The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 63

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

**Chapter 63**

Autumn sat in stunned silence, her heart racing as a whirlwind of unvoiced thoughts swirled in her mind. The recent conversation with Owen echoed in her ears, his calming voice cutting through her tumultuous emotions like a beacon of hope.

“You don’t need to feel like you owe anyone anything,” he had said, his tone reassuring yet firm.

She felt the weight of his words settle deep within her, yet the connection she felt to Cloudbreak remained a stubborn ember in her heart. “Cloudbreak means a lot to me, but it’s not the end of the world,” she replied, her voice tinged with a defiance that surprised even herself. It was as if she was challenging the very foundations of her own beliefs, daring to entertain the idea of freedom from the chains she had forged.

A brief pause lingered in the air, thick with unspoken understanding, before Autumn ventured, “Is this yet another benefit of our partnership?”

Owen’s light-hearted “mhm” was almost playful, a gentle tease that lightened the gravity of their discussion.

With a determined shake of her head, Autumn brushed aside her stray thoughts, nodding in acceptance. “Alright then.”

“Just wait by the hospital entrance. I’ll have someone come to get you,” Owen instructed, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Surprise flickered across Autumn’s features, her eyebrows shooting up in disbelief. “Wait…” she began, but before she could articulate her hesitation, the line went dead. Owen had hung up, and she was left with no choice but to comply with his directive.

Feeling a mix of resignation and anxiety, she settled into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the hospital’s waiting area. The sterile environment felt suffocating, and her thoughts swirled around her like autumn leaves caught in a tempest, each one representing a decision she had yet to confront.

It wasn’t long before she noticed Mars Wright’s assistant making his way toward her, a stack of files clutched tightly in his hands. His expression was a tableau of dread and resignation, each step he took seemingly heavier than the last.

“Secretary Autumn…” he began, his voice faltering as if the words were lodged in his throat. His eyes darted around, searching for the right thing to say, but the weight of the moment silenced him.

Anticipating the inevitable, Autumn interjected before he could finish. “I’m not going back to the office. You can handle it on your own.”

The assistant’s face fell further, disappointment etched into his features. “You’re not coming back?”

His mind raced, grappling with the harsh reality of his situation. He had thought that delivering files to Mr. Wright was a daunting task, but now it felt trivial compared to the storm brewing in the office since Autumn’s departure. The anger that had once been directed at her was now being redirected toward him, and he felt like a scapegoat caught in a web of office politics.

What had he done to deserve this?

Deep within, he harbored a growing resentment toward Autumn for the predicament he found himself in. Yet, he dared not voice it; she was still his superior, after all.

“Secretary Autumn… if you don’t return, what am I supposed to tell Mr. Wright when he inevitably asks about you?”

His voice trembled, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a heavy shroud. Who could withstand the wrath of Mr. Wright?

The assistant was on the brink of tears, his thoughts spiraling into despair. He had been so naive, completely overlooking the significance of a chief secretary like Autumn.

Now it dawned on him: Autumn was like a fortress, not just the backbone of Cloudbreak but also a shield against the storm that was Mars Wright’s temper.

He cursed himself for his late realization. If only he had chosen a side sooner, he was certain that Autumn would have taken him under her wing, guiding him to become a trusted ally.

“Just tell him the truth. Who made the rule that a chief secretary must be shackled to a desk? And it’s not like Mars Wright, the CEO, is glued to his desk either, is he?”

The assistant’s lips moved, but the courage to argue dissipated like mist in the morning sun.

Finally, he mumbled a defeated, “Got it,” and turned to leave, clutching his files tightly as if they were a lifeline.

He stepped outside, pulling his car around but hesitating to head back immediately. Instead, he lingered, watching to see where Autumn would go next.

Soon enough, he saw her climb into a sleek black SUV, its expensive exterior gleaming under the hospital’s fluorescent lights.

His heart sank as he watched the SUV pull away, the reality of his situation settling heavily on his shoulders. After agonizing for what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled out his phone, sending a text to Mars Wright.

Autumn’s dismissive attitude had made it clear she held him in low regard.

“Every man for himself,” he thought bitterly. With that mindset, he had no choice but to align himself with Mr. Wright, who could provide him with the benefits he needed to pay his bills.

A reply from Mars came through almost immediately: [Are you sure you saw that? Who was in the SUV?]

The assistant quickly sent a photo in response.

[This is the car that picked up Secretary Autumn. The windows are tinted, so I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.]

Mars, upon reading the assistant’s emphasis on the uncertainty of the SUV’s occupant, felt a surge of anger. It was almost certainly a man.

Inside the hospital room, Mars’s grip tightened around his phone, nearly crushing it in his hand.

That damn Autumn. One moment she was stirring up trouble with him and Lydia, and the next, she was slipping into another man’s car without a second thought.

She wasn’t even pretending to hide it anymore!

“Lydia, once you’re out of the hospital, I want you to move in with us,” he declared, a glint of determination in his eyes.

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