Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 922: Are You Feeling Unwell?

In the evening, James Jerome, Stella Murray, and Zoe Thatcher each shared photos online of their dinner gathering with Mary Scott.

Keen-eyed netizens quickly noticed that, aside from Adam Piers, who doesn’t have the habit of posting on Twitter, there was another man in the photos. Who could he be?

Over the past two days, Mary Scott’s cheating scandal had blown up significantly, attracting immense attention. Now, with several guests from the show dining together, the presence of a mystery man who remained faceless in the photos sparked curiosity.

Some speculated that it might be Director Baker, given that he was one of the central figures in the recent cheating incident. Joining everyone for dinner to express gratitude seemed reasonable.

But this was quickly refuted. Tracing Director Baker’s Twitter activity showed that this woeful director had been cooped up in the studio editing shows ever since clarifying the rumor. He hadn’t even left the editing room.

So, who could it be?

The Sherlock Holmes-like netizens analyzed the seating arrangement, angle, and proximity of the mysterious man to Mary Scott and deduced that his relationship with her was anything but simple.

Someone asked, "Could it be Director Locke?"

As soon as this was said, other gossip-loving netizens immediately shot down the guess. How could it be Director Locke? Everyone knew the two had been living separately for some time now. Why would Director Locke appear at Mary Scott’s dinner gathering? Impossible. Laughable!

The news of Mary Scott and Director Locke living apart had become even messier with David Locke’s personal involvement.

Although Mary Scott clarified that the incident with Simon Baker was just one big misunderstanding, and even gained some fans as a result, her relationship with David Locke wasn’t salvaged in the public eye.

Their divorce had been a major spectacle before, and this separation dominated headlines as well, leading people to grow increasingly pessimistic about their marriage.

So, nobody believed David Locke would be present at the gathering. The question remained: who was this man?

Amidst the confusion, one of Mary Scott’s long-time fans chimed in, "Don’t you guys know Mary Scott has a younger brother?"

With that, the puzzle was finally solved—the mystery man was her brother.

Everyone knew Mary Scott was stunning, and judging by the glimpses of the man’s hand in the guests’ photos, it was presumed that her brother must be quite handsome too. Many went to Mary Scott’s Twitter, demanding photos of her handsome brother.

But just as the discussions reached fever pitch, James Jerome subtly replied to the most viral comment in his comment section asking about the unknown man: "People say Director Locke is arrogant and aloof, but meeting him today proves rumors are just rumors. He’s actually one of the most polite young men I’ve ever encountered (how’s that for some flattery?). I just wonder when I might have the opportunity to be in one of his productions? If not the next, maybe the one after that. And if that’s still a no, perhaps I can trade Mary’s grilled kebabs for a small role!"

The netizens clamoring for photos of Mary Scott’s brother were left speechless: "..."

"Mr. Foster, as an old trouper, where’s your integrity?"

"It’s actually Director Locke? No way! Was the online gossip about them living apart just fake news?"

"Judging by Mr. Foster’s words, Director Locke seems to dote on Mary Scott!"

"Agreed +1!"

"The most polite young man? Either Mr. Foster’s over-flattery is in play, or Director Locke has had a major personality shift. Everyone knows he’s got a bad temper!" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"Can’t a man behave politely for his wife?"

"Comment above, you might be onto something..."

James Jerome, deeply versed in the entertainment industry’s unwritten rules, skillfully turned the narrative. With just a few words, he dispelled rumors about friction between Mary Scott and Director Locke, gained favor with the public, and possibly opened doors to land a role in Locke’s productions—achieving both fame and fortune.

The cunning old trouper proved his shrewdness, but he was undeniably endearing.

As the topic continued to heat up, Mary Scott and David Locke were once again trending.

A nurse who was applying ointment to Mary Scott couldn’t help but leak the news using a sock-puppet account: "Mr. Foster was absolutely right. Mary Scott and Director Locke’s relationship is truly amazing. Director Locke was super worried about Mary. Despite being in a car accident himself and sustaining a fracture, he was more concerned about Mary Scott’s forehead injury. His eyes were brimming with love—you can’t fake that! If I’m lying, my whole family dies!"

