Reborn as Mr.CEO’s Fat Wife
Chapter 894: The Slap in the Face Came Too Fast Like a Tornado

Chapter 894: Chapter 894: The Slap in the Face Came Too Fast Like a Tornado

Mary Scott was scheduled to shoot an advertisement for LG’s women’s sportswear today. Although LG wasn’t an international luxury brand, it had steadily gained national popularity in recent years. With reasonable pricing and a broad target audience, every female celebrity featured in its advertisements, even if not destined for fame, could at least become recognizably familiar to the public.

The reason Mary managed to secure this advertisement was thanks to David Locke. LG was the sponsor of David’s new film, and their collaboration had been smooth. As a goodwill gesture to David, LG had likely given this advertisement opportunity to Mary.

Upon thinking of this, Mary clenched her fists. Although she had verbally expressed her desire to cut ties with him, she found herself still benefiting from his favors.

Her feelings were conflicted, but she knew now wasn’t the time for idle thoughts.

Following Mia Anderson into the dressing room at the studio, Charlotte Leigh was already seated before them. As soon as she spotted Mary entering, she cast a cold glance at her and then playfully complained to the makeup artist nearby. "June, I didn’t sleep well last night. Just look at my dark circles! You have to make my makeup flawless, like poreless-perfect flawless!"

The makeup artist immediately nodded attentively, "Don’t worry, Charlotte. I’ll make you look stunning."

Mia glanced at the time. "Mary, Director Maltz will be here in twenty minutes."

The director for today’s advertisement shoot was Rudolph Maltz, infamous for being strict and difficult to work with. He especially disliked any delays caused by actresses. But, based on Charlotte’s behavior, it seemed she intended to monopolize the makeup time, leaving Mary little chance to prepare.

Charlotte snorted upon hearing Mia’s remark. She tilted her face upward, signaling June to continue applying her makeup.

Mary ignored her and lowered her gaze to review the revised advertisement script.

Unlike the earlier draft featuring just Mary, the script had undergone significant changes to accommodate Charlotte. It now included more storytelling elements, depicting an emotional narrative: the elder sister, once an athlete, quit sports after sustaining an injury. The younger sister, though mute and mocked for it, constantly encouraged her sibling. Every year, the younger sister would participate in marathons to reignite the elder sister’s determination. In the climactic conclusion, the sisters reunited in an emotional embrace, united by the tagline, "Sporty Beauty, Eternal Youth."

Though the script seemed straightforward, executing it effectively would be a challenge.

The sixty-second advertisement had to encapsulate the essence of athletic spirit, profound sibling bond, and the appeal of branded sportswear—conveying it all in a manner that captivated viewers’ attention and evoked purchasing interest.

Mary finished reading the script quickly and began considering how she might portray her role. Her character—a mute younger sister who persevered despite societal ridicule—was pivotal in drawing out her elder sibling’s resilience and, consequently, emphasizing the brand’s message. How to portray the sister’s unwavering love and unyielding spirit within mere seconds was key.

"Mary?" Mia returned from outside, having sought out another makeup artist, only to find Mary lost in thought. She called out hurriedly.

Mary snapped out of her reverie. "Hmm? What is it?"

"Mary, what should we do? The year-end rush has all the other makeup artists in the company busy. What now?" Mia asked, lowering her voice to avoid Charlotte overhearing.

But that was impossible!

The dressing room was small, and Charlotte had been covertly keeping tabs on Mary the entire time despite her seemingly engrossed focus on her makeup. Mary’s dazed expression and Mia’s anxious reaction hadn’t escaped Charlotte’s keen observation—a smirk of mockery playing on her lips.

It amused her to see how Mary, who ostensibly claimed independence, couldn’t even organize a makeup artist. And now that Mary seemed distracted, Charlotte speculated it was likely due to her lingering thoughts about being dumped by Director Locke.

