Dear Husband, I Upgraded to a CEO
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The High:
All spoilers and no filters ahead.
Poor Mari (Alyona Real) plans a sexy, romantic anniversary night with her husband only to be cruelly tricked by his side chick and accomplice when they set her up for her husband to “catch” her cheating on him. Luckily, Christopher (Sam Schweikert) conveniently has divorce papers and her bags packed when he throws her out of her house in her lingerie and a shorty robe. Mari tries to access their joint account only to find she is locked out and when she goes to work, her coworkers are watching the social media post made by the mistress and her boss fires her because she’s a “viral cheating whore” and it would be bad for the company image.
As is the standard in all Vertical Dramas, she slips and almost falls but is caught by her white knight, her brother-in-law, Blake (Mark Vega). Yay! Blake is a huge investor in the company and chews out the owner for treating her like crap after he literally dumped a can of garbage on her head (it was Vertical Drama garbage, so it was only shredder paper, lol). When the owner tries to defend his firing of Mari, Blake cuts ties and offers Mari a new job. Mari questions why he doesn’t hate her for cheating on his brother and he tells her he thinks his brother set her up. Mari is too stupid to believe Christopher was a part of it and thinks he’ll believe her when he calms down.
Blake brings Mari to his company, brings her into his office and locks the door. He tells her she’s got the job but there’s a catch and slides an envelope of money across the desk to her. Mari hauls off and slaps him telling him she isn’t a cheater and she wouldn’t sleep with him for money. Blake tells her she misunderstood, the money is to get her back onto her feet after being locked out of her accounts. Mari tells him he was being sketchy with the money and the locked door. He claims people are just always barging in and he was just trying to have an uninterrupted conversation with her. He walks to the door and unlocks it. Mari asks what the catch was then?
Blake explains he was supposed to take over the company but his father has dragged Christopher back into the running for some reason. Christopher barges in and taunts Blake but when he spots Mari he pretends he upset to see his “cheating wife.” Finally, Mari starts to question why he was with her best friend, Lacey (Janine Czajka) of the Side Piece. Blake confronts Christopher and sends him on his way, then asks Mari for help and in return he’ll help her by taking down Christopher. But stupid Mari doesn’t want to take down her hubby, she wants to prove she isn’t a cheater and be with Christopher again. Mari is in DENIAL, luckily Christopher will cure her when she walks out of Blake’s office to see Christopher and Lacey swapping spit. Christopher and Lacey try to call Mari a stalker but she surprises them with the news she works there now. Mari asks Lacey when she’s acting that way and Lacey says what we’re all thinking, she’s an idiot who has been fucking her husband in her bed for months. Mari again tries to defend herself and tell Christopher she didn’t cheat and he “No shit, Sherlock’s” her and tells her they hired an actor to pretend to be her lover to trigger the cheating clause in the prenup. Man, I hope that lobby has video and sound recording. When he starts shit talking Mari again, Blake gets in his face and takes care of her.
Mari is having a pity party and Blake is doing his best to talk her up. You can tell he’s had a thing for her for awhile. Mari agrees to take the job and help Blake take down Christopher. Blake wipes away her tears and as they lean in to kiss, they’re interrupted (see, he’s not wrong about needing to lock his office door!!). She goes off to HR and she soon to be ex dickhead walks in and drops threats on his brother. After telling each other off, Blake punches Christopher in the mouth.
Mari is walking back with paperwork when Lacey is shit talking her to another woman and trips her. Mari had a nice comeback with “I’m the head of sales and you’re a backstabbing secretary.” Nice one. Lacey dashes off and Blake helps Mari pick up and tells her to report Lacey to HR. Mari tells him she’ll handle it herself. She was going to stay at a motel, but Blake offers her another place, a house he owns next to his house.
Mari asks him to stay and drink wine and gets to the root of why Blake hates Christopher. He stole his first love, had sex with her and then dumped her. Blake tells Mari he’s seen them together for year and Christopher is always treating her like shit. They lean in for another almost kiss and Blake pulls away and tells her to rest. The next morning, Papa Jameson is at the office, chews out Mari (for cheating on his idiot son) and demands Blake fires Mari. Blake says Naw, so Papa says, ok, but it better not get in the way of you winning the company. There is a BIG PRESENTATION in two hours they need to be ready for.
