Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

The clock showed it was just past three in the morning. Joanna Kennedy, still groggy, drifted back to sleep.

Unseen by anyone, the blue Eternal Flower glowed once more.

The next day, the two of them loaded some things from the small house into the car. Most of it wasn’t really useful, but Joanna Kennedy wanted to keep them as mementos.

After all, once it was demolished, there would be nothing left. Joanna Kennedy couldn’t bear to part with it.

As she was getting into the car, Joanna Kennedy subconsciously turned to look at the small alley, and the ring of a bicycle bell seemed to echo in her ears.

A young Simon Lockwood rode toward her on a bicycle, the wind billowing his clothes. His short black hair was slightly tousled, his features refined and handsome, the corners of his attractive lips turning up slightly. "Joanie."

"Joanie." A more mature male voice rang out clearly beside her, overlapping with the youth’s cool and detached voice from across the years. "Let’s go."

Joanna Kennedy blinked. The alley before her was empty. The boy’s figure had vanished, leaving only the old, rusty bicycle by the wall.

A sudden, inexplicable emptiness bloomed in her heart, catching her completely off guard.

Returning to an old place was like trying to mark a boat to find a lost sword—a fool’s errand. Only that one year seemed to outshine all the others. ’I miss the young Simon Lockwood,’ she thought.

But she and Simon Lockwood would have many more of "that year."

It was okay to be nostalgic, but there was no need for too many regrets. Otherwise, the Simon Lockwood of today would be unhappy.

Joanna Kennedy took a deep breath and was about to get in the car when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure running toward them. His blue hair was particularly conspicuous. It was Kyle Aldrich.

She frowned, her eyes full of wariness. Just as she was about to speak, her fingers were squeezed gently. Simon Lockwood gave them a reassuring kiss. "You get in the car first."

Joanna Kennedy didn’t really want to, but she was afraid of getting in the way. She reluctantly got into the car and said sullenly, "Hurry up. I want to go home."

"Mm," Simon Lockwood agreed in a gentle tone. He closed the car door, and as he turned around, the softness on his face vanished.

Kyle Aldrich had run over in a hurry, sweat still on his face. He stopped a few steps from Simon Lockwood but didn’t say a word.

Simon Lockwood didn’t want to waste time. His tone was cold. "I made myself clear yesterday. Is there something else?"

Kyle Aldrich had intended to speak calmly, but meeting the man’s cold, detached gaze, his temper flared up again. "Simon Lockwood, how could you become so heartless and ungrateful?!"

"You’re obviously not short on money, so why... why do you have to do this?!"

Kyle Aldrich just couldn’t understand how someone could be so ruthless. No matter what, his mother was Simon Lockwood’s paternal aunt and had even raised him for a time.

"So I punched you once! Do you really think that cancels out the year you lived with my family?!" Kyle Aldrich’s voice was agitated. "Without my family, you would’ve died long ago! Would you have achieved what you have today?"

A young man in his twenties, he couldn’t hide the resentment and sorrow in his eyes, cynically spouting what he believed to be the truth.

A flicker of faint mockery crossed Simon Lockwood’s eyes. "Why do you think your parents took me in back then?"

"What?" Kyle Aldrich, who was still admonishing him, looked puzzled by the question. He quickly caught on and grew even angrier. "Of course it was because you were too young! We’re all family, so my parents kindly took you in, and this is how you repay them? You’re so ungrateful!"

The mockery in Simon Lockwood’s eyes deepened. He looked at Kyle as if he were a stranger, his voice flat. "Go ask your parents where your family’s house came from."

Those who benefit from the sins of others are always the loudest, naively pointing fingers and believing themselves to be the most innocent of all.

Simon Lockwood’s voice was faint, almost devoid of emotion. But Kyle Aldrich stood frozen in place, only shakily pulling out his phone after the black car had driven away.

Inside the car, Joanna Kennedy saw Kyle Aldrich’s pale, incredulous face in the rearview mirror. She looked away in distaste and asked, puzzled, "What did he say to you?"

"Nothing much." Simon Lockwood kept his eyes on the road, his tone casual. "Still about the demolition compensation."

"That’s it?" Joanna Kennedy didn’t believe him, but Simon Lockwood clearly didn’t want to elaborate, so she didn’t press further.

’Everyone has things they don’t want to talk about; there’s no need to dig for every last detail,’ Joanna Kennedy thought. Two minutes later, however, she couldn’t help but ask, "No, seriously, what on earth did you say to him?"

’How else could Kyle Aldrich have been scared into that pathetic state?’

Simon Lockwood sighed. Knowing her personality—that she wouldn’t rest until she got an answer—he had no choice but to briefly explain what had happened.

"So, his family took you in back then for your parents’ compensation money, and their house was bought with your family’s money?"

"Yes."

"..."

Silence filled the car for a few seconds. Simon Lockwood was the first to speak, his voice tinged with helplessness. "Joanna, don’t cry."

At some point, the girl’s eyes had reddened. She lowered her head to hide it, but tears dripped, one by one, onto her pants.

Simon Lockwood had anticipated this scene. This was also why he hadn’t wanted Joanna Kennedy to know. He knew she would be heartbroken.

A long time had passed since then. He didn’t really care about it anymore.

When he was young, there was a long period when he hated many people. He hated his parents for going to work that day.

He also hated Shauna Lockwood, who had played the part of a loving aunt before quickly showing her true colors.

He couldn’t understand. Shauna Lockwood had clearly been very good to him at the beginning.

’But why did she change later on?’

Later, Simon Lockwood came to understand. Human nature was just like that. Kindness born from guilt was inherently warped and, of course, could not last long.

But Joanna Kennedy clearly couldn’t accept it. Her mind was filled with images of a young Simon Lockwood being tricked into handing everything over and moving into a new house. He thought it would be his home from then on, but it was nothing more than a complete and utter deception disguised as family love.

In the house bought with his parents’ compensation money, there was no room for him...

Joanna Kennedy cried for a long time, not even noticing when the car stopped.

A kiss landed on the corner of her eye, and she slowly lifted her head. Through her tear-blurred vision, only Simon Lockwood’s face was clear.

"Joanna... don’t be sad." Simon Lockwood’s voice was very soft, a mixture of helplessness and heartache. He gently and slowly wiped away her tears. "It’s all in the past."

’Was it in the past? Of course, it was. But the suffering had been real, and it wouldn’t just disappear with the passing of time.’

Joanna Kennedy cried even harder, tears streaming down her face as if they were free. She ground her teeth. "Simon Lockwood, how could you have been so stupid when you were a kid!"

It was an almost completely unreasonable accusation, but Simon Lockwood didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled and agreed softly, "Yeah, I was stupid."

"If only Joanna had appeared a little sooner..." His handsome features softened, and his voice was gentle.

But Joanna Kennedy only cried harder. She, too, had been a catalyst in Simon Lockwood’s suffering.

She had no right to blame others because she herself hadn’t played a very good role during Simon Lockwood’s difficult youth.

"I wasn’t a good person back then, either..." Joanna Kennedy said, choking back sobs.

Simon Lockwood was silent for a moment, then let out a very soft sigh and said, "Do you want to know what I thought?"