The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 72

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

**Chapter 72**

Charlotte Bennett had never laid eyes on Autumn before, and the truth was, she wasn’t even her daughter-in-law yet.

Was she already anticipating the perfect welcome gift?

And even if, in some alternate universe, she and Owen had already tied the knot, it would merely be a marriage of convenience. Wouldn’t it feel strange to accept a gift from his mother under those circumstances?

Just the fact that she was partnering with Owen felt like a monumental victory for her.

Autumn found herself wrestling with an awkwardness that made her hesitate to accept anything further from them.

Her fingers hovered indecisively over her phone’s keyboard, paralyzed, as she struggled to craft a response.

Then, out of the blue, an incoming video call from Owen illuminated her screen.

The unexpected notification startled her, causing her finger to twitch and, in a moment of panic, she accidentally declined the call.

Autumn was left speechless, her heart racing.

Oh no. This is not good.

Is he going to think I hung up on him intentionally?

Before she could devise a plan to mend the situation, Owen switched to a voice call and tried again.

This time, Autumn didn’t dare to hesitate; she answered immediately, her voice tinged with urgency.

“I’m so sorry! My hand slipped,” she blurted out, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

A brief silence stretched on the other end before Owen finally responded, “It’s fine.”

His tone was inscrutable, leaving her feeling even more apprehensive.

“A welcome gift seems a bit excessive, especially since I’m still sorting out some things on my end. Maybe we should just drop it?”

Owen’s response was immediate and firm. “No way. This is a task my mom assigned me. They’re overseas for an international project and won’t return for at least a month. She already gave me the money, and if I don’t handle this for you, I’m pretty sure she’ll have a word with me when she gets back.”

“When an elder offers you a gift, you just accept it. It’s really not a big deal,” he insisted.

Autumn felt the urge to argue again, but Owen’s voice cut through her thoughts with a cool warning. “If you refuse now, my mom will just take you to see her private collection when she returns and make you pick something out yourself. You’ll have an even tougher time choosing then.”

Autumn was taken aback, her mind racing.

Just the thought of that scenario was already making her feel trapped.

“Ahem, okay, the auction sounds good then,” she relented, her voice barely above a whisper.

A soft chuckle floated through the line from Owen.

“Don’t worry about saving my mom money. The dividends she rakes in every year are more than she can spend, not to mention her main business.”

Autumn’s curiosity sparked.

Public information about the Bennett family typically ended with Owen.

Even the details about him were shrouded in mystery.

A family of their caliber didn’t need the internet’s hype; in fact, they preferred to keep things under the radar.

As a result, Autumn still had no idea what Owen’s mother actually did for a living.

“If you don’t mind me asking, your mother… I mean, Charlotte. What exactly does she do?”

Instead of providing a straightforward answer, Owen remained cryptic.

“I’ll set up a meeting for you two when she’s back. You’ll find out then.”

Autumn flinched at the thought.

“We have to meet?”

Why is this contract marriage turning out to be so different from my expectations?

“Don’t worry. You’ll have to meet the parents sooner or later. Besides, you’re incredible; my parents will adore you,” he reassured her.

Autumn was left speechless once more.

Is that really what I was worried about?

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