Behind The Spotlight

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 256


The court case was obviously going to happen, and Shawn had to show up to defend himself with his lawyer. He had killed a family of four.

In fact, he was already detained, but through connections and paying bail, he got out while waiting for his trial. People with influence and money could bend the law.

With fierce determination from Salvador, the PR team at ANT worked as hard as they could to protect Shawn's reputation. Salvador ran the PR team ragged, almost to the point of sleepless nights. The PR team had to contact many publishers and news stations. Some publishers wanted bribes, which Shawn paid, just to write positive articles for Shawn.

They worked tirelessly to save his reputation. But did he even have a reputation worth saving?

Shawn was a known alcoholic, and his reputation was not particularly good in the industry. Directors and actors who worked with Shawn disliked him because he was arrogant and lacked professional ethics.

There were many times he would show up to filming sets drunk or high. If someone confronted him, he would lose his temper and cause a ruckus. His temper was as infamous as his fame.

As the new century arrived, over-the-top action movies lost their magic. Audiences craved realism over explosions, and Shawn couldn't adapt well. He clung stubbornly to an image that no longer sold. He was an action star from the '80s who had starred in many famous action movies, but he had rarely secured box office hits in the past few years. Many believed he was washed up, a relic of an old era.

But it was different for Salvador, he worked his ass off just to make sure Shawn would reach the peak. He had poured his youth, loyalty, and ambition into one man, and they had accomplished greatness together...

Salvador had a hard time accepting that his first and biggest client would disappear from the limelight just like that. It felt as if a part of his own identity was being erased.

Using his influence in the company, he ensured that the PR team was entirely hands-on with the scandal.

They tried to protect Shawn's reputation, even hoping that Shawn wouldn't go to prison. But that hope was futile. It seemed certain that Shawn would face jail time no matter what.

So, the PR team's next target was to lessen that jail time, shifting strategies without hesitation. Shawn's lawyer cooperated with the PR team to present Shawn not as a bad guy, but as someone involved in an unfortunate accident that he deeply regretted.

They carefully constructed a story, polishing it until it sounded believable.

Many articles painted Shawn Jacob as a good guy, headlining all of the charitable deeds he had done. Shawn attended charity events, and he was also an ambassador for the World Health Organization.

Only the insiders knew that Shawn hated those charities, and being an ambassador for the WHO was just a promotional stunt.

Still, the PR team was paid, and they had to do their jobs.

Would this change the public opinion? Would this change the judge's decision? No one really knew.

In the first place, was Shawn's team even doing the right thing?

It didn't matter, they were just looking for a solution that could save Shawn, even if the cost was their conscience.

That morning, Jennifer woke up early and reached the studio before the sun even rose. She had a hard time sleeping.

She went to the bathroom and washed her face for the nth time. She stared into the mirror, looking at her appearance... She didn't look good. The bags under her eyes were quite dark.

It had been three days since the production team agreed to let Shawn Jacob guest on the show. Since then, Jennifer hadn't been able to sleep peacefully. Whenever she tried to close her eyes, she would recall the moment she saw the body of her older brother on the road. Her brother had been holding a birthday gift...

She understood the purpose of Shawn's guest appearance on their show.

Salvador had contacted Director Patrick, the director of Morning with Jennifer. Director Patrick was Salvador's client, and Salvador could influence the show through him.

Furthermore, Salvador and Producer Joel were also friends. Joel didn't mind having Shawn Jacob guest on their show.

Shawn was so famous lately, and if he showed up on Morning with Jennifer, it would attract a lot of attention, yielding higher viewership for the show.

It didn't look bad to them.

As for Shawn's reputation, who cared?

Producer Joel didn't care if Shawn used their platform to clear his name. What he wanted was more viewership.

Jennifer was actually against it, but her voice in the production was not enough to make a dent. She was not the boss of the show, even though her name was in the title.

It didn't help that next month marked the renewal of the show for Season 2.

Actually, this was not the first time Jennifer was against interviewing a person. She had met two people on the show who completely disgusted her.

