2002: Mary Smythe gallivanted around the world freely after she found out her husband, Roger Smythe, was fleecing her daughter, Greenlee Smythe’s, trust fund. Her new single life was compromised when her father, Woodfruff Greenlee, called her to Pine Valley for Greenlee’s wedding to Leo duPres less she face being disowned. Mary doted on Greenlee as to not upset Woodruff. She also caught Roger in an affair with Greenlee’s best friend, Simone Torres.
Roger died when an assassin aiming for Leo shot him instead. Mary revealed Roger’s infidelity. Woodruff revealed his agreement with Mary in retaliation. Greenlee pushed all her family away.

2003: Mary had long been keeping a secret. Roger was not Greenlee’s father. Jackson Montgomery was. Jack and Mary had a summer fling while he was working as a lifeguard at her country club. She did not know Jack came from the wealthy Charleston Montgomery’s. So, she instead married wealthy Roger. But Roger had lied about his upbringing. With Roger now out of the picture, Mary wanted to tell Greenlee the truth. Erica Kane confronted Mary about the news. Erica was engaged to Jack and thought Mary would threaten their happiness. She blackmailed Mary with evidence of her under-age affair in France to keep her silence.
Jack was shot at SOS and needed a blood transfusion. Mary convinced Greenlee to donate her blood. This was also the evidence she needed to convince Greenlee about the truth. After confronting Erica about the blackmail, Greenlee turned on Mary. Woodruff disowned Mary for hurting Greenlee again.
Mary pursued Argentinean millionaire Juan Pablo deVasquez. When he spurned her advances, she told a tabloid about his brother, Carlos Reyes. Carlos was hiding in Pine Valley from the Calvatras mob family.
Mary found an ally in Adam Chandler. Adam offered Mary a place to stay if she pried into the past of his new daughter-in-law, Babe Chandler’s, life. Mary was quick to oblige for a free meal ticket in the laps of luxury to which she was accostomed.

2004: Mary was unsuccessful at cracking Babe. To solidify her place at Chandler Mansion, Mary tried to implicate herself as a potential love interest for Adam. But, he was clearly uninterested.

2005: Mary grew tired of Adam’s rejection of her advances. She wanted to know exactly what role she played in Adam’s life. Adam kicked Mary to the curb. She crawled back to Greenlee who offered her a place to stay with her and her new husband, Ryan Lavery.
When things became too close for comfort, Greenlee offered to pay for a room at the Valley Inn.
By the end of the year, Greenlee abandoned Pine Valley after her marriage to Ryan crumbled. Mary similarly made herself obscure.