Johnno — Chapter 36

Watching Will carry Olivia from the water, Johnno notes how Will crafts a heroic image for others. Johnno reflects that he knows Will’s ruthlessness from school days, when Will stole exam papers—and that they share secrets Johnno has protected.

Earlier, Piers tells Johnno it was a “shame” he supposedly declined the TV role alongside Will, explaining their research needed Johnno to balance Will’s smoothness. Johnno, shocked, asks why Piers thought he’d refused.

Piers reveals Will attended a follow-up meeting with his agent and claimed Johnno had decided against TV. Johnno counters he never heard of the meeting and only received an email—via Will—that Piers’s team didn’t want him. Realizing all emails went through Will, Piers grasps that Will misrepresented Johnno’s position.

Johnno pieces it together: the survival show concept was his, and Will kept him close long enough to avoid exposure over their school secret, then engineered Johnno’s exclusion while appearing blameless. Johnno recalls enjoying the screen test and recognizes how calculated Will’s distancing has been, even making the best-man role a consolation.

Will approaches, sweating despite his composed facade. Johnno swallows his anger and resolves to get his own back, convinced Will has used him for years and finally thrown him under the bus.