The first was a politician who wanted to promote his name. He was known to embezzle government funds, yet he had the nerve to act like a good person in front of the camera and announce his run for president... It was stupid.

Yet, Jennifer played along. Even though she didn't want to interview him, she powered through and asked the prepared questions. She even helped the politician maintain his good-guy status by crying over his heartfelt, traumatic experiences... It was bullshit.

The second person was a teacher who had been impregnated by different students three times. God knew how Jennifer had persevered through that segment without gagging. The female teacher was related to one of the shareholders of Nation TV which meant she had backing. The teacher was painted as innocent, and what happened was framed as nothing but true love.

Jennifer had interviewed them and even helped them. She knew it was wrong, but she had to do her job. But today's episode was different, her chest tightened whenever she thought about it.

[Thank you for reading this novel.]

 

[Occasional Thoughts]

Uh oh. Jennifer has a hatred for drunk drivers, doesn't she? This could be explosive.

 

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 257


She had to protect her career.

Jennifer admitted that she was a hypocrite. She could turn a blind eye to many things and chose silence when it suited her. She had witnessed many questionable things when she was still a young actress, long before Collin signed her.

Back then, she was an aspiring actress trying to find her place in Hollywood. She had been offered the casting couch many times, but she never fell for it. She was afraid of making a mistake, one that would haunt her forever.

Still, her determination had brought her nothing, as Hollywood was entirely about business. If you had nothing to give, you would receive nothing in return.

If not for Collin, Jennifer might have succumbed to the pressure and sell soul. Fortunately, she had met him.

Collin's appearance made things better because he ensured Jennifer was protected from any malicious deals.

Jennifer opened her phone and scrolled through her contacts, her fingers hesitating. She saw Collin's number... but she didn't press the call button.

Instead, she scrolled further down and called her boyfriend.

"..."

No one answered. It seemed her boyfriend was still asleep or simply ignoring her. She tried calling him twice, but he didn't pick up. Jennifer smiled bitterly and stared into the mirror. Her reflection looked unfamiliar.

'Good heavens, what am I doing with my life?'

She left the bathroom and walked out to the studio set, where the crew members were actively preparing for today's show.

"Jennifer, are you okay?"

"Huh?" She blinked.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out to her. Jennifer turned around and found Collin looking at her.

"Collin, why are you here?" She was surprised. It was very early in the morning, and the sun had just risen.

"Because I want to talk to you." Collin checked her appearance and sighed when he saw the exhaustion written all over her face.

"Let's talk in your trailer." Collin walked ahead.

"O-Okay." Jennifer stuttered slightly and followed him, biting her lip and looking down.

The two went to the trailer, where Jennifer's assistant was waiting. The assistant had prepared a cup of coffee for her, Jennifer loved drinking coffee before a show.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't know you were going to show up today. I'll prepare a coffee for you right away," the assistant apologized to Collin.

"It's alright, I don't need coffee. Can you please leave us be? I have something to talk to Jennifer about."

"Yes, sir."

The assistant closed the door and left them, bringing a sudden quiet to the room.

"Are you alright?" Collin asked gently, but he could see that she was not in a good mood.

Jennifer chuckled and shook her head. For some reason, her mood lightened now that Collin was here.

"For goodness' sake, do I look alright?" She forced a weak smile.

If this were the Jennifer of the past, she would have cursed using sharp words.

"I can see that you're not doing well... Why didn't you tell me that Shawn is going to be a guest on your show? If not for Paul Kim from the PR team, I wouldn't even know. This is not the first time you have done something like this." Collin frowned.

"Because I know that you'll prevent it from happening." She smiled bitterly. She didn't want to entrust everything to Collin, she wanted to make her own decisions.

She knew exactly what kind of person Collin was. He was protective.

Collin had a serious gaze, and she swallowed hard. Jennifer admitted it to herself, Collin's green-brown eyes were incredibly powerful, especially when he stared at her deeply. She was scared of his gaze because it made her feel weak and vulnerable.

She averted her eyes and grabbed her coffee.

