Lesser Of 2 Evils

彼氏があの方面の能力が強いので、私たちは愛し合う度に新しい刺激を求める。 そんな時、彼はいつも私をこうなだめる。 「君が卒業したら、俺たちは結婚しようね」 私はその言葉を信じ込んだ。 だから早期卒業を目指し、一所懸命に単位を取る一方で、夜遅くまでテクニックを学び、彼の身体を満足させるために努力していた。 ところが、ある日、学習が遅くなり門限に間に合わず、バーにいる彼を探しに行ったら、偶然彼と彼の友人の会話を耳にした。 「時安さんの彼女って本当にふしだらな女か？」 「もちろん本当よ！時安さんが自ら調教したんだよ」 「じゃあ、谷川雅子（たにかわまさこ）は？」 時安は煙を吐き出しながら、優しい目をして言った。 「彼女は違う、彼女はとても純粋だ」 この瞬間から、私は彼を憎み始めた。 学校に戻ると、すぐに教授に電話をかけた。 「先生がおっしゃっていたその秘密のプロジェクトに、私も参加したいです」 これから、私の人生を国に捧げると決めた。

結婚式のリハーサル中、婚約者の同僚が突然乱入し、会場の装飾をめちゃくちゃに壊した。 「小島涼は私と結婚するって言ったのよ！お前なんか何様なの！」 彼女は私の2億円相当のウェディングドレスを奪い取ったが、太りすぎて頭すら通らない様子だった。 私は冷笑して言った。「もしかして、あの大きめサイズのドレスすら入らないの？」 遠藤あおいは顔を真っ赤にして怒り、無理やりドレスに体をねじ込んだ。その瞬間、彼女の腰と背中の部分に無残なほど大きな裂け目がいくつもできた。 それでも彼女は得意げに笑って言った。「ドレスを破っちゃって何よ？涼は私を愛してるんだから、新しいドレスを買ってくれるわ！」 そして結婚式が始まると、遠藤は驚愕して立ち尽くした。 目の前に現れた新郎は小島涼ではなく、彼女と小島涼の会社の社長だったのだ。 だって、これが私の結婚式だなんて、一度も言ったことはなかったのだから。

夫と結婚して2年も経ったが、ペアローンを申し込もうとした時までは、彼の法律上の妻が別人だったことは知らなかった。 そうだったか。私との「結婚式」というのは単なる私的な儀式に過ぎず、正式に提出された婚姻届には別の女性の名前が書かれたのだ。 法律上では、私は彼の妻ではなく、ただの愛人だった。 傷心して家に帰ると、ドアの外で夫と彼の親友との会話が聞こえた。 「いつも神経が張り詰めているお前を見ていると、こっちまで疲れるよ。まったく！鈴子（すずこ）ちゃんをあれほど愛しているのなら、なぜあの山下美幸（やました みゆき）と婚姻届を出したんだ？お前、一体何を考えているのだ」 宮崎誠（みやさき まこと）は不思議そうに尋ねた。 橋本隆祐（はしもと たかすけ）は複雑な表情を浮かべ、心が混乱しているように口を開いた。 「最初は、美幸のことを鈴子の身代わりだとしか思わなかったが、でも、美幸が去った後、僕は寂しくなり……ほぼ毎日、彼女が恋しくてたまらなかった。結局、彼女をアシスタントとして呼び戻さずにはいられなかった」 数秒後、彼はため息混じりに話し続けた。 「僕には鈴子も美幸も必要だ。だから、鈴子には正々堂々と一緒に暮らしてあげてる。その代わり、美幸には法律上の妻という身分を与えたのだ。公平だろ？」 ドアの外で、私は体が震え、心が引き裂かれるような痛みを感じ、世界が崩れ落ちたような感覚だった。 「鈴子も美幸も必要だ」という彼の言葉を聞いてはじめて、彼が二人の女性を同時に愛してしまったと分かった。 彼は幼なじみの私と一緒にいながらも、愛人も手放したくないようだ。 彼にとって、自分が特別な存在で、彼に至れたり尽くせたりで守られる大切な人だと思い込んでいた。 しかしながら、彼は私をバカにして、私の気持ちを踏みいじった。 真相がわかった時、私は泣きもせず、騒ぎもせず、ただ静かにその場から立ち去った。 そして、計画2件を立て始めた……

敵国との平和条約で、人質（名目は大使）に選ばれた実の娘の身代わりとなった エリンシア姫...... ◇◇◇ 彼女は琴の名手.....恋人を殺した男、国の支配者の宗主の側室（愛人）になっていたエリンシア..... ◇◇◇ 今度は敵国の王と不倫関係になってしまう..... ........嫉妬深い面もあるが美貌の王妃にも 琴の演奏に穏やかな気質で 廻りからも気に入られ愛される事にはなるが ◇◇◇ ……事情を全て知る大貴族からの求婚に戸惑うエリンシア ◇◇◇ .......しかし、第三の敵の国、北の国からの来襲で、都は陥落！.......騒乱の中で流転する悲劇！エリンシア姫の運命は？