This comment was quickly unearthed by nosy netizens and topped the trending topics. People who had been mocking their relationship now began poring over details of their interactions.

Only now did everyone notice that whenever Mary Scott was in trouble, it was always David Locke’s company handling it first. There was no real need for their marriage to be publicized, yet David Locke announced it without hesitation, catapulting Mary Scott from an obscure newbie to a breakout star rivaling A-listers.

Upon further investigation, netizens discovered that David Locke had even approached Mary Scott’s company to negotiate her contract termination. Though she turned it down, many of the jobs Mary took thereafter had Locke’s connections involved in some capacity. Even during the filming of "Detectives and Wilderness," when Locke was in Switzerland, Mary returned to Swallow City accompanied by a man. Meticulous netizens compared details and determined that the man was Locke.

It was a quintessential case of "traveling thousands of miles to pick up his wife." Stories about marital discord, rumored breakups, or living apart were debunked—what they discovered were pure acts of love!

Everyone collectively felt envious. They had initially been here for juicy gossip about infidelity, only to end up being force-fed dog food—witnessed PDA—how did this happen?

Bang!

Charlotte Leigh, who had been expelled from the "Secret Room" crew, was glued to the internet, monitoring blackmail material about Mary Scott. She was among the first to notice the narrative shift. Flustered and desperate, she attempted to organize ghostwriters, but to no avail.

Unlike Charlotte’s incoherent ghostwriters, the public’s growing interest in Mary Scott rendered resistance futile.

Unable to accept reality, Charlotte smashed her already-cracked phone to pieces. Her makeup-free face tinged with silicone was filled with resentment.

Following this ordeal, she was booted from the "Secret Room" crew and lost her lead role in Director Penn’s new drama. Moreover, her collaboration with Duke Blue had also collapsed completely. The losses were catastrophic, leaving her no room for retaliation.

And while she suffered, Mary Scott, bolstered by the "Detectives and Wilderness" show team and a few loyal guests, was seeing a steady rise in her popularity and reputation. Adding insult to injury was the fact that Charlotte had always assumed Mary and Director Locke’s marriage wasn’t genuine. According to her sources, their publicized wedding was merely a ruse to divert attention from the Piers family’s Second Young Master—there was no real affection between Mary and Locke.

But now? What’s with this turn of events?

Charlotte was livid. She had previously tasked her trusted reporter to shadow Mary and Locke. Based on his observations, it was clear Mary Scott and David Locke lacked any semblance of affection. Instead, their relationship was marked by tension. On multiple occasions, Mary had left Rose Valley dejected. And now, out of nowhere, people were claiming Locke cared deeply for Mary? Impossible!

Charlotte flatly refused to believe it, but as she scrolled through the comments analyzing the couple’s interactions, she reluctantly admitted there might be some truth to it. Were David Locke and Mary Scott not distant but, in fact, deeply connected?

But...

Still grasping for reasons to refute the notion, Charlotte abruptly recalled something Duke Blue had said. He mentioned Locke openly threatening him because of Mary Scott. The early release of the video allegedly showing Mary’s affair with Simon Baker wasn’t just to ruin her, but also to preemptively shield Duke from Locke’s retaliation.

The more Charlotte thought about it, the more appalled and resentful she became!

Her darkened face reflected confusion as she ruminated in her unlit room, recalling the early days of her career when both she and Mary entered the company together. Back then, Charlotte’s qualifications were unquestionably superior, yet Mary had been chosen as the lead actress for a youth-drama production and subsequently rose to fame.

As the company sidelined her during those days, the bitterness gnawed at her like a thorn that refused to dislodge. She had sworn never to sink into irrelevance again.

And over the years, the sheer effort she’d expended to climb up was beyond what ordinary people could fathom. Yet, what burned her most was the hypocrisy—while everyone in the industry played dirty, Mary always seemed to float above it all with her untouchable dignity, even daring to reject the VP’s shady advances.

But no matter how hard she tried to fathom it, Charlotte simply couldn’t understand why a snowed-under actress like Mary Scott could enjoy director Locke’s favor, marry him on a whim, and claim his lifelong affection. How did she deserve such fortune?

Envy and years of pent-up frustration twisted Charlotte’s face into a mask of rage. But what truly tormented her was an emerging feeling of fear.

