# Chapter 153: The Wreckage of Love and Pride
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 153 of "REMARRIED AFTER I SECRETLY DIVORCED THE CEO" — a chapter where old wounds are torn open, new loyalties are tested, and the past comes knocking with all its ugly desperation. So grab your favorite drink, get comfortable, and let's dive into the drama together!
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The moment Lucas Whitman laid eyes on Autumn, his gaze carried a knowing glint that made her skin prickle. It was the kind of look that said, "I know something you don't know, and I'm dying to spill it." He extended his hand with a warm smile, "Hi, I'm Keith's childhood friend, Lucas Whitman."
Autumn returned the gesture politely. "Nice to meet you. I'm Autumn Lewis."
"Oh, I've heard Keith mention you so many times before—"
Before he could finish that sentence, Keith's foot connected firmly with Lucas's shin under the table. The warning look Keith shot him was unmistakable — *shut up before you say something stupid.* Lucas winced but had the decency to look sheepish.
Keith turned back to Autumn, noting the color returning to her cheeks. "Finish your tea and get some rest. We have something to take care of, so we'll head out first."
They made their way to the door, but just before stepping out, Keith's low voice reached her ears. "Saturday, nine o'clock. Follow-up at First Light Hospital. Be on time."
Autumn blinked, slightly puzzled, but nodded anyway. *First Light Hospital? Why?* The question lingered, but she let it go.
After they left, she sank into the sofa, cradling the steaming ginger tea in her hands. She blew gently on the surface, watching the ripples dance before taking a sip. The warmth spread through her chest, and for the first time that evening, the pain in her abdomen eased. She leaned back, pulled out her phone, and transferred one hundred dollars to Keith. He didn't accept it.
Probably busy, she thought. *No matter.* Once she officially joined Vanguard, she'd have plenty of opportunities to face the Lewis family and Julian again. She was ready for that. She had moved on — no expectations, no hopes, no disappointments. That's what she told herself, anyway.
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The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains as Autumn reached for her phone. The transfer still sat there, unaccepted. She typed a quick message: *"Senior, thank you for helping me last night. Please accept the money."*
No reply. Still unaccepted.
*Busy, busy, busy,* she muttered to herself, setting the phone aside. After a quick breakfast, she grabbed her bag and headed out. The day stretched ahead like a blank page, full of promise.
But the universe had other plans.
As she approached the company entrance, her steps faltered. Leaning against the wall, looking like he hadn't slept in three days, stood Derek. His hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, his suit wrinkled. He looked like a man who'd been dragged through the mud — and not the good kind of mud that made you stronger.
The moment he spotted her, he rushed forward like a starving wolf. "Autumn! Where's Selena? Where did she go?"
Autumn's hand tightened on her bag strap. She tilted her head, studying him with cold amusement. "You two already broke up. Why are you looking for her?"
*Bowen must have stepped in,* she realized. Derek's company was probably crumbling around him. And now he wanted Selena back — not because he loved her, but because he needed her. Because without her, his precious empire was nothing but ashes.
Autumn wasn't naïve enough to believe Derek had suddenly developed a conscience. When a man falls out of love, he becomes disgusting. Conscience doesn't factor in.
Derek's face darkened. He grabbed her wrist — hard. "You don't know anything! Selena and I just had a fight. We never really broke up. I heard she joined this company. Call her out for me. I need to talk to her face to face."
*Face to face.* Right. So he could manipulate her back into his arms.
Autumn yanked her wrist free, her lips curling into a venomous smile. "Oh, now you realize how good she was? Too late, Derek. That pathetic company of yours — manage it yourself. She's a shareholder at Vanguard now. Do you really think she'll go back to your dead-end company just to keep being your fool?"
*Sometimes, men are laughable.* When women love them like their life depends on it, they don't cherish it. But the moment women walk away, they come crawling back.
Derek's face twisted with fury. He lunged again, grabbing her wrist — this time tighter. "Autumn, what nonsense are you saying?! Did you say something to her? You made her insist on breaking up with me! Your own marriage is a mess, and now you want to destroy mine too?"
The accusation hit like a slap. Autumn's eyes went hard. "Look at yourself, Derek. Do you really think you're good enough for Selena? Someone who can't stay loyal — what makes you think you deserve her?"
He stumbled backward from her shove, nearly falling. But instead of retreating, he came back swinging with words — the meanest ones he could find. "And who are you to judge me?! Your own husband cheated and paraded his mistress around like a trophy! He kicked you out of the house and the company. Now you assume all men are like that? You're a spiteful woman, Autumn!"
The crowd that had gathered at the company entrance grew thick. People stopped, turned, and watched. Some even ate their breakfast while staring, grateful for the morning drama.
"Did you hear? Her husband cheated on her!"
"Mistresses are the worst — parasites, every single one of them."
"Men cheat, and somehow it's always the woman's fault? Why aren't you blaming the man?"
The arguments erupted from all sides. Voices clashed, accusations flew. Some people started pushing. Derek stood in the middle of it all, confused. *Wait — weren't they supposed to be attacking Autumn? How did this turn into a debate about mistresses?*
Then a commanding voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "All of you — stop right now!"
The crowd froze. Heads lowered instinctively.
Ethan Sharp walked through the crowd, his presence radiating authority. "Why are you standing around here instead of working? Do you want your bonuses docked?"
Behind him walked Selena. The moment she spotted Derek, her face went cold.