"Last time, you interviewed a disgusting female teacher... Jennifer, is this really the path you've chosen?"

"Do I look like I have principles?"

They had known each other for a decade now. Jennifer was never truly demure, she was not a good woman. She was harsh with her words, and she hated it when someone belittled her, to the point that she would throw things.

"My position on the morning show is not that solid. I can't make a mistake, not yet."

"Then you want to interview Shawn? Can you even do it?"

"I will do it."

Collin sighed. Jennifer was a stubborn woman, and he couldn't really convince her to change her decision. It was too late anyway. If this had been yesterday or two days prior, Collin could have prevented the interview from happening altogether.

As for Salvador, Collin didn't really care about his opinion.

"Jennifer, I will ask again, are you sure about this?"

"I heard that you are friends with Shawn's talent agent. Are you sure you want me to stop? If I don't interview him, could this destroy your friendship?"

"Salvador and I were never friends. We are just on the same side because our goals align."

"What about your position in the company?"

"Are you worried about me?" Collin was surprised.

"Nah."

"You don't have to worry. No matter what decision you make, I'm always here for you. Trust me, I can fix it."

For the first time, Jennifer genuinely smiled. It was a beautiful smile.

"Collin, you're a good person."

"I don't think so." Collin shook his head.

"You're good to me."

"I'm your friend," he replied.

"I'm your client, you shouldn't really treat me like a friend."

The two stared at each other, but Jennifer avoided his gaze first, unable to handle the intensity.

"Anyway, don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"If you need help, you can contact me," he assured her.

"Alright, if you say so. Anyway, are you not going to leave?"

"I decided to stay and watch your show."

"No, I'm not talking about that." She giggled. "I'm asking you to leave my trailer, I'm going to change clothes. Unless you want to see me naked, Collin, you dirty dog."

"I'm going to take my leave."

Collin excused himself.

 

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 258


Collin left the trailer and let Jennifer have her own time to think. To be honest, Collin was slightly disappointed in Jennifer.

'Why can't she ask for my help? Does she think I'm useless?'

Actually, it was different. Jennifer believed that Collin was so good at his job that she didn't want to bother him. Collin had a strong lineup of clients who constantly made headlines in the industry.

Jennifer had an inferiority complex regarding that. She believed that she was the most useless one among Collin's clients. Her fame was nothing compared to the others. So, she wanted to prove herself and rarely asked for Collin's help. Aside from that, Jennifer didn't want to piss off her boyfriend.

Collin was too handsome to disregard. Jennifer's boyfriend was also handsome, but he couldn't compete against someone like Collin, who looked like he was sculpted by a deity, or so the boyfriend believed.

Jennifer owed a lot to Collin, and she didn't want to trouble him with other issues. Besides, the politician and the female teacher were situations that Jennifer could handle on her own. She was never a saint, and she knew it well.

'But today is different... Jennifer, what are you going to do?' Collin glanced back at the trailer.

'Well, it doesn't matter. No matter what decision you make, I'll be there for you.'

Collin suddenly realized why Salvador worked so hard to save Shawn. They were talent agents, and their job was to make their clients famous and keep them safe from scandals. They had to protect their clients and maintain their profitability.

An hour later, Salvador showed up, and so did his client, Shawn Jacob.

Collin glanced at Shawn, the actor was not in good condition. He was clearly on edge.

'...That guy is not a good person.' The moment Collin stared at Shawn, his instincts kicked in and confirmed that Shawn was truly a bad guy.

'Last time I saw him, he had bad vibes, but not this much. Is it because of the car crash?'

Collin had a unique talent for determining if a person was a bad guy. With this talent, he could look for people who could work in production studios safely, which was the biggest reason Producer Henry called Collin whenever he needed people for a certain job.

Collin had used this talent to keep his clients safe. And today, it confirmed exactly what kind of person Shawn Jacob truly was.

A trailer was reserved specifically for Shawn, and the actor went inside. His interview would take place during the last segment of the episode.

Salvador saw Collin and approached him.

"You don't look good."

"Don't tell me something obvious," Salvador snorted.

