紹介
A decade later, the old man is found dead in his study. The suspects include everyone living in the isolated mansion called Briar Hill: his three adopted children and the servants. Only Val seems to be exonerated because she uses a wheelchair to get around.
Unsurprisingly, Sangster’s will names Val and his three adopted children as his principal heirs – together with one other name.
Janus Malcolm arrives at Briar Hill to claim his inheritance. His arrival comes at the most unfortunate moment, as investigators pry into the lives of the Sangster children. Janus claims to be Sangster’s only living biological child.
As Sangster’s death seems to be quickly forgotten, Val suspects that money has changed hands between her siblings and the corrupt authorities in the small town of Raven Ville. She finds some hope in the presence of the handsome and brooding Janus Malcolm, who may be as interested in finding out who murdered his father.
Janus is overwhelmed by the change in his wealth. While the ethereal beauty Valerie seems innocent enough, a glint in her eyes shows she is hiding something.
Will they trust each other enough to work together?
チャプター 1
Val
1995
They said that memory had a way to protect you, cradle you in a shell. The mind could split, a part of which would become the defender. The rest would be tiny shards that it would try to put together. They could be shielded from the truth or shepherded into a safe space.?
Then, why? Why were the only things I remembered the ones that would hurt the most: the shattering of glass, the panic in my mother's eyes, my father's hands trying to steer the car into safety, and that moment when my spine gave?
I had no medical terms for it, but I just knew that my life would still be over even if I survived.?
It was in the way my body swayed backward and forward even as my seatbelt tried to hold me down. Swayed was probably too graceful a term for what happened. Tiny for my age, I was pummeled as the car tumbled down the hill. Every second was too real. There was no shortcut, a diversion towards the end of that fall. I had never felt a pain that excruciating, ripping through my torso and grinding through my bones.?
But I survived.?
The doctors were amazed that I was alive. I even heard them laugh when they thought I was under all the drugs they had to pump into me. To be fair, they were only amazed, celebratory. For me, nothing was fair. At least, not at that moment and the many moments that came afterward.
After I came through the surface, back to the unhappy world of the living, I was in even more pain. Submerged, I was in a heavy paradise. Weighed down but giddy, grasping for every jet stream of painkillers, it was a reprieve. For a moment there, I had lifted my arms to reach out to my mom and dad until they were gone – as they were.
When I woke up, a part of me already knew what the miserable-looking men in white would say, but I had to admit that I did not know everything in store for me.?
Not then.?
2005
It was a thud. It should not make me steer my wheelchair towards its direction. Not in the speed I was in. The large mansion called Briar Hill carried all kinds of eerie sounds – echoes and vibrations of an old house. So, why was I rushing towards the source of the noise?
It could be another leather tome from Mr. Sangter's study. It could be one of Rafael's weights, Emilie's hairdryer, or Joseph with another fling. It could be anything.?
But somehow, this thud made my heart go faster.?
It sounded louder than the usual, for one. When I first heard the disturbance, I hesitated, though. After all, I was in bed reading a book. It could have been one of my attacks, experienced whenever I was somewhere between sleep and wakefulness.?
Usually, my attacks would begin with the sound of a loud crash. At first, doctors thought it was the result of my trauma. Made sense. They thought it was because of the accident that I kept hearing crashing sounds. Funny, because I knew that my memories were only of pain and floating. There were no sounds. As if someone had pushed on the mute button. As if that was the only way to take away my pain. After the nightmare had stopped disturbing my nights, though, the phenomenon continued.?
They said I was stressed.?
Yeah, I supposed being cooped up in a mansion almost 24/7 could do that. When I was still in college, the stress of eyes following me as I steered my wheelchair around campus was too much.
I thought it was just that, explosive head syndrome, as they called it. However, the first thud was followed by another one, and I knew I was wide awake. I slid down from my bed to the waiting wheelchair on the side. It was a quick transition. My back and legs were not as numb as they used to be. Years of therapy had improved my movements.?
The sounds came from Mr. Sangster's study. I was sure of it. Although most of his children's bedrooms could be found on the same wing, my room was only three doors away from his study. I was the closest.
Where were the rest of them, anyway??
It was a weekend. Everyone should be home. It was a silent rule in the house. Even if they left at night, my "siblings" should be there during the day. There were also the servants, too many to mention, the most prominent of which were Hannah the head housekeeper and Randall the butler. Both were elderly and had served the family for at least two decades.?
