Reborn as Mr.CEO’s Fat Wife
Chapter 975: Brother-in-law, Has My Sister Gone Mad?

Chapter 975: Chapter 975: Brother-in-law, Has My Sister Gone Mad?

The atmosphere in the car was strange, but fortunately, the driver pretending to be invisible finally opened his mouth, "Director Locke, Mrs. Locke, we’ve arrived."

Alfred Scott and Mia Anderson breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging sympathetic glances.

David Locke then lifted Mary Scott’s head, tidied up her messy hair, and gently asked, "Ready to get out?"

His attitude towards Mary Scott was entirely different from how he treated Alfred and Mia.

Alfred regretted it again. Why did he even come?

Luckily, he didn’t have to question his life for long, as Mary tidied herself up, touched up her lipstick, and finally stepped out of the car.

The group entered through the hotel’s back door, where someone was already waiting to lead them to the back of the venue.

In the front, the media had already settled into their seats. Mary stopped at the door, looking at David and Alfred, "You two can wait outside for me."

"Sis, I’ll go with you..."

"You both stay here obediently. If I can’t handle it, I’ll call for backup outside." Mary cut Alfred off firmly.

Her brother’s previous statements had already stirred up intense discussions. If he appeared at the press conference again, it would inevitably lead to malicious speculation. She didn’t want the criticism she faced to end up on her brother.

As for David, it was even less appropriate for him to appear at such a scene.

Alfred hesitated but knew how hard it was for his sister to let him leave the hospital. There was no way she’d indulge him further now, so he sought David’s help.

David didn’t look at him, his gaze fixed on Mary. "You still haven’t answered my question."

From start to finish, Mary hadn’t given him a clear answer.

"I don’t know." Mary clearly knew what David was referring to. She playfully smiled at him and gave the ambiguous response.

David was startled for a moment, then his lips curved slightly. That meant she was considering it.

"Considering" was much better than the decisive refusal to quit the industry she had expressed earlier.

Mary’s answer showed she was softening. As for her final decision, David didn’t press further. He stood up, hugged her briefly, and said, "Go ahead. Tonight, I’ll take you home. Aunt bought hot pot ingredients, including your favorite fish balls."

"Alright." Mary cheerfully replied, then glanced at her brother disdainfully. "Take care of him for me."

Alfred snorted in dissatisfaction.

Mary ignored her brother and headed toward the venue with Mia Anderson.

Click, click...

As soon as Mary stepped inside, the media’s cameras began clicking away furiously.

Mary smiled at the crowd, her pace steady as she walked to the front stage. She took the microphone from the person in charge and greeted all the media representatives present.

The press conference was only three hours earlier than originally planned, but Mary’s mindset had undergone a dramatic shift.

Three hours ago, she stood outside the venue, consumed by worries and guilt for the man sleeping in the hotel, as well as uncertainty about her future. She had been waiting for what seemed like the miserable end of her not-so-bright career. Despite her calm demeanor, deep down, she knew she had lost, and lost completely.

But three hours later, at the same press conference, her situation had changed drastically. The choice to stay or leave had become something she could genuinely decide for herself, rather than being forced into defeat.

The smile on Mary’s face now was much more composed. She looked at the journalists below and then nodded slightly at the press conference organizer, who immediately spoke, "You may now begin asking Miss Scott questions."

The organizer had barely finished when the venue erupted in noise, and a reporter quickly stood up. "It’s been said that the purpose of today’s press conference, Miss Scott, is for you to use Charlotte Leigh’s home-wrecker scandal to whitewash your reputation—is that true?"

As soon as the reporter finished asking, the venue was plunged into chaos. All of the cameras seemed to zoom in even tighter on Mary, eager to capture every subtle expression on her face, hoping to analyze her mood.

Unfortunately for them, Mary disappointed the reporters. From the moment the question was asked until it ended, Mary maintained a polite smile on her face. She then took the microphone and responded, "To be honest, three hours ago, the purpose of this press conference was to announce my retirement from the entertainment industry. The five media outlets initially invited should somewhat know this, right?"

"Yes." Mary’s gaze landed on the first few media representatives she had invited. Instantly, all the cameras turned towards those outlets.

The most authoritative among them stood up. "Indeed, when we received the invitation, that’s exactly what we heard."

Mary smiled faintly at the reporter, and the interview continued.

Another sharp-eyed reporter quickly picked up on a flaw in Mary’s statement and stood to ask, "Miss Scott just mentioned that three hours ago the goal was to leave the industry. Has she now changed her mind?"

Mary’s gaze fell on the questioning reporter. "Honestly, I’m still deliberating."

Boom!

Mary’s response caused an uproar. Everyone looked at her completely baffled, wondering what kind of show she was putting on.

Meanwhile, Lambert Norman, who had arranged a live-streaming platform for the event, saw viewers in the live stream just as stunned upon hearing Mary’s response.

