsaw puzzle missing crucial pieces.

His remarkable ability to slip between identities was nothing short of astonishing, like a magician performing an illusion that left the audience in awe.

Autumn couldn’t help but marvel at his audacity. She found herself eagerly anticipating the moment when his true self would be exposed for all to see, the mask slipping to reveal the man beneath.

“Say something!”

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating, until Mars’s patience began to fray like an old rope. His voice sliced through the tension, sharp and tinged with irritation. “Are you mad or something? I haven’t even asked you why you were at the Bennett Group tower today, and you’re giving me the cold shoulder?”

“Autumn, can you stop acting like a child?”

As she watched the impatience etch deeper into his features, a slight nod escaped her lips. There it was—the deceitful scoundrel she had come to know all too well, the one who had betrayed her trust.

“The Lopez Group has a partnership with the Mistveil Group, which, in turn, collaborates with the Bennett Group. I merely wanted to leverage that connection to gather some information,” she explained, raising an eyebrow, her gaze piercing through him like a knife. She didn’t bother to ask why he had been at the Bennett Group tower; instead, she cut straight to the heart of the matter. “And what was your reason for being with Lydia?”

“…”

Mars’s eyes flickered away, guilt radiating from him like heat from a flame, a telltale sign that he was cornered.

The old Autumn would have shied away, allowing him to sidestep the issue, but this new version was unyielding; she had no interest in preserving his pride or sparing his feelings. She locked her gaze onto him, unrelenting. “Did you go there specifically to see her?”

“But weren’t you inebriated before? So intoxicated that you nearly harmed me, yet you didn’t even think to check if I was alright. I assumed you must have blacked out.”

“I’m surprised you even remembered to seek out Lydia. What did you two discuss? Why did she suddenly attempt to take her own life?”

“Did you hurt her?”

Autumn’s rapid-fire questions left Mars momentarily speechless, caught in a web of his own making.

How could he possibly articulate the reasoning behind his call to Lydia?

In the chaos of the Bennett tower, his first instinct hadn’t been to reach out to his wife but rather to his sister-in-law. There was no way to spin that into something palatable.

“Did you drive her to suicide?”

Autumn clutched her stomach, disbelief washing over her as she stared at Mars, her heart racing. “Don’t tell me you did something to Lydia—”

In an instant, Mars erupted. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He longed to clarify, to explain his actions, but the words lodged in his throat like stones. His face flushed a deep crimson, the embarrassment evident.

After savoring his flustered state for a moment, Autumn broke into a radiant smile, her voice light as she teased, “I’m just kidding. Look at how scared you are. Anyone would think you have a guilty conscience.”

“Lydia is my sister. Of course, I trust both of you.”

“But if you ever actually got involved with her, I would absolutely destroy you both.”

Mars’s breath hitched at her final words, caught somewhere between his lungs, making it hard for him to breathe, the weight of her threat pressing down on him.

He dared not meet her gaze, his eyes darting around in a panic, seeking an escape from the conversation.

A chilling glint danced in Autumn’s eyes.

She had already unraveled the truth of this man before her.

At his core, Mars was nothing more than a pathetic leech, thriving off the efforts of women.

Once, Autumn had loved him deeply, willing to overlook his flaws and accommodate his every whim, which had only fueled his arrogant and entitled demeanor.

“I just want to get things in order. There are some promising new developments on the market. The company is doing well now, but we can’t afford to become complacent. I was thinking we could sell off some properties we don’t live in and invest in something more lucrative.”

“We can transfer the new place to the baby’s name as soon as they’re born. It can be a gift from us as parents.”

A smile broke across Mars’s face as he reached out to gently rub Autumn’s belly, his demeanor shifting to one of eagerness. “Okay.”

“I’ll have my assistant prepare a list for you later.”

“Now, be a good baby, and don’t give your mom a hard time,” Mars said, leaning down to speak softly to Autumn’s stomach. “See how wonderful your mommy is to you? You’ll be a little landlord with nothing to worry about the moment you enter this world. You’d better grow up and treat your mom right, or I’ll personally deal with you, you little rascal.”

Mars’s words were infused with genuine emotion, a stark contrast to the tension that had just filled the room.

Thick, dripping sarcasm filled Autumn’s eyes as she listened.

He probably means every word of that because in his mind, he’s addressing his and Lydia’s baby.

Of course, he wants to provide the best for the fruit of their love, the child that was a product of their complicated relationship.

Out of the corner of her eye, Autumn noticed Lydia stirring on the hospital bed, appearing to wake up. A spark of inspiration ignited in Autumn’s mind, a plan beginning to take shape.

“You love this baby so much; why don’t we open a trust fund for them, too?”

“Sure.”

Mars, on edge and eager to placate her, agreed to whatever she proposed, a doting expression plastered across his face.

Autumn made a point to listen intently, noticing Lydia’s breathing becoming heavier, a smile of satisfaction radiating from her.

“Mars, you’re so good to our baby.”

She placed extra emphasis on the word “our,” a subtle jab that underscored her point.

Lydia, I dare you to remain silent through this.

As Autumn stood before Mars, the weight of their shared history pressed heavily on her heart. The façade he wore, a mask of concern and charm, began to crumble under the scrutiny of her unwavering gaze. No longer willing to play the role of the dutiful wife or the forgiving sister-in-law, she embraced her newfound strength. The realization that she could no longer tolerate Mars’s deceitful nature filled her with a sense of liberation. Each sarcastic quip and pointed question served as a reminder that she was no longer the woman willing to overlook his flaws. Instead, she was a mother-to-be, fiercely protective of her child and resolute in her determination to carve out a future free from the shadows of betrayal.

In that moment, as Lydia stirred in the hospital bed, Autumn felt a spark of hope ignite within her. The power dynamics had shifted; she was no longer at the mercy of Mars’s whims. By asserting her own desires and needs, she reclaimed her narrative, turning the tables on the man who had so often manipulated her emotions. With each exchange, she felt a growing sense of peace, knowing that she was no longer chasing the light of his approval but rather embracing the strength that resided within her. As she planned for her child’s future, Autumn understood that true peace would come from standing tall in her truth, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead with unwavering resolve.