The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Mars followed the nurse’s line of sight and glanced over his shoulder. There, standing hesitantly, was Lydia, nervously tugging at the sleeve of his shirt like a frightened child searching for comfort.

“This is…” Mars began awkwardly, gently pulling his arm free from Lydia’s grip. He needed to maintain some level of dignity in front of the strangers surrounding them.

“This is my sister-in-law,” he finally said, his voice tight with restraint.

The nurse’s eyes grew even wider, her surprise evident. A sister-in-law behaving so familiarly with her brother-in-law? Just moments ago, she had assumed they were a couple.

The intense stare made Mars flush, a mixture of embarrassment and irritation rising within him. His tone sharpened as he snapped, “Why is a nurse being so nosy? Just tell me where the patient is!”

The nurse, clearly offended by his brusque attitude, fired back with equal heat. “You don’t even know where your own wife is? And you’re yelling at the medical staff? Where were you when your wife was rushed in bleeding? Where were you when we called her emergency contact—you?”

Her words struck like a slap. “Unbelievable. His wife is in the hospital after nearly losing the baby, and he strolls in late with her sister, then has the nerve to get angry at us.”

With that, the nurse turned sharply and walked away, leaving Mars standing there, stunned and scowling.

Lydia looked crushed by the nurse’s harsh words, but she leaned closer, speaking softly to Mars in an attempt to soothe him. “Maybe my sister is fine already and has gone home? You know how she is, Mars. She loves pulling little pranks like this just to mess with you.”

For a brief moment, a flicker of doubt stirred in Mars’s mind. “No, she wouldn’t do that. Your sister cares too much about the baby growing inside her. She would never joke about something so serious.”

Lydia’s face twisted in hurt at his words, stung by the implication.

“I’ll find her,” she said suddenly, her voice trembling as if she might break down. “This is all my fault. If I hadn’t brought you lunch, my sister wouldn’t have gotten angry, and she wouldn’t have hurt herself. I’ll go apologize to her. I’ll even get down on my knees if I have to, just to make her forgive me.”

Mars’s expression shifted instantly. He grabbed her hand, stopping her firmly.

“What are you talking about? Don’t be ridiculous. How could this be your fault?”

Lydia looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. “But didn’t you just imply that I’m to blame?”

A pounding headache began to build behind Mars’s eyes. He couldn’t find Autumn, and now Lydia was falling apart. On top of everything, he had to be the calm one, the one to comfort her.

For a fleeting second, he found himself missing Autumn. She never lost control like this. She was always so understanding, always taking his words to heart. So reasonable.

A wave of guilt washed over him, but it was quickly replaced by a fierce protectiveness toward Lydia.

When gods clash, mortals suffer. It was better to stay quiet and avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

“If she wants to throw a tantrum, let her,” Mars growled, throwing his hands up in frustration. “Let’s see if she can stay away forever! Let’s see if she ever comes back to the company!”

Grabbing Lydia’s hand, he shifted gears abruptly. “Come on. Weren’t you dying to try that new sky restaurant? I’m taking you there! I’ll book the entire place just for you tonight. You can take as many pictures as you want.”

Lydia’s face lit up with joy. “Really? Oh my god, Mars, I love you so much!”

Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

Mars smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist. Just as he was about to lean in for a proper kiss, he noticed the household staff all had their heads bowed, looking like they were trying not to be noticed. The smile on his face froze.

“Ahem!” he cleared his throat, releasing Lydia awkwardly. “Lydia’s still young. She just gets excited like this.”

The maids said nothing, but their thoughts were a whirlwind: They were practically all over each other, and he calls her young? A kid doesn’t behave like that! That’s a call to child protective services right there!

“Let’s go.” Mars wanted to explain more, but realized it was pointless. These maids depended on him for their salaries. They wouldn’t dare tell Autumn about this, even if they had the courage a hundred times over.