The two didn't speak much, they were not that close anyway. They just stood in the corner of the studio, waiting for the live broadcast.

"You probably think I'm crazy. But I don't care. I'm doing this because I want to," Salvador muttered.

Collin was not sure if Salvador was talking to him or perhaps just talking to himself.

He kept his mouth shut.

"I was an aspiring actor. I dreamed of becoming a superstar, but I wasn't blessed with a nice face or tall height. But I didn't want to end my dream just like that. So instead of becoming one, I made sure my client would become famous."

"I was hired at ANT. Back then, ANT was just one of the new agencies in Hollywood, it had nothing. The company assigned me to Shawn Jacob to be his agent... I thought things would be easy. But I was wrong."

"Getting a role for your client is not that simple. Everything relies on connections and benefits... I actually thought of quitting. I spent years on it, but I couldn't see any improvement. But the person who stopped me from resigning was Shawn. He said that he didn't want to work with another agent, that I was the only one he could trust. That simple statement gave me a reason to try again. I had already lost trust in myself, but Shawn trusted me."

"His trust brought me to where I am now. I'm the Head of the Film Department at ANT. Because of him, I changed my life for the better. Hehe, let's not even talk about my commissions. I've earned at least $30 million by representing Shawn throughout his career."

"But I didn't expect that we would reach this point."

Collin could hear the deep frustration in Salvador's voice.

"Shawn was not like this when I first met him. He was a humble guy. He respected authority. He loved acting... He was a good person."

Salvador didn't have to elaborate. Collin could understand it.

Fame could change people. Collin had witnessed it himself by watching his own clients.

A person could turn into their worst version because fame corrupted them.

"I have no plan of turning my back on Shawn. He was there on my worst day, I'll be here on his worst day," Salvador said with determination. At this point, it was no longer about morality. Salvador prioritized his friendship.

Right then, the audience entered the studio and found their seats. These audience members didn't buy tickets, it was free, and they just had to reserve spots through calls or online booking. They wanted to watch the show live because Morning with Jennifer was highly entertaining.

The director announced the broadcast, and the show officially began.

Cue the music, then Jennifer's entrance.

"Today we will have guests who will share their unique life experiences with us." Jennifer was shining on stage.

"Huh?"

Collin was stunned. The yellow words above Jennifer's head now had a distinct golden hue to them, as if Jennifer was ready to take another step forward.

'... Jennifer, don't tell me.'

Jennifer's hosting was undoubtedly amazing and entertaining. The audience laughed at her jokes, and she handled each segment with ease, looking as if she were custom-made for this kind of show.

She first interviewed a student who had saved his classmates from a grizzly bear during a field trip.

Jennifer also hosted a raffle, and three lucky people from the audience won a year-long free breakfast from McDonald's.

She then interviewed another guest.

After that, the final segment of the day arrived. Shawn Jacob waved his hand at the camera... Despite the heavy makeup, he did not look good at all.

[Thank you guys for reading this novel.]

 

[Pujimaki]

Behind The Spotlight Chapter 259


Jennifer and Shawn shook hands.

Shawn actually went for a hug as a show of closeness, but before he could spread his arms, Jennifer quickly extended her hand.

Left with no choice, Shawn shook her hand instead. The two sat down and started their conversation. The teleprompter was rolling and Jennifer was reading it. The writers had already prepared the questions, and Jennifer only had to deliver them in a natural way, which she was excellent at.

Suddenly, Jennifer glanced toward the corner of the studio, the area where the cameras couldn't capture.

Collin realized that Jennifer was looking at him. He nodded at her, and Jennifer started the interview.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Collin said to Salvador, who was standing next to him.

"Alright."

Collin walked out of the set... but he didn't go to the bathroom. Instead, he looked for Joel, the producer of the show. He quickly found him in the control room, watching the monitors that were capturing the interview. Next to him was Director Patrick.

A talk show was not a difficult program to produce, and the director mostly watched the feeds and switched camera angles once in a while. So, the director and producer were just sitting there, watching and waiting for the ratings to come in.