During the presentation, Christopher deliberately pushes Mari so she knocks over Papa Jameson’s coffee cup given to him in 1982 by the president, and since it was Regan, I say “Good Riddance” but I guess Papa J actually cares about it, yuck. Blake is all, nice try bro, tell Dad what really happened. Turns out Christopher broke that mug years ago and this one was just a replacement. Papa J is uber pissed and Christopher runs off to do damage control and Mari and Blake head to his office for proof of his lies. When he returns to his office, they hide in his “too small” closet (which actually has plenty of space for two people to stand without touching) so Blake and Mari have to snuggle close together.
Papa J lays the ultimatum on both brothers. Christopher was in the running for his connections and charm, but he’s not sure. Blake is diligent and has drive, but defied Papa J when he hired Mari. After he leaves both boys crow at each other and Christopher finally clues in his brother has feelings for her. Papa J confronts Mari in the hallways and warns her off of Blake with a threat to destroy her career. In the lobby, Lacey is once again talking out of her mouth and Mari tells her to knock it off or she’ll go to HR. Lacey says she’ll report her for sleeping with the boss and Mari asks her isn’t that how she got her job? Blake compliments her for finally standing up for herself. Mari tries to keep her distance from Blake, but he isn’t having it and she gives in. Just as they are about to kiss AGAIN, Christopher interrupts them. He tells them he’ll use it against her in the divorce and if he catches them kissing again he’ll tell Papa J and his divorce attorney.
Papa J comes by Mari’s desk and threatens her again away from Blake. When Blake later tries to spend time with her, Mari sees Papa J lurking and rushes off only to be confronted by Lacey in the breakroom. Mari is all, sure girl, has he dipped his hand in your pocketbook yet? She paid all the son of a billionaire’s bills because he is a drunk, gambling spendthrift, and if he hasn’t asked her for money yet, just wait, because it’s coming. Mari is all, girl, you aren’t special, he’ll turn on your soon enough. Lacey asks Christopher about his debt and he tells her Mari is making it up. He and Lacey start plotting to get Mari fired.
Mari and Blake plan to meet with a VIP client, and he buys her an expensive dress for the event. Christopher and Lacey steal Blake’s reservation but accidently land themselves in a client meeting which sends Christopher spinning, offending the client and getting them kicked out of the restaurant.
Mari and Blake run into Mari’s old boss who begs Mari to come back, it’s literally falling apart without her. Mari tells him off and Blake and Mari FINALLY kiss! Mari pulls back and tells him it’s too complicated with the divorce and Blake’s dad. Blake reassures her it will all work out and gets her to kiss him again. Blake gets an notification of another scandal surrounding Mari.
Papa J calls them into his office and he has had enough and fires her. Blake chases after her but Mari can’t deal with the world and his family thinking she’s a gold digger, so they kiss in the parking lot under the camera that Christopher records and shares with the company board. Blake is very bad at capturing evidence and instead just falls on his sword and takes the blame. A board member says Mari can date Blake after the divorce is finalized and the board votes and Mari gets her job back.
Mari and Blake are going through paperwork for her divorce and they cross lines all over the place even though they’re supposed to cool it until the divorce is finalized, but neither of them can resist each other. Papa J interrupts once again and lays down the law telling him they are BOTH going to be fired if they are together again. Mari walks off because she doesn’t want to come between Blake and his father or his company he loves to much.
Lacey is caught at Mari’s computer and makes a scene when she’s caught. Mari can’t see anything wrong with her computer, which means it will for sure come and bite her in the ass at the worst time. Blake comes by Mari’s place and cooks her dinner. He confesses that he’s scared of losing his company, but he’s more scared of losing her. Blake again comes onto Mari and she’s crap at saying no to him. Mari is still the only sane one worried about the consequences of their actions while Blake straight up doesn’t care at all.
Mari and Christopher are in competition for securing the biggest deal which comes with a bonus and a paid vacation. Christopher goes first and shared Mari’s data (told you so). When Mari tells them Lacey stole the presentation, but Papa J hates her and doesn’t want to hear from her. The board member asks Christopher about his presentation, but he flounders and can’t answer questions about it which Mari uses to wedge open a chance to show off what she did, not Christopher. The board members check the logs and see that Christopher’s name isn’t on any of the information. Papa J questions Mari about the information and realizes that Christopher is a lying cheat. He once again threatens Mari…so I’m guessing he next kidnaps her or hits her with his car…
Uh oh, next scene is in a parking garage, so you know both scenarios can come true…Oh, so close! Domestic violence instead, cool. Christopher is lurking behind a pole and begins to choke out Mari while saying she ruined his life because she didn’t walk away quietly. Umm, dude, if you wanted that to happen, you should have just paid her off and walked away without blowing up her life. What a dick. Blake arrives and punches the crap out of Christopher before he declares he’s going to get them and their little dog too before he runs off.