It took me a few minutes before I got moving, I had to admit. What help would I be? Someone should have heard that. The baltic pine floor was only cushioned by light carpeting.?
Mr. Sangster's study was right next to his bedroom, right above Joseph's home office. The next room was a locked room nobody was allowed in, and then there was mine.?
Briar Hill had twenty bedrooms. The number did not include the spacious kitchen, the sizeable receiving area that could compete against hotels receptions, and other extra amenities. However, it had the personality of the era it was from – Victorian. For a house its age, it was pretty well-maintained.?
You could say that sixty-two-year-old Theodore Sangster IV was the same: old but well-maintained. He had always been rich, but he was not a wastrel. He took his parents' money and made them multiply. Smart guy. He also did not have any vices: did not drink, did not gamble, and had no woman on the side – not that we knew of, anyway. He acted as my dad and guardian for ten years but never adopted me.?
I had to admit I was hurt. I was fourteen when I arrived at Briar Hill, still young enough to be adopted. He did not. Not only that, he chose not to. He had adopted three children previously: Emilie, Joseph, and Rafael. He said I was a complicated case but that I did not have to worry. I would have everything and would inherit like the legally adopted ones. It was also clear that he had no plans to marry.?
Mr. Sangster waited for me to call him dad, but I never did. I continued raging over the perceived rejection. Deep in my heart, he was a father to me.?
As a few morbid possibilities dawned on me, however, I found myself crying out, "Dad! Dad!"
I wheeled my chair faster until I was right in front of his study. The door was slightly ajar. Even from a few feet away in front of it, anyone could see that something was wrong.??
I peeked in and saw his body, face down on the floor. I had not touched him yet, but I knew. He was gone.?
最新チャプター
おすすめ 😍
令嬢は離婚を機に大富豪への道を歩む
「瀬央千弥、離婚して」
周りの連中はこぞって彼女を嘲笑った。あの瀬央様がいなくなったら、御影星奈は惨めな人生を送るに決まっていると。
ところが実際は――
財閥の名家がこぞって彼女を賓客として招き入れ、トップ俳優や女優が熱狂的なファンに。さらに四人の、並々ならぬ経歴を持つ兄弟子たちまで現れて……。
実家の御影家は後悔し、養女を追い出してまで彼女を迎え入れようとする。
そして元夫も、悔恨の表情で彼女を見つめ、「許してくれ」と懇願してきた。
御影星奈は少し眉を上げ、冷笑いを浮かべて言った。
「今の私に、あなたたちが手が届くと思う？」
――もう、私とあなたたちは釣り合わないのよ！
離婚後、奥さんのマスクが外れた
彼は言った。「彼女が戻ってきた。離婚しよう。君が欲しいものは何でもあげる。」