Soon, uninformed netizens started shouting for Mary to get out of the entertainment industry, while those aware of Summer Lucy’s previous report tearfully pleaded for her to stay.

The two groups of netizens were quickly at each other’s throats in the live-stream comments.

The media reporters at the venue, however, were another story. Each got visibly excited, sensing the potential for a major scoop, and frantically raised their hands to ask questions.

Mary picked one of them, and the reporter immediately stood to follow up. "Since you’re still uncertain, what is the significance of this press conference, Miss Scott?"

This question wasn’t particularly sharp, but it went straight to the core.

Mary nodded toward the reporter and raised the microphone. "I had my assistant post a poll online with two options: having me leave the entertainment industry or stay. If, at the end of this press conference, more people want me to stay, I’ll stay. If more people prefer I leave, then I’ll quit."

She finished speaking and handed the microphone to Mia Anderson.

Mia rose, first instructing the staff to display the poll options on the large screen, so everyone could observe them in real-time. Then, she explained, "To ensure the authenticity of the vote, we’ve invited independent observers to oversee the process. Rest assured that the results you’ll see reflect true opinions."

The media on-site were already dumbfounded when Mary first mentioned the poll. Now they looked at her as if she were deliberately trying to stir up controversy.

To think that a celebrity’s career could be decided by public voting was unprecedented. If the final results overwhelmingly favored her leaving, wouldn’t Mary be humiliated?

Especially given her recent poor reputation, this wasn’t something a few positive articles could easily repair.

But regardless of what others thought, Mary’s resolute attitude said it all.

Backstage, Alfred stared in shock at the arrangement and turned to David. "Brother-in-law, is my sister crazy? Asking for votes online is worse than just outright announcing her retirement!"

Alfred didn’t doubt his sister’s sincerity—it was just that the scandals had caused her public reputation to hit rock bottom. To have netizens decide her fate now was practically courting disaster.

David said nothing, silently clenching his fists in an effort to suppress the urge to hire ghostwriters.

Inside the venue...

The media reporters shared Alfred’s views; they didn’t believe Mary stood a chance.

Mary, however, remained expressionless. Instead, she calmly suggested they continue asking questions.

"Miss Scott, was it that article online that improved your reputation and led you to reconsider quitting the industry?"

"Yes," Mary answered without hesitation.

"If so, is everything your brother said true?" the reporter followed up.

"Yes."

"Since what he said was true, why didn’t Miss Scott explain earlier?"

"I don’t particularly enjoy playing the sympathy card. As for the donations, they were within my capacity." Mary answered lightly.

Many viewers in the live-stream who hadn’t watched "Detectives and Wilderness" had long associated Mary with the rumors of her romantic scandal involving David. They hardly knew her as a person, much less understood her character.

But seeing Mary’s simple and refreshing light-colored suit, her unadorned makeup, and clear, determined eyes as she confidently answered the reporter’s questions—even flashing an occasional dazzling smile—they were struck by her sincerity. When she casually said she didn’t enjoy selling her hardships, something about her words just felt real.

Her sparse explanation of her donations also showed remarkable restraint, avoiding over-the-top boasting. This distinction rendered many originally skeptical viewers speechless. Without realizing it, they began muttering to themselves that Mary was beautiful and cool—nothing like the image her haters had painted.

The atmosphere at the press conference became harmonious. The option to keep Mary in the industry on the large screen suddenly began to gain momentum, soon overtaking the "Get out of the industry" option.

In the far corner, one reporter was called upon and stood to ask, "Miss Scott, don’t you have anything to say about your father?"

The initially good vibes in the venue instantly turned awkward.

Mary had considered beforehand that this question might come up, but when the reporter asked it, she couldn’t help pausing for a moment. Then, she calmly looked over and responded, "My memories of my father mainly remain frozen in my first ten years. Back then, he wasn’t too busy—always coming home on time. My brother and I loved clinging to him, begging him to carry us. After I turned ten, he was transferred to Shenton City and stayed there for seven years. After that, my father existed in phone calls and video chats. But he was always patient, always listening to my brother and me chatter about school trivialities once his work was finished. I’ve always loved him. When my father was sentenced, I was abroad at the time. I have no intention of defending my father. Wrong is wrong."

This was the longest statement Mary had made during the press conference. Her voice was calm, and she didn’t make any deliberate effort to distance herself from her father. Yet inexplicably, her words inspired an undercurrent of sadness.

The questioning reporter didn’t achieve their desired impact and pressed on reluctantly. "Since you know your father was a criminal, why did you still enter the entertainment industry? After all, it’s a deeply influential field. Aren’t you worried about setting a bad example for your fans?"

"Entering the entertainment industry was purely by chance. As for setting a bad example for fans? That’s simply blaming me unjustly." Mary’s gaze turned sharp in response.

