Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

’How... could it be so fast.’

said, [They’re very optimistic about the male lead over there and want him to enroll as soon as possible. He was actually supposed to leave a couple of days ago.]

He had only dragged it out for several days, and Joanna Kennedy knew exactly why.

[’...Will he come back?’]

[Of course. The plot says that in six years, the male lead will return to the country in glory.]

’No... He’s not coming back.’

Joanna Kennedy closed her eyes.

’Once something is lost, it can never be found again...’

The Simon Lockwood who belonged to her, she had destroyed him with her own hands. The one returning in six years wouldn’t be Joanna Kennedy’s Simon Lockwood, but Serena Sutton’s male lead.

「Six years later.」

The early summer air was tinged with a sweltering heat, yet the actors on set were dressed in thick period costumes.

Having just finished a fight scene where she was brutalized by the protagonist, Joanna Kennedy’s white costume was soaked with blood from the blood packs. From a distance, she looked every bit the tragic, battle-worn beauty.

Two years ago, Joanna Kennedy was discovered by a talent scout in a library. By a twist of fate, just like in the real world, she became an actress here as well.

The difference was, in the real world, she was a top-tier, popular actress, while in this world, all her fans combined were fewer than the number of anti-fans other celebrities had.

Still, acting was her passion, and the income was several times what she earned working at the library. Joanna Kennedy figured being a flop wasn’t so bad.

She had one more scene today, but it wouldn’t be filmed for another two hours.

Minor characters didn’t have dedicated rest areas, so Joanna Kennedy found a spot under a large tree. Feeling the heat, she picked up the small, studio-issued fan and aimed it at her neck and face.

Worried about smudging her makeup, she held the fan at a deliberate distance.

In the two years since her debut, she had played many roles, all of them insignificant ”Female Character #N.” She had finally landed the role of the third female lead in her last show, only to have it snatched away by someone else.

So when the role of the third female lead in this show was offered to her, Joanna Kennedy accepted without hesitation, even though it was a vicious and unlikable villain.

”Jojo, have some water.”

After she took this role, the company even assigned her an assistant—a recent college graduate named Julie, who was about her age.

Assistant Brewer came running over with quick, short steps, holding two bottles of ice-cold water she had just bought.

Joanna Kennedy’s eyes instantly lit up. ”Leo! You get me!”

As the ice-cold water flowed down her throat, Joanna Kennedy felt a sense of comfort spread through her entire body. An unconscious smile appeared on her pretty, slightly flushed face.

After finally finishing a short scene, Joanna Kennedy was free to leave.

She changed back into her own clothes—shorts, a t-shirt, and flip-flops, looking nothing like a celebrity. Her fair calves and a portion of her thighs were exposed, so pale they seemed to reflect the light, now slightly flushed from the sun.

Julie said with envy, ”Jojo, you’re so fair. Do you have any skin-whitening secrets? Can you recommend some?”

”Born this way. Can’t be helped,” Joanna Kennedy gloated, deliberately trying to make her jealous.

Julie’s face went blank for a moment before she got down to business. ”Right, that lipstick endorsement the company got for you. The brand requires you to wear it for all your recent public appearances. If the effect is good, they’ll sign you directly.”

”That color is barely any better than ’dead Barbie pink.’ Are you sure you want me to wear it?” Joanna Kennedy frowned in disgust. ”I think we’d be better off without this endorsement.”

”I don’t have a problem with it, but you’ll have to convince Ms. Miller.”

Ms. Miller, whose full name was Shannon Lewis, was Joanna Kennedy’s agent. Besides Joanna Kennedy, she also managed a male idol, two female idols, and a female singer, all of whom were more famous than Joanna Kennedy.

The woman was famous for only caring about money, not people. Joanna Kennedy waved her hand dismissively. ”Then forget it. She’ll definitely say no. I’m not going to go and humiliate myself.”