The human intrigued her. Alaina wasn't sure why. She had to expose her secret to save his life. With him knowing she was a vampire, her and her sisters had to leave Devils Lake. Knowing she would never see him again, her heart ached. Eleven years later, Alaina and Arianna were in Los Angeles after Abigail had left them. Alaina was surfing when she seen him. Crashing into the ocean and washing up on the shore, he ran to her. She made the mistake of sleeping with him and because of that he thought they were going to be together. She knew that couldn’t happen, it was too dangerous, for her and her sisters, and him. She pushed him away. In his anger, he vowed to find a way to kill vampires and succeeded, and he discovered so much more about himself than he ever thought possible. He was from a line of witches, and he had magic too. But he wasn’t the only one. Will he fulfill his vow and kill Alaina? Or will she kill him? Or maybe love will win in the end?

Get ready to be immersed in a world of shadowy intrigue and forbidden passion in this mesmerizing tale of The Devils Game. As the inky cloak of night descends, a notorious mafia don finds himself inexplicably drawn to an ambitious lawyer, and their unlikely love story unfolds amidst the seedy underbelly of the criminal underworld. This thrilling narrative is set in the heart of the mafia's bustling hub, where power and money reign supreme, and brutality and mayhem lurk around every corner. Our protagonist, the compelling and multi-layered mafia don, is a magnetic force of nature – his commanding presence hides a dark and dangerous side. Renowned for his cunning and ruthlessness, he yearns for something more meaningful and less fleeting. Read this fascinating journey into the murky depths of the mafia's world, where tension and danger abound, and love and desire have never been so potent.

Daisy - Her parents sold her as a child to gain money, locked into a life under contracts she finds herself sold from one owner to the next. Her final owner: Dean, uses her in a way none of her previous owners have, and his gambling addiction has the whole house of slaves moving from city to city. Their final stop is in the Devil's city, and there is where Daisy first meets Demitri Devil, and he learns that Dean is not a man that his brothers want in their city. However, Daisy isn't weak and isn't afraid to fight for what she wants. Demitri Devil - Meets Daisy at a brothel, where he pays extensive amounts to have her. Only once in the room, he isn't after sex, instead, he asks her why she is doing it, telling her there surely is another way. He never goes there to buy women but to try to show them they can survive another way. Only he is stunned to find out Daisy makes no money from her time in those rooms. The second time he finds her there, she looks ready to drop and surprises his brothers when he arrives home with her for the night. Marcello Devil - He told Demitri he was crazy for bringing her home and buying her for the night to give her a break. Only he goes one further and he finds her in another business, he offers her a week away from Dean. Dean is all too pleased to take the money. Calix Devil - Seems to be the only one making his brothers realise they can't keep paying to keep Daisy for the weekend to get rest, but that goes wrong when they decide to buy her whole contract.

Plain's Brook Orphanage was many things, safe, comforting, and the quickest place to get adopted. It was all those things, except when it came to Damon Salvati. With his world crumbling around him, he has accepted that no one wanted something broken; something bent and twisted. He would never regain what he lost. But perhaps, that's not as true as he thought. When he bumps into Clay Ares, a rich boy with secrets and ties to an orphanage no one knows about, he may discover just how valuable he is after all. But can he trust him?

Pearl, a beautiful teenager, was completely swept off her feet by three handsome brothers - Eden, Nathan, and Kyle. She couldn't believe how gorgeous they were, and found herself falling deeply under their spell. As she got to know them, she started doing things she never thought she'd do, just to get their attention. But what Pearl didn't know was that these stunning brothers weren't what they seemed. They were actually vampires who survived on human blood. Eden, the charming and seductive brother, had a hypnotic gaze that could lure anyone into his trap. Nathan, the dark and brooding brother, possessed supernatural strength that made him a force to be reckoned with. Kyle, the mysterious and elusive brother, had the ability to manipulate the shadows, making him a master of stealth and deception. As Pearl drew closer to the brothers, she found herself torn between their unique charms. But as she delved deeper into their world, she realized that she was in grave danger. Would the brothers notice her and spare her life, or would their encounter seal her fate? And most importantly, who would ultimately win her heart?

Step into a world where reality and fantasy collide in the thrilling continuation of an epic gaming saga. In a virtual underground game devoid of safety nets, players battle for power, wealth, and their very survival. Mike's desperate bid to escape the clutches of death leads him into this treacherous realm, but the line between life and death blurs as the game's dangers loom large. Amidst the chaos, Mike must make allies, confront enemies, and decipher whom to trust in this high-stakes digital universe. Join Mike and his eclectic party as they embark on a gripping journey, where self-discovery and growth mix with every level gained. Will he find a way to cheat death in both the game and the real world, or is his fate sealed? Prepare for an adventure like no other, where destiny hangs by a thread, and the murky waters of the Game hold the key to Mike's salvation.