結婚して2年後、彼女はもはや彼が自分を愛していない現実を無視できなくなり、過去の関係が感情的な苦痛を引き起こすと、現在の関係に影響を与えることが明らかになった。
山本希は口論を避け、このカップルを祝福することを選び、自分の条件を提示した。
「あなたの最も高価な限定版スポーツカーが欲しい。」
「いいよ。」
「郊外の別荘も。」
「わかった。」
「結婚してからの2年間に得た数十億ドルを分け合うこと。」
「？」
裏切られた後に億万長者に甘やかされて
エミリーと億万長者の夫との結婚は契約結婚だった。彼女は努力して夫の愛を勝ち取りたいと願っていた。しかし、夫が妊婦を連れて現れた時、彼女は絶望した。家を追い出された後、路頭に迷うエミリーを謎の億万長者が拾い上げた。彼は一体誰なのか？なぜエミリーのことを知っていたのか？そしてさらに重要なことに、エミリーは妊娠していた。
君と重ねた季節
彼の心の中で、彼女は卑劣で恥知らずな、愛を奪った女でしかなかった。彼は自らの最も冷酷無情な一面を彼女にだけ向け、骨の髄まで憎む一方で、心に秘めた女性にはありったけの優しさを注いでいた。
それでもなお、彼女は十年間、ただ耐え忍びながら彼を愛し続けた。やがて彼女は疲れ果て、すべてを諦めようとした。だが、その時になって彼は焦りを覚える……。
彼女が彼の子をその身に宿しながら、命の危機に瀕した時、彼はようやく気づくのだ。自らの命に代えてでも守りたいと願う女性が、ずっと彼女であったことに。
妻が去り、妊娠を知った俺は、ただ泣き崩れるしかなかった
しかし、結婚して5年後、彼は離婚を切り出した。その時初めて、彼の想い人が私の父の隠し子（私の異母兄弟）だと知った。
離婚を決意した七海だったが、その時にまさかの妊娠が判明した。
離婚後つわり、社長の元夫が大変慌てた
彼女は心を殺して、署名した。
彼が初恋の相手と入籍した日、彼女は交通事故に遭い、お腹の双子の心臓は止まってしまった。
それから彼女は全ての連絡先を変え、彼の世界から完全に姿を消した。
後に噂で聞いた。彼は新婚の妻を置き去りにし、たった一人の女性を世界中で探し続けているという。
再会の日、彼は彼女を車に押し込み、跪いてこう言った。
「もう一度だけ、チャンスをください」
離婚後、ママと子供が世界中で大活躍
本来の花嫁である義理の妹の身代わりとして。
2年間、彼の人生で最も暗い時期に寄り添い続けた。
しかし――
妹の帰還により、彼らの結婚生活は揺らぎ始める。
共に過ごした日々は、妹の存在の前では何の意味も持たないのか。
離婚当日、元夫の叔父に市役所に連れて行かれた
溺愛令嬢の正体は、まさかの霊能界トップ！？
──が、彼女は社交界に背を向け、「配信者」として自由気ままに活動を始める。
江城市の上流社会はこぞって彼女の失敗を待ち構えていた。
だが、待てど暮らせど笑い話は聞こえてこない。
代わりに、次々と大物たちが彼女の配信に押しかけてくるのだった。
「マスター、俺の命を救ってくれ！」──某財閥の若社長
「マスター、厄介な女運を断ち切って！」──人気俳優
「マスター、研究所の風水を見てほしい！」──天才科学者
そして、ひときわ怪しい声が囁く。
「……まゆ、俺の嫁だろ？ ギュってさせろ。」
視聴者たち：「なんであの人だけ扱いが違うの!?」
原田麻友：「……私も知りたいわ。」
サヨナラ、私の完璧な家族
癌だと診断され、私が意識を失っている間に、あの人たちは私を置き去りにして、あの女とお祝いのパーティーを開いていた。
夫が、あんなに優しげな表情をするのを、私は見たことがなかった。双子が、あんなにお行儀よく振る舞うのも。――まるで、彼らこそが本物の家族で、私はただその幸せを眺める部外者のようだった。
その瞬間、私は、自分の野心を捨てて結婚と母性を選択したことを、心の底から後悔した。
だから、私は離婚届を置いて、自分の研究室に戻った。
数ヶ月後、私の画期的な研究成果が、ニュースの見出しを飾った。
夫と子供たちが、自分たちが何を失ったのかに気づいたのは、その時だった。
「俺が間違っていた――君なしでは生きていけないんだ。どうか、もう一度だけチャンスをくれないか！」夫は、そう言って私に懇願した。
「ママー、僕たちが馬鹿だったよ――ママこそが僕たちの本当の家族なんだ。お願い、許して！」双子は、そう言って泣き叫んだ。
令嬢の私、婚約破棄からやり直します
婚約まで二年、そして結婚まで更に二年を費やした。
だが長谷川冬馬の心の中で、彼女は幼馴染の市川美咲には永遠に及ばない存在だった。
結婚式の当日、誘拐された彼女は犯される中、長谷川冬馬と市川美咲が愛を誓い合い結婚したという知らせを受け取った。
三日三晩の拷問の末、彼女の遺体は海水で腐敗していた。
そして婚約式の日に転生した彼女は、幼馴染の自傷行為に駆けつけた長谷川冬馬に一人で式に向かわされ——今度は違った。北野紗良は自分を貶めることはしない。衆人の前で婚約破棄を宣言し、爆弾発言を放った。「長谷川冬馬は性的不能です」と。
都は騒然となった。かつて彼女を見下していた長谷川冬馬は、彼女を壁に追い詰め、こう言い放った。
「北野紗良、駆け引きは止めろ」
転生して、家族全員に跪いて懺悔させる
婚約者にも妹にも裏切られた私。
さらに悲惨なことに、二人は私の手足を切り落とし、舌を抜き、目の前で体を重ね、そして私を残酷に殺したのです！
骨の髄まで憎い...
しかし幸いなことに、運命の糸が絡み合い、私は蘇ったのです！
二度目の人生、今度は自分のために生き、芸能界の女王になってみせる！
復讐を果たす！
かつて私をいじめ、傷つけた者たちには、十倍の報いを受けさせてやる...
