The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 74

**Chasing Light, Finding Peace – by Rohan Verma**
**Chapter 74**

“Absolutely flawless, nothing left unattended.”

Julian Moore had confidently asserted that the entire process would require three hours, but to his surprise, it was less than thirty minutes when a standard deposit alert pinged on Autumn Lopez’s phone.

A sly smirk danced across Autumn’s lips, a spark of satisfaction flickering in her chest. Julian had exceeded her expectations, and she felt a surge of gratitude toward him.

Without a second thought, she composed a quick text to express her appreciation.

Meanwhile, Julian was in the midst of a meeting with Owen Bennett when the notification chimed.

Owen’s keen eyes snapped to Julian, his curiosity piqued. “Is that her?”

He didn’t need to say her name; Julian knew precisely who Owen was referring to.

Feeling a wave of urgency, Julian quickly launched into an explanation of the task that Autumn had entrusted him with.

Owen’s expression darkened, shadows passing over his features. “Why did she only reach out to you?”

Julian felt a chill run down his spine.

What?

How was he supposed to answer that?

“Perhaps it’s because you mentioned to Autumn that she could come to me if she needed anything?” he suggested, trying to sound casual.

But his words did little to appease Owen, who frowned deeply, pondering for a moment before shaking his head. “Reply to her first.”

Julian swallowed hard, cautiously stealing a glance at Owen’s face, which was as inscrutable as a stone wall. The lack of emotion made him so anxious that he hesitated to type too loudly on his phone, fearing even the slightest sound might provoke his boss.

Autumn, blissfully unaware of Julian’s mounting tension, received his response and promptly invited him to dinner.

A sudden chill crept down Julian’s back, as if a cold wind had swept through the room.

[No need, Autumn. It’s all part of my job. Mr. Bennett said I should be at your service anytime.]

Realizing that his message might come off as overly formal, Julian quickly unsent it and replaced it with a more considerate refusal, hoping to strike the right balance.

Autumn, however, sensed Julian’s reluctance to engage with her. She felt a twinge of confusion but chose not to press the matter further.

It made sense, she reasoned. To Julian, she was an unexpected “upper hand” who had suddenly entered his life.

Thanks to Owen’s directives, he was now juggling two roles, and she could only imagine how much he must dread the added pressure.

Being the one who stood to gain from this arrangement, Autumn understood that a simple dinner invitation might not alleviate Julian’s unease; it would likely feel more like an additional burden.

So, she resolved to step back.

After all, Julian was Owen’s trusted right-hand man, and it simply wasn’t worth the trouble to irritate him further.

After exchanging a few more polite messages, Autumn decided to halt the conversation.

.

Mars Wright seemed increasingly preoccupied with the financial aspect, sending Autumn a direct message to inquire about the situation.

[Is everything taken care of?]

A smile crept across Autumn’s face as she replied, “Everything’s taken care of.”

[I can hear the smile in your voice. What’s got you so happy?]

As soon as she hit send, Mars initiated a voice call.

Autumn answered, her tone warm and inviting. “Babe, it’s so wonderful to have you by my side.”

Mars, ever the opportunist, figured that since Autumn was so well-connected and worldly, her happiness must indicate that their investment was poised for monumental success.

This meant he was on the verge of a significant financial windfall. How could he not feel ecstatic?

In that fleeting moment, Mars completely forgot about the betrayal he had inflicted upon Autumn, acting as if they were reliving the blissful days of their honeymoon, sweet nothings pouring from his lips with effortless ease.

Yet, those affectionate words only stirred up memories of their tumultuous past for Autumn.

Instead of softening her heart, they only served to deepen her disdain for the man standing before her in spirit.

He had shamelessly shattered their marriage vows, cheated on her with her own sister, and even attempted to manipulate her into becoming a surrogate for his and Lydia’s child. And now, he had the audacity to act as if nothing had ever transpired.

He transferred the entire amount to Autumn, instructing her to bid on something nice for herself.

Autumn knew he was merely playing a game. He was fully aware of her priorities and that she would undoubtedly spend the money on the baby, not herself.

By framing it that way, Mars not only endeared himself to Autumn but also achieved his objective of purchasing items for his and Lydia’s child.

He even emerged looking like the good guy in the situation.

It was a win-win scenario for him.

Autumn chose not to expose his manipulative scheme.

Instead, she quietly saved the transfer proof and chat logs, meticulously preparing for the inevitable confrontation after their divorce.

Mars was blissfully oblivious, congratulating himself on his ability to juggle relationships with two women.

He had no inkling that Autumn had already made a post on Facebook.

It showcased a screenshot of his money transfer along with the chat log where he had urged her to treat herself.

Autumn knew Lydia was both petty and prone to overthinking.

When Lydia laid eyes on that post, she would undoubtedly jump to the conclusion that Mars had used her funds only to spoil his wife and child.

With Lydia’s fiery temper, a confrontation was all but guaranteed.

Autumn leaned back, waiting patiently for the scoundrel and the tramp to tear each other apart.

But a full day passed without any news from the people she had enlisted to keep tabs on Mars. Instead, she received an unexpected call from her father, Oliver Lopez.

“Autumn.”

As soon as she picked up, her father’s cheerful voice filled her ears.

Autumn, suspicious of his intentions, responded with a cold hum of acknowledgment, saying nothing more.

Oliver felt a twinge of embarrassment but pressed on regardless.

“Your mother and I have been back for a few days now. We haven’t had a proper chance to gather as a family due to your sister’s hospital stay. Now that she’s been discharged and is back home, when do you think you can come over? We can have a lovely family dinner. Your mother and I have something important we need to discuss with you.”