Charlotte vividly remembered the humiliation she had suffered when Mary’s relationship with Locke was exposed within the company months ago. The memory was enough to resurface the jealousy and bitterness within her. She was determined to ensure Mary’s downfall in the industry now that her protective "shield"—Director Locke—was waning. Once before, she had orchestrated Mary’s career blackout within the company. If necessary, she would do it again, twice over.

The more Charlotte thought about it, the more her smirk deepened.

Opposite her, Mary frowned slightly as she mulled over Mia’s dilemma. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror briefly, contemplating the script again. A general idea began shaping in her mind. "Don’t worry. I can do my own makeup."

"But that’s not appropriate!" Mia quickly protested. "This is a professional advertisement, not something casual. How could we let that slide? Plus, who doesn’t know how demanding Director Maltz can be? His high standards border on perfectionism." Worried, Mia darted a glance at Charlotte’s progress. "Mary, let me ask June. Maybe she can find a way to help."

Before Mary could respond, Mia impulsively walked over to June Newton with determination. "June, Charlotte seems almost done with her makeup. Couldn’t you start helping Mary now? She’s also a lead actress in today’s advertisement. If either of their preparation lags behind, it’ll affect the progress overall."

She deliberately emphasized Mary’s importance with tact, lest June forget this wasn’t a solo advertisement starring Charlotte.

"Oh goodness! My eye makeup isn’t ready yet! June, hurry and touch it up for me! If Director Maltz sees this, wouldn’t he blame you instead?" Charlotte exclaimed dramatically.

June immediately rushed over to assist Charlotte, dismissively waving off Mia behind her. "I only have two hands, you know. If you were late, what could I do? Maybe listen to your Mary and let her handle it herself."

"You—!"

"Mia." Mary intervened to stop Mia from losing her temper. She reached into her shoulder bag, pulling out a single eyebrow pencil and a tube of lipstick. "It’s fine. I’ll deal with it myself."

Charlotte couldn’t contain her laughter when she saw what Mary had pulled out of her bag. Her gaze shot to Mary through the mirror in a condescending manner, before smiling sweetly at June. "June, thanks for making my makeup so gorgeous!"

"It’s my job. Nothing to thank me for," June replied obligingly.

Mia listened with growing frustration, understanding all too well that Charlotte’s position in Starlight was bolstered by her longstanding ties with higher-ups. That very influence had led to Mary’s career blackout previously. With Mary’s marriage to Director Locke now facing turbulence, people in the industry were quick to adjust their treatment of her according to circumstances. If the marriage ultimately ended, such humiliations would only increase.

That left only one path forward for Mary—achieving a breakthrough via sheer talent.

But...

Mia couldn’t help thinking of the years Mary spent frozen out of the spotlight. Even with talent, without opportunities or a stage to shine, how much could she accomplish?

Five minutes before the shoot began, Rudolph Maltz’s voice echoed through the studio outside. Charlotte elegantly rose, slowly strolling outward. As she passed Mary, she deliberately paused and said, "Mary, good luck!"

Mia’s eyes burned with anger as she watched Charlotte’s retreating figure, muttering through clenched teeth, "She’s unbearable!"

Mary ignored Mia, swiftly changing into her designated outfit. She tied her long hair into a high ponytail, tugging the front a little loose for added effect. Then, with practiced efficiency, she defined her eyebrows and added a hint of lipstick on her fingertips, spreading it lightly across her lips for a natural boost of radiance.

With everything finalized, Mary quickly headed to the studio. Mia gawked in shock. "Mary, are you really going out like this?"

No foundation, no finishing touches—was this just resignation?

But Mary checked her reflection one last time, saying calmly, "It’s fine like this."

Without waiting for further objections, she shoved her belongings back into her shoulder bag and tossed it to Mia. "Hold this for me."

Passing Mia’s reaction aside, Mary strode confidently out. Mia scrambled to follow, quietly advising, "Mary, why don’t you consider reconciling with Director Locke? Just apologize or admit some fault..."

Mia, as Mary’s assistant, had some understanding of the quarrel that transpired.