Back at Blakes? Mari’s? Mari is taking care of Blakes busted knuckles before he again starts charming her. This fool CANNOT quit her! I mean, in his defense, Christopher could plan one of those long Kim Kardashian Kris Humphries divorces that takes two years just to torture them, but it seems like Christopher is a bit of a desperado and needs that money. Mari again tries to convince Blake to just wait but one more good kiss and she’s convinced. Blake carries her off to the bedroom and they make love.
Lacey arrives in the morning with her sob story that she as used by Christopher…uh oh…do we believe her? My gut says no, but it is episode 43 out of 51 so maybe it’s too close to the end for a sob story switcharoo. Mari doesn’t believe her either. Finally, Lacey says enough that Mari thinks maybe she’s on the up and up, but she’s a trust and verify person. The ladies put their plans in place and Lacey starts a screaming match with Christopher getting him to reveal loudly the details of the setup so Mari could catch it all on film. Lacey comes back asking for forgiveness from Mari and she’s like, hell no! You can fuck over a husband, but you can’t fuck over your bestie. And Mari warned her about how awful Christopher is and she had to learn her lesson the hard way.
The charity gala has a Casino Night theme and a board member tells Blake it was a great event and he should be CEO…because he can plan a good party? Dumb. He gives credit to Mari. Papa J calls him up to the podium and Blake gives his gracious speech and charitable donations. Side note to Vertical Dramas props departments, Mark Vega is too tall to hunch over the microphone. Or maybe that’s a director’s job. Hey Mark, the mic isn’t hot, you don’t have to bend over. I hate seeing that tall guy have to hunch. Anyway, he calls up a special guest while Christopher lurks and seethes and blames Mari for his not being on the stage. Lacey tells him it’s his own fault before walking out on him. The special guest is the actor that Christopher hired!!! Christopher rushes the stage and says that’s the guy that porked my wife, WTF! The crowd is in a tizzy. The actor confesses that he was paid to frame Mari with a cheating scandal. There is a signed contract, really dude, a paper trail? What an idiot. Mari holds up her phone and tells everyone she has it on video too. Christopher grabs the phone and destroys it but apparently he’s never heard of the cloud. They pull out another phone to show Papa J who disowns Christopher on the spot. Mari is able to get her piece of Christopher with a wicked slap.
Later, Mari slides a piece of paper in front of Chris and tells him what she wants from him. Blake warns him not to drag it out because the police are on standby. To celebrate, Mari and Blake are going at it against a wall, woot before Mari drags him by the tie to the bedroom. She strips off his shirt and they go to town.
Mari and Lacey meets up. Mari thanks her for helping and Lacey apologizes again. Mari forgives Lacey and she says that Mari and Blake are great together and she hopes Papa J can see that too before she wants off with her box of desk shit (which contains a few file organizers, girl, buy new). Blake tells her the big cheese has called them in to his office. Blake tells her that if his dad doesn’t keep her, he’s going to resign.
Papa J apologises to Mari for treating her badly. He says if he knew the truth he would have done things differently. Mari accepts his apology and knows he was just going it to protect his family. To Blake he tells him it’s time he step down and names Blake as the new CEO. Blake says okay, but you have to accept Mari into the family. Blake gets down on one knee and proposes. Mari says no…just kidding, wouldn’t that be funny though? Papa J welcomes her back into the Jameson family.
Spicy Highlights:
Episode 41: Mari straddles Blake’s lap
Episode 42: Blake carries Mari to the bedroom with her legs wrapped around his waist. Finally a shirtless Blake appears!! Mari pulls him down to the bed and climbs him like a tree when he scoops her up and flips her over underneath him.
Episode 49: Blake is dragged into the bedroom by his tie and Mari kindly helps him remove his shirt, get it girl. She flops back on the bed and he climbs over her just to work his way back and goes down on her. Later they cuddle in bed.