The live broadcast camera immediately zoomed in on the reporter who’d asked consecutive probing questions. Observant viewers quickly remarked, "Hey, isn’t that paparazzi from Helena Marion’s team, who’s been viciously smearing Mary?"

Recognizing the reporter, everyone else caught on immediately. The viewer comments started flooding with remarks about how Helena Marion’s team was aligned with Jason Emerson and how, given Emerson’s already notorious relationship with Charlotte Leigh, his team attacking Mary was hardly surprising.

Netizens who had been worried for Mary relaxed, while some of them even expressed plaintively in the live-stream, "When Miss Scott mentioned her father existing only in calls and videos, I wanted to cry. As a kid, I loved being carried by my dad too, but Miss Scott didn’t get that after she turned ten. Her brother must have only been about four then, right? Ugh, Mr. Scott really had no heart! And neither does that reporter..."

"+1!"

Things were lively in the comment section, and the journalists at the venue became even more energized.

After Mary’s cold and firm response to the unjust accusation, no one dared to bring up her father again. Instead, they shifted gears, questioning how she "happened" to enter the industry. Just as everyone speculated that Mary would credit her "extraordinary beauty" as the reason she was scouted by talent agents, the typically composed Mary suddenly became bashful.

Her unexpected reaction piqued the reporters’ curiosity, and several persistently chased answers until Mary reluctantly admitted, "It was simple—I had just come back to the country with little savings. I ran into a film crew that had an opening, offering eighty bucks for an hour’s work. I thought I’d give it a shot."

The audience erupted in uproarious laughter. "What’s there to hide? Seriously, you did it for eighty bucks? Not like people don’t already know you were broke!"

Seeing their reaction, Mary quietly breathed a sigh of relief. But in the live-stream chat, viewers sensed there was more to the story.

Summer Lucy, among the attendees, stood up and probed further, "Could you share the details about the role you played at the time, Miss Scott? Is it possible to track it down now?"

Mary stiffened instantly. "It was... a utility role. No, it can’t be found!"

Her reply was crisp and overly direct, making people suspect she was hiding something. Moreover, sitting beside her, Mia couldn’t suppress her laughter, an expression caught by the reporters, who now were even more intrigued.

And reporters, being who they are—the best at digging for dirt—didn’t let the matter lie. Shortly after Mary thought the subject was over, one journalist dramatically raised their phone and asked, "Miss Scott, was your first role a matchmaker per chance?"

Cough, cough, cough... Mary had just taken a sip of water when she began choking. Looking up, she saw the reporter had instructed staff to display the image in question on the screen.

The entire room was met with the sight of a village matchmaker—her hair styled in cartoonish grandmotherly fashion, two bright rouge patches on her cheeks, a massive fake mole on her lip, and teeth made to look rotted out with some tape. The appearance was so comedic that no one recognized Mary at first glance.

The atmosphere—both in the venue and on the live-stream momentarily froze. Mary looked utterly mortified, as if saying, "Wow, you really had no dignity when chasing money, huh?"

Mary took a deep breath, shot the staff member a glare, and ordered them to remove the image immediately. Turning to the reporters, she forced a smile and said, "Apologies for the offense."

"Hahaha..." The room burst into laughter.

Her overly stiff demeanor and attempts to compose herself while clearly mortified left everyone unable to hold back their amusement.

Seeing everyone laugh, Mia finally gave in and joined in the chorus.

Mary’s usually confident and beautiful image crumbled, "Please, show me some respect. Who hasn’t made questionable choices for quick cash in their youth?"

Her words only made everyone laugh harder. The notion of making embarrassing choices for temporary income was relatable, but audiences couldn’t imagine that someone like Mary had ever stooped to this level.

With everyone bursting into laughter and unable to stop, Mary simply resigned herself to an exasperated expression that said, "Fine, laugh all you want, but can we hurry this up and get back to business?"

The venue’s energy lightened significantly.

Live-stream comments were equally flooded with "LOL."

After the laughter subsided, one reporter refocused everyone by asking, "Previously, Miss Scott’s reason for leaving the industry was clear. Now, why is she suddenly hesitating?"

"First, I’m broke." Mary glanced calmly at the reporter before facing the camera and bluntly announcing. She then elaborated, "LG Apparel and Raspberry Snacks—both brand endorsements require penalty fees for contract termination. Additionally, I’d need to refund appearance fees for ’Wilderness,’ per my contract. So... let’s just say my account funds are insufficient."

Having said this, Mary shrugged with an "I’ve gotta make a living" expression.

The room was stunned by her unabashed honesty before breaking out into laughter again. Never had they seen a celebrity confess so openly to financial struggles, and Mary seemed almost dignified about her poverty. Without prior context, someone might’ve suspected financial impropriety!

Mia Anderson buried her face in her hands, wondering why Mary had to be *this* truthful.