The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 77

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

Autumn remained unyielding, her expression a mask of indifference.

Her father, feeling the tempest of anger simmering within him, took a moment to inhale deeply, attempting to subdue the fury that threatened to spill over. With a deliberate effort, he softened his tone, “Alright, Autumn, I owe you an apology. I was out of line earlier. Please, don’t take it too personally.”

Mrs. Lopez, ever the mediator, interjected swiftly. “That’s right, Autumn. Don’t hold a grudge against your father. He truly missed you while he was away.”

Autumn glanced at her mother, whose eyes shimmered with unshed tears, clearly grappling with her own feelings of injustice yet still defending her husband. A faint, icy smirk curled at the corners of Autumn’s lips.

She couldn’t resist stealing a look at her father, and as she anticipated, he appeared genuinely affected by her mother’s words. The smirk on Autumn’s face widened, a silent acknowledgment of the performance unraveling before her.

From the outset, Autumn had been acutely aware that her mother was a master at the art of pretense. After all these years, her ability to feign concern and compassion had only sharpened.

“Autumn…” Mars, sensing the tension and the willingness of their parents to retreat, gently tugged at her sleeve. His eyes urged her to temper her response, to avoid pushing them into a corner from which they couldn’t escape.

Taking his gaze as a cue, Mars adjusted his tone, his voice softening. “We’re gathered here for a family dinner tonight. Why make it uncomfortable for everyone? Can’t we both take a step back and simply enjoy a peaceful meal together?”

Autumn opened her mouth, ready to respond, but ultimately chose silence.

Recognizing Autumn’s reluctant concession, the atmosphere shifted, brightening with renewed hope. “Come on, come on! I had the kitchen prepare all of Autumn’s favorite dishes for tonight. Everyone, dig in!”

“There’s so much to celebrate! Cloudbreak Corporation is thriving, the Lopez Group is finally seeing progress, and now Autumn is expecting! It feels like a triple blessing!”

“Autumn, let me raise a toast in your honor. We owe the recent success of the Lopez Group to you.”

“This was supposed to be my responsibility. I feel so useless, letting you manage two companies while you’re pregnant. I’m just so…”

Oliver Lopez rubbed his eyes, which were quickly becoming red-rimmed.

To an outsider, he would appear to be the picture of a remorseful father, heartbroken over his daughter’s plight.

Yet Autumn, ever perceptive, saw through the façade.

So, this is why the family is acting so peculiar today.

They were merely biding their time, waiting for the right moment to spring this on me.

“I’m pregnant. I can’t drink,” she stated flatly.

The emotional scene her father had envisioned—Autumn, overwhelmed with emotion, immediately deciding to relinquish the Lopez Group back to him—never materialized.

Instead, she delivered her blunt declaration and resumed eating, as if the entire affair were of no consequence to her, leaving her father awkwardly floundering in the aftermath.

Lydia’s expression darkened, her disapproval evident as she scrutinized Autumn. Her saccharine voice dripped with disdain. “Autumn, you’re crossing the line. Dad is trying to talk to you, what more do you want? You can’t look down on us just because you married well. We’re family. Do you have to make things so humiliating for everyone?”

A cold laugh escaped Autumn’s lips, her tone sharp. “Oh? And by ‘family,’ do you mean the kind where your brother-in-law has to act as your personal caregiver in the hospital, and then you move into my and your brother-in-law’s marital home after you’re discharged?”

“Anyone who knows the situation understands that you’re Mars’s sister-in-law. Those who don’t might mistake you for his mistress.”

The moment those words left Autumn’s mouth, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

The spot where Autumn had kicked Lydia throbbed faintly, a reminder of the tension. Lydia’s fury was palpable, yet she found herself unable to confront Autumn directly.

Her face flushed crimson as she burst into tears. “Autumn, how can you think such vile things about me?”

“I know you’ve never liked me, but you can’t tarnish Mars’s reputation like this! He’s been with you for so many years; do you really need to be so repugnant?”

Oliver Lopez interjected, “Autumn, we just want to enjoy a nice dinner together. What are you trying to do?”

At that moment, Autumn reached her breaking point. She seized the tablecloth and yanked it with all her strength.

Dishes soared through the air before crashing down in a cacophony of chaos.

“Ah—”

In a panic, Mrs. Lopez pulled Lydia back, while Oliver ducked behind his chair, eyes wide with shock.

Only Mars, unable to evade in time, was drenched by the scalding hot soup.

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