The anxiety deepened, especially after being expelled from the "Secret Room" crew. She received a call from Jocelyn Spencer, whose indifferent tone heightened Charlotte’s apprehension.

Having worked closely with Jocelyn over the years, Charlotte knew better than anyone about her cutthroat ambition. If Charlotte couldn’t destroy Mary Scott, the company might discard her entirely and reposition Mary as their new rising star.

Panicking, Charlotte immediately grabbed a second phone and dialed a number. "Reporter Emerson, how’s the investigation going?"

"Miss Scott and Director Locke did indeed date in high school," a cocky voice replied.

Disappointment flickered in Charlotte’s eyes. It turned out they’d really been each other’s first loves. How did Mary Scott luck out in everything?

Clutching her phone, Charlotte’s mood soured further. But then the reporter’s deliberate teasing caught her attention. "Though they were lovers, I’ve unearthed some rather interesting details. I think Miss Leigh might find them fascinating."

Charlotte’s posture stiffened sharply. "What details?"

"Well, it’s a tad complicated. Too much to explain over the phone. Why don’t you meet me in person, Miss Leigh?" Reporter Emerson’s tone grew increasingly suggestive.

Having dealt with this man several times before, Charlotte was fully aware of his agenda. She loathed him, but her curiosity about his potentially valuable findings overwhelmed her disgust. She decided to negotiate. "Tell me something first. How can I trust you have anything really worthwhile?"

"Relax, Miss Leigh. When you come, you’ll see for yourself. Then, decide whether to take it or not." He temped her with a sneaky charm.

Charlot deliberated, weighing the stakes. In the end, survival demanded sacrifices. She relented. "All right. Make this worth my time."

"This will ruin her for sure," Reporter Emerson assured. His tone grew more confident.

Charlotte knew Emerson might be lecherous and cunning, but he wouldn’t spout baseless lies. Dropping her final doubts, she rose to prepare herself, applied some makeup, and quietly slipped out of her apartment. On her way, she sent the company’s VP a flirtatious sticker pack.

She wasn’t about to rely on just one strategy.

...

Hospital.

While Mia Anderson was completing paperwork, Assistant Jonah informed her that Director Locke’s assistant had already taken care of the hospital admission. Feeling apologetic, she tried to transfer him the money, only to have him politely refuse and even arrange transportation to send her home.

Having never interacted much with Locke’s personnel, Mia was pleasantly surprised, concluding that Director Locke—all aloofness aside—was a genuinely good person. The icy front was merely a protective facade. Later, at home, she couldn’t help but text Mary Scott, telling her to cherish Director Locke wholeheartedly.

Mia naively had no idea Martin was beyond grateful to her.

Martin wasn’t just Director Locke’s assistant but also the son of Mrs. Locke’s closest friend. His role extended beyond work to worrying about Locke’s turbulent personal life.

Considering Locke’s fiery temperament and stubborn nature, Mia’s collision with him this time turned out to be serendipitous. Both she and Locke’s wife were now forced to cross paths again under unavoidable circumstances—a situation Martin welcomed with utmost relief.

Forget covering medical expenses; Martin felt Mia deserved a "Good Samaritan of the Year" award!

After seeing Mia off, Martin headed straight to the hospital room. Too cautious to interrupt, he observed the couple quietly through the glass door before knocking gently.

Mary Scott, busy replying to Mia’s message, turned to the sound just as Martin stepped through carrying various items. "Good evening, Madam," Martin greeted warmly.

Mary Scott began to open her mouth to correct how he addressed her, but her husband, who she’d been holding hands with earlier despite his fever, interrupted. He let out a breath but said nothing.

Martin’s eyes lit up as he placed the supplies onto the sofa. "Madam, these are daily essentials and clean clothes prepared by the house staff. If anything’s missing, just let me know."

"Thank you ever so much, Assistant Jonah," Mary replied gratefully.

The moment was quickly interrupted by Locke himself, who—having pretended to nap since Martin arrived—spoke lazily. "Bring in another bed," he instructed.

Martin hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Understood."

Mary Scott was left flustered, her face flushing as the additions continued in the increasingly cramped hospital room. She silently cursed him for treating this place like his personal property!

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