The Day I Quit Him (Autumn and Mars) novel Chapter 88

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

“**Mars!**”

With a burst of frustration, Autumn Lopez’s fist collided with Mars Wright’s arm, the sound echoing in the tense air around them.

His grip was like a vise, fingers clamping down on her wrist with an intensity that made her wince, a sharp sting radiating from the pressure.

“**Let go of me!**” she demanded, her voice a mixture of anger and desperation.

Mars’s gaze flickered to the red imprints blooming on her wrist, and for a fleeting moment, something akin to guilt flickered in his eyes. Yet, just as he was about to relent, the shrill ring of his phone shattered the moment.

He pulled it from his pocket, his eyes narrowing as he read the screen. A hardened resolve settled over his features, steeling him against her plea.

“**Autumn, calm down. Don’t forget you’re carrying our child,**” he said, his tone firm, almost cold.

“**I don’t want to do this to you, but Lydia really needs someone to take care of her. Can’t you just put up with it for a little while?**” he continued, his voice dripping with a false sense of concern.

Autumn couldn’t help but let out a laugh, disbelief coloring her tone. “**Lydia needs someone to take care of her, so why should I, a pregnant woman, be the one to suffer? Mars, if you want this baby in my belly, then you’ll let go of my hand right now!**”

The defiance in her voice was unmistakable, and Mars pressed his lips into a thin line, irritation simmering beneath the surface.

Mrs. Lopez was right, he mused. Autumn was behaving so brazenly because she believed he was utterly dependent on her.

A woman, he thought, needs to be reminded of her place, or she might just walk all over you.

He had to reassert his dominance; he could not allow Autumn to gain the upper hand. The stakes were too high, especially when it came to Cloudbreak Corporation.

Truth be told, it was that very concern that weighed heavily on his mind. Without Cloudbreak, he would have never clawed his way into the elite circles of Grand City.

Having risen from nothing, the thought of slipping back into a life devoid of wealth and status was unbearable.

He had to cling tightly to everything he had built. Autumn was his wife; she was supposed to listen to him. And now, in her vulnerable state, pregnant and emotional, it was the perfect opportunity to remind her who was truly in charge of their family.

“**Isn’t this your child, too?**” she shot back, her voice tinged with challenge.

“**Autumn, you always use the baby to threaten me. It really hurts my feelings, you know,**” he replied, feigning a wounded tone, but the pressure on her wrist remained unyielding.

Autumn felt her hand begin to tingle, the sensation of numbness creeping in.

“**If I really didn’t care about this baby, I’d let you drag me around however you want. Mars, I’m warning you one last time: I am a pregnant woman. I cannot take care of a patient. Let me go!**” she declared, her voice rising with urgency.

Deep down, Autumn understood she was no match for his strength; breaking free was not an option. Struggling too fiercely could endanger both her and the baby.

Swallowing her anger, she forced herself to play along, trying to navigate this turbulent situation.

“**Why can’t you take care of someone just because you’re pregnant? My mom was still working in the fields when she was pregnant with me. C’mon, Autumn, be a good girl. I know you’re strong. You’re not that delicate,**” he coaxed, his tone patronizing.

Autumn gritted her teeth, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. “**Mars! Will you just listen to what I want for once?**”

“**Whatever Lydia says, goes. In your heart, who is actually your wife?**” he countered, his voice laced with a challenge.

Mars halted, a flicker of guilt crossing his features as his eyes darted away from her piercing gaze. “**How did you know it was Lydia—**” he stammered, realizing he had revealed too much.

Clearing his throat, he decided to embrace the truth. “**Fine, since you know, I won’t hide it. Lydia said she just feels comfortable with you around. She’s injured and so fragile right now; she needs someone her own age to comfort her. Autumn, just think of it as doing me a favor. She won’t even let the nurse put on her medicine if you’re not there.**”

Autumn’s anger flared, her desire to slap the smug look off his face intensifying.

She was learning just how low Mars could stoop. She had always known he was selfish, but this was a new low.

What did Lydia’s refusal to take her medicine have to do with her? Was there not a single rational person in this entire group?

It was almost laughable to think she had endured years living with these people. Autumn couldn’t help but admire her own resilience.

Before she could voice her thoughts, Mars abruptly shoved her into the car, the door slamming shut behind her.

She had believed that if he understood her pain, he would cherish her more deeply, perhaps even empathize with her struggles.

But never had she anticipated that he would wield her vulnerabilities as weapons, using her past against her with such passive-aggressive cruelty.

Autumn lowered her gaze, a bitter smile creeping onto her lips.

“**Look at that, Autumn. This is the man you chose.**”

He could take her deepest wounds, the scars etched into her soul, and turn them into instruments of attack. His love was nothing more than a deceptive poison, sweet on the surface yet lethal upon first taste.

“**Autumn… I didn’t mean it like that…**”

Mars, realizing he had crossed a line, attempted to backtrack, but the words eluded him, leaving him grasping at empty air.

Ultimately, all he could do was reach for her hand, hoping that a simple touch might soothe the storm brewing within her.

Yet, Autumn recoiled, her face a mask of indifference as she stared out the window, lost in her own thoughts.

Seeing the genuine anger etched across her features, Mars felt the urge to apologize surge within him, but pride held him back, a barrier he could not breach.

His lips parted and closed, the silence stretching between them like an unbridgeable chasm, until he finally managed to mutter, “**When we get to the hospital, go buy something first. You’re visiting a patient; at least show some manners.**”

Once again, Autumn offered no reply.

Humiliated, Mars huffed in frustration, the air thick with unspoken tension as they drove in silence.

The car became a vessel for their muted thoughts, Mars stealing glances at Autumn, a smug certainty creeping into his expression.

She loved him deeply; he was convinced she would be the first to relent, and in that moment, he would emerge victorious.

It seemed, after all, that it took a woman to understand a woman. Mrs. Lopez’s little trick had worked like a charm.