Mary chuckled faintly, ignoring Mia’s concern. She found Mia increasingly reminiscent of a chatty mother, though the truth eluded her. Their marriage to David Locke was never genuine nor conventional. Whether falling apart now or later, it was inevitable—apologies had little bearing on the matter.

"Mary..." Mia fretted as Mary simply walked toward the studio with bare-faced confidence. Her small voice calling after her faltered when she noticed the quiet tension inside the studio and Charlotte standing there with arms folded, shooting them both a meaningful look.

Mia instantly silenced herself.

Mary also sensed the unusual atmosphere. Her gaze briefly fell on Rudolph Maltz’s grim expression before she stepped forward with a polite smile. "Director Maltz, I’m ready. When would you like us to start filming?"

Rudolph had initially stormed into the studio frustrated, hearing about the actresses’ unpreparedness. He glanced at Charlotte’s heavily made-up face, feeling even stifled but ready to erupt before being interrupted by clear, crisp words. Turning, he caught sight of Mary’s vibrant, makeup-free appearance—her clean, youthful visage underscored by a natural confidence mimicking the script’s mute younger sister.

The expletive on Rudolph’s lips evaporated at Mary’s unexpected portrayal. "Are you Mary Scott?"

Mary nodded respectfully. "Yes, it’s an honor to work with you, Director Maltz."

"Hmm. Not bad. Let’s get started." Rudolph’s gaze lingered briefly on Mary’s candid posture. Her composed determination stood in stark contrast to the airs of entitlement displayed by other actresses. Evidently, Locke’s recommendation wasn’t misplaced this time.

Charlotte had initially waited eagerly for Rudolph to unleash his fury on Mary, allowing her to bask in the schadenfreude. Yet, as she witnessed the raging director’s abrupt shift in tone, murmuring words of approval, Charlotte froze in disbelief. Could he actually find Mary impressive?

The realization left Charlotte stunned. Only when prompted that the filming was ready to begin did she recollect herself, presenting her poised stance at the center of attention under the glare of many viewers.

Yet, her posed elegance elicited no awe; rather, silence and bewilderment followed as the crew glanced between one another.

Feeling the glare nibble at her nerves, Charlotte finally asked, "Is there something wrong?"

After all, what was a clothing advertisement if not an opportunity to showcase beauty?

Rudolph sighed deeply, suppressing his frustration. "Does nobody read scripts anymore? Somebody, show it to her!"

"Director Maltz, I’ve reviewed the script. Isn’t there no issue?" Charlotte reasoned, perplexed.

Rudolph frowned, examining Charlotte’s overly polished appearance within a theme far removed from glamor. Pointing at his assistant, he remarked, "Lecture her on the role and wipe off whatever nonsense is on her face."

The final comment addressed the makeup artist.

June hesitated briefly before gauging Charlotte’s reaction.

Charlotte stared in disbelief. "Take off the makeup?"

Who shoots advertisements without refined aesthetics? Why strip it down?

"Do you ignore context? It’s an athlete you’re playing, not a nightclub queen," Rudolph reprimanded bluntly.

Humiliated and seething, Charlotte’s chest rose and fell visibly. Nonetheless, pragmatic considerations tethered her fury—knowing LG sponsorship grants visibility, leaving no space for rashness.

Her anger nearly boiled over, yet scanning Mary’s unflustered preparation provoked sharp vigilance. Slowly, Charlotte deciphered that this wasn’t coincidence. Constantly planned moves compelled Charlotte disoriented-aware behind suspicion...Mary had preying intent-collapsing poised venom-exploit-stage beneath mockery-defense-clever exploiting-find familiar mounting holes-fearless countermaneuver dug force...twisting cruel indirectounce trap hidden deliberation hurt-persist refined elegance protest stoic shadow efforts tireless sound humble elegance flashing Luke abruptly tension helpless decades panic ghost-hover haunting compellingestimize recursive decoding layers distoucing twisted stunning roles opposite hiddenforce reflections harshly shadows-chair spleenumm harsh twists-finally-loop=headers plotted conclusions-direct impactful craft-realize effic pain pause quite hiddentemp-placeholder