She recalled how Shannon Lewis had reacted the last time Joanna Kennedy rejected that swimsuit endorsement.

’With your prospects? A little idol who just debuted a month ago has more buzz than you, and you have the nerve to be picky about endorsements! You should be grateful you’re getting any at all!’

If she lost this lipstick endorsement too, Shannon Lewis would chew her out.

But... it wasn’t like she was afraid of being chewed out. In any case, she wasn’t going to wear such an ugly lipstick, nor would she recommend it to her fans.

Julie was helpless and could only report it to Shannon Lewis.

”Oho, selling me out? And you’re supposed to be *my* little assistant,” Joanna Kennedy said, pointing an accusing finger.

Julie didn’t indulge her. ”The company is the one who pays my salary.”

Joanna Kennedy: ”...”

’Well said.’

That evening, Joanna Kennedy had an interview to attend. When she arrived, she went to get her makeup done first. Joanna Kennedy had great skin, and light makeup best highlighted her beauty, but the makeup artist insisted on giving her heavy, dramatic makeup, claiming that the camera ”eats” makeup.

’But that doesn’t call for fiery red lips, winged eyeliner that practically takes flight, contouring with such sharp lines, and bright red eyeshadow, does it!’

’Is she here for an interview or to play a man-eating monster?’

Sure enough, as soon as the interview aired, it drew a wave of ridicule from netizens.

Joanna Kennedy lived in a dorm with three other people. Julie dropped her off at the company dormitory building and then clocked out for the day.

When she entered the dorm, Wendy Campbell, who hadn’t had any work assignments all day, came over and said in a low voice, ”Charlotte Underwood is back, and she seems to be in a bad mood. Just ignore whatever she says later.”

Wendy Campbell was a mild-mannered female singer, a total people-pleaser. The Charlotte Underwood she mentioned was a female idol who had gotten quite popular just one month after her debut.

Joanna Kennedy nodded and thanked her, showing that she appreciated the kind warning.

”Sister Joanna, why are you back so late today? Was work just so busy?”

Charlotte Underwood, wearing a face mask, walked out of the bathroom and spoke in a pinched, passive-aggressive tone.

That single ”Sister” from her made Joanna Kennedy’s skin crawl. Remembering Wendy Campbell’s words, she didn’t reply.

Seeing that she was being ignored, Charlotte Underwood grew even angrier. ”Hey, I’m talking to you! Are you deaf or something?”

”Who are you calling deaf?”

Joanna Kennedy’s expression suddenly turned cold, startling Charlotte Underwood. When Charlotte recovered, her anger flared even hotter. ”I was talking about you! So what? What can you do to me?”

”I can’t do anything to you.”

As a smug look appeared on Charlotte Underwood’s face, a smile touched Joanna Kennedy’s lips, though it didn’t reach her eyes. She said nonchalantly, ”President Lawson has been asking me to dinner these past few days. I wasn’t planning on accepting, but seeing your attitude today, I think it might be necessary to have that meal after all.”

”You!” Charlotte Underwood raged. ”You wouldn’t dare!”

”Why wouldn’t I? Go on and try me if you don’t believe it.”

Afraid she would actually do it, Charlotte Underwood choked back her anger, slammed the door, and left.

Wendy Campbell leaned in and, after hesitating for a few seconds, asked, ”Are you... really planning to get involved with President Lawson?”

”As if,” Joanna Kennedy raised an eyebrow. ”I haven’t fallen so low that I need to fight Charlotte Underwood over a sponsor.”

The reason Charlotte Underwood had such high exposure just one month after her debut was thanks to her sponsor, who owned a media company.

The last time Shannon Lewis had taken a few of them out to dinner, this sponsor, for whatever reason, had taken an immediate liking to Joanna Kennedy.

Joanna Kennedy had been incredibly annoyed and refused him, which ended up offending President Lawson. The person who had replaced her as the third female lead in her last show was someone that very same President Lawson had deliberately pushed into the role.