"Are the questions filtered?" Joel asked.

"The writers didn't write any questions that could incriminate Shawn. It's all good," Director Patrick replied.

"Alright. Does Shawn know about the questions? He prepared some answers, right?"

"His PR team briefed him."

"What if he forgets the answers?"

"He's an actor. He can improvise," the director replied.

Patrick didn't actually support Shawn. In fact, he had found him disgusting since a decade ago. Back when Patrick was first signed by Salvador, Shawn was already an action star and incredibly arrogant. He didn't even bother to speak to or shake hands with Patrick, treating him as if he were nothing.

Things only changed when Patrick's first game show became a success. Shawn treated him better after that, but the actor remained arrogant. It didn't help that Patrick had witnessed Shawn harassing a new actress in one of his movies... Salvador had worked hard to bury that scandal.

The only reason Patrick was helping Shawn this time was because Salvador had asked for a favor. If not for Salvador, Patrick would never have agreed to have Shawn as a guest on their show.

As for Producer Joel, he didn't care about Shawn. All he wanted was a high rating. Morning with Jennifer was up for renewal next month, and he wanted more leverage to convince the TV network to invest more money and grant a longer timeslot.

Joel turned around and noticed Collin standing there.

"Collin, why are you here?"

"I have something to talk to you about."

"Is it serious?"

"Yes."

Joel looked around. Aside from them, there were other crew members responsible for monitoring each camera feed. It was awkward to talk in the control room.

"Alright, let's talk outside."

The two went out into the hallway.

"Is it about the contract renewal? Collin, don't act too fast. I know that Season 2 is already confirmed, but we need to plan for the budget. The best I can do is give Jennifer $50,000 per episode. It's not that bad, right?"

"This is not about the salary. I'm asking for a favor."

"Okay, what is it?"

"No matter what happens, make sure the live broadcast doesn't stop."

"... Collin, what is Jennifer going to do?"

"Nothing dangerous. But it will give the show much better viewership."

"..." Joel narrowed his eyes and stared at Collin. He couldn't read him at all.

Well, stopping a live broadcast would cause serious trouble, and the higher-ups from Nation TV and the viewers would surely berate Joel if he cut the feed, especially when the average viewership of the show was eight million.

Unless something truly catastrophic happened, Joel wouldn't stop the live broadcast.

"Collin, I'm warning you. Don't do something stupid. Or should I say, don't let Jennifer do something stupid."

"I promise you, she will not." Collin wasn't entirely sure, but he decided to trust Jennifer.

"... Alright." Joel returned to the control room. As long as the show itself wasn't negatively affected, Joel had no problem with a bit of drama. Besides, the production team could always put the blame on Jennifer. She had the least influence in the production.

"Is it about Jennifer's salary?" Director Patrick asked Joel.

"No, he's saying that we must not stop the broadcast no matter what."

"... I see." The director nodded and glued his eyes to the monitor. Now, he was curious about what Jennifer was going to do.

Collin didn't return to the corner where Salvador was waiting. He found a different spot to watch the show.

"So, Shawn. You said that you met the grandparents of those two poor children who died, is that right?"

"Yes, I apologized and even begged them for forgiveness. I was so distraught. I know that it was an accident, and their child and grandchildren died, but it still haunts me." Shawn wore a depressed expression... but he wasn't really good at acting. Despite being an actor, his expressions were stiff.

"Did they forgive you?"

"Yes." He nodded. He recalled that his team had initiated a settlement with the parents of the husband who died in the car accident. He believed they had already finalized the deal.

"Is that so? Why don't we ask them about that? Can Mr. and Mrs. Diaz stand up?"

Suddenly, two elderly people in the audience stood up. They glared at Shawn with deep, burning hatred. They had been sitting through all of his charades, the old man was clenching his fists, tightly controlling his anger. As for the old woman, she had been in tears from the very start. The audience had simply assumed she was getting emotional because of Shawn's sincerity.

The audience murmured in shock at the sudden development of the episode.

[Thank you guys for your support.]