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Derek's eyes lit up like a man who'd just seen salvation. He rushed to Selena, grabbing her shoulders. "Selena! You finally agreed to see me! I know I neglected you because of Sophie, and I'm sorry. Add me back on messaging — whatever it is, let's talk it through, just the two of us."
Selena winced from the pain in his grip. Her eyes were like ice. "What's this, Derek? You finally realized I matter? Finally figured out where you stand? Too bad it's too late. Go comfort your perfect little dream girl. I don't need you anymore."
*It still hurt.* But the pain didn't matter anymore. They weren't kids. Whatever they did, they had to live with the consequences.
Derek's frown deepened. His grip on her shoulder tightened. "Selena, did Autumn say something? Her own life's a mess — now she wants to ruin ours too. Don't listen to her. There's nothing between me and Sophie — we're just friends. Absolutely nothing happened. You should really stop hanging around Autumn. Spend time with girls like Sophie instead. She's thoughtful and kind. You'd learn a lot from someone like her—"
The first slap cracked through the air like thunder.
Derek's head snapped to the side. Before he could process it, the second slap landed even harder. His cheek burned, his ear rang, and his eyes went wide with shock.
"Selena! Are you insane?! You actually hit me? You're not afraid I'll cut you off for good?"
He thought back to how she used to tiptoe around him, afraid to upset him, giving in to everything he wanted. But now? She had the audacity to hit him — right in front of everyone. The humiliation was unbearable.
*Damn it.* If it weren't for her brother going after his company, he wouldn't even be here.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He raised his hand, ready to strike Selena across the face.
But Ethan caught his wrist mid-swing.
"Really? You're going to hit a woman now?" Ethan's voice was ice cold. He shoved Derek backward with force. "Do you even count as a man? Telling your own girlfriend to act like some fake little mistress? I seriously wonder what kind of upbringing you had."
Derek hit the ground hard, spitting dust from his mouth. His eyes burned with hatred. "No wonder Selena's acting like this — she's found someone new! You've clearly been hooking up with her. How long's it been, huh? When did you two start sleeping together?"
Before he could finish, another slap landed — this time from Selena herself.
"Get lost, Derek!" Her voice shook with rage. "You think everyone's as shameless as you? There's nothing between me and Mr. Sharp — we're business partners. I'm a shareholder at Vanguard now. Why would I go back to being some low-level employee with you?"
The words tasted bitter in her mouth. All those years of devotion, all that love — and this was how he repaid her? With suspicion and accusation?
Derek's tune changed immediately. He scrambled to his feet, putting on a friendly, apologetic face. "Selena, I shouldn't have doubted you. I'm sorry. But it's only because I love you so much! Come back with me, please. You want shares? I'll give them to you. As many as you want."
*He was certain she'd say yes.* She always did.
But Selena yanked her arm away and smirked. "Now you're offering me benefits? Your company must be on the brink of collapse. Didn't you say I was useless? That all the credit belonged to you? Go back and run your pathetic company yourself."
Maybe in the past, she would have believed him. Not anymore. A man's love could change in an instant. She'd never believe in that bullshit again.
Derek tried to speak again, but his phone rang. The screen lit up: *Sophie.*
He glanced at Selena, then turned away. "Hello?"
Sophie's tearful voice came through. "Derek, I was in a car accident. I'm in so much pain... please come help me."
His expression flickered. "Alright, just stay put. I'm coming right now."
Selena's fingertips went pale. She watched him hang up, watched him turn to face her, and she laughed — a hollow, bitter sound. "Go on, get lost. Your dream girl clearly needs you more. Next time, I'll call security."
*Men's promises were worth nothing.* One moment he was bending over backward to win her back. The next, he was running off the second his precious Sophie called.
Derek's jaw tightened. "Can you be reasonable for once? Sophie's been in a car crash — I have to go check on her. If you had any sense, you wouldn't be making a scene right now. Think about what you've done wrong these past few days, Selena."
With that, he turned and stormed off without hesitation.
Selena stood there, watching him disappear. A single thought echoed in her mind:
*What exactly had I done wrong?*
The answer was nothing. Absolutely nothing. And that was the most painful realization of all.
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What a chapter, my dear readers! The emotional carnage left me breathless. Derek's desperation and arrogance, Selena's hard-won strength, and Autumn's quiet resilience — each character is dancing on the edge of their own destruction or redemption.
## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter was raw, painful, and utterly satisfying. Watching Selena finally stand up for herself — those slaps were well deserved! And Derek? What a pathetic fool. He had a diamond and threw it away for a fake gem. The way he ran off the moment Sophie called proved exactly where his priorities lie. Autumn's cold wisdom about men who don't cherish women until they leave hit hard. And Keith's quiet protectiveness? *Swoon.* The tension builds beautifully.
⭐ **Rating: 4.5 / 5 Stars** — Lost half a star because I wanted more Keith and Lucas banter! But still, an emotionally charged chapter that left me hungry for more.
## Next Chapter Prediction
In the next chapter, I predict that Sophie's "car accident" will be revealed as yet another manipulation to keep Derek under her control. Meanwhile, Keith's mysterious follow-up appointment at First Light Hospital might have deeper implications — perhaps he's arranging something for Autumn, or perhaps he's uncovering secrets about her health she doesn't know yet. And Selena? She's done being a doormat. Bowen's next move against Derek's company will be brutal. The war has only just begun, and I suspect Julian will make an appearance soon as well.
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