Twisted Paradise

Prologue

"That Tetsuo guy, the one who's in the Kendo club--I heard he confessed to you."

"Whuh? Oh, not this again." Kobayashi Mina, a childhood friend of mine since elementary and now a fellow ninth-grader, sighed exasperatedly, already knowing where I was going with this.

"What do you mean, 'again'?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, he confessed to me, so what?" she shot back, her voice oozing with annoyance. "Not like I'm going to accept him anyway."

"Sounds like another day in the office."

"Tell me about it..." she said, slouching down as we continued to walk home. "Why do you always ask about the guys who confess to me, by the way? Genuine question."

I looked away, avoiding her gaze as she asked that. "No reason."

"I know when you're lying, Jun," she teased, then promptly pinched the side of my waist.

"Ow, hey!"

"Spill the beans, or no more copying my Algebra homework for you!"

"Alright, relax!" I yelled, holding her at arm's length to keep her from elbowing me again. "I just wanna make sure they like you for all the right reasons."

"Right reasons?"

"Oh, y-you know what I'm talking about," I mumbled, trying not to make it too obvious I was referring to her chest. "Puberty has been kind to you... is all I'm gonna say."

I then gestured vaguely at her. "I mean, we're only in ninth grade, right? And you've already got guys falling over themselves for you." I paused, my voice trailing off at that last bit as I scratched my neck nervously.

"I just... I'd rather you be with someone who likes you for who you are."

She blinked at me, her cheeks turning rosy pink as my words were made clear in her mind. "E-Eh? Mmm, w-well I guess you have a point there." The way her expression shifted was amusing, almost comical, even.

"Exactly. The last thing we need is you getting with a guy who only likes you for your assets, if you catch my drift."

"Sounds like something you'd do."

"Dead wrong there, sister," I retorted, slightly offended she'd even suggest that. "I've known you longer than I've known myself."

"Is that right? Does that mean you can qualify as my boyfriend?"

It took a while for me to answer, my mind racing as I debated whether to seize the opportunity that had just presented itself. My heart pounded, and I felt my hands turn clammy with sweat. The weight of the moment pressed down on me like a sack of bricks, while my mind was a whirlwind of emotions.

Should I take it? I'm gonna take it--it's either now or never...

"Jun? Hey."

"Can I... qualify as your boyfriend?" I repeated her question back to her, my voice shaking slightly.

"Oh, I was just--"

"Well... what if I want to, would that be alright with you?" I blurted, the words coming out before I could even process them. My face burned, though I had no regrets.

Stunned silence followed. We both stopped in our tracks, letting the weight of my words slowly sink in. Mina lingered a handful of steps behind me, and I was too wrought with anxiety to even face her.

"...Turn around, Jun," she ordered, her tone firm and absolute.

I took a deep breath, braced myself in case her answer was a rejection, and turned to her as she asked.

Huh...?

What I saw on her face was a familiar shit-eating grin, not the stone-cold expression I had expected. It was the sort she'd flash when she caught me doing something incriminating and was now planning to use it as blackmail.

"Eeeeehh, what the hell was that?" she asked, her voice sounding like she was one bad joke away from howling in laughter.

"W... What was what?"

"Pfffhh, even that nerd from Class 3-3 had a much better way of proclaiming his love," she then stepped closer, placing her hand on my nose. "Oh well, it's not every day your best friend confesses to you."

"Yeah? Wait, so you..."

I couldn't finish my sentence; she had a finger on my lips before I could complete it.

"Mm-hhmm," she nodded, her grin softening into something warmer as she grabbed my arm and gently hugged it close. "Took you long enough, though."

"I-It's not easy having to do it, just so you know."

"I can imagine that. Well, whatever, let's get back to your place. We've got, like, six homework assignments to do."

"You got it, chief," I replied, grinning like mad despite myself. "As your boyfriend, my first order of business is to let me copy all of it."

"You can keep dreaming, lover boy."

With that, we resumed walking, with Mina now at my side, hugging my arm tightly. Her warmth against me was incredibly comforting, and for the first time since I could remember, I felt a weight get taken off my shoulders...

"You're... squeezing my arm between your breasts, by the way."

"Oh? I thought you'd be enjoying it."

"Well, if I'm being honest, yes."

"Perv~ ♡"

...like a fog that had finally been lifted.

===============================

Act I

It's been almost a decade since Jun and I became lovers, yet it felt like it was only yesterday. Sweet memories from a time when we were so innocent, naive, and carefree.

For as long as I could remember, I had promised myself to always cherish his love for me.

No matter what hardships might come our way.

===============================

A year after we graduated from college, Jun and I got married. Those four years I'd poured into a culinary arts degree now felt like a pointless endeavor. Jun's doing well for himself, having landed a job as a software developer some months prior.

As for me, I spend most of my days writing erotica, taking commissions online whenever I'm not actively looking for work related to my field.

'You're too talented to not get noticed', Jun says. 'You'll figure it out--you always do!' His words constantly in my mind as a constant reminder of my predicament. I know he means well, and that he's just trying to be supportive, but there are times where I wish he would just keep his mouth shut.

"Long face again, dear?" Mom piped up, taking me out of my headspace momentarily. We were both in the kitchen, me taking a coffee break and her trying to pack what looked to be pill bottles into her purse.

Dressed to the nines, she looked like a cougar on her way to bed the first young man she sees. To her credit, she pulled off that dongtan dress like she was born to wear it, despite already being in her late thirties.

Explains why I'd catch Jun stealing glances at her every now and again.

"Where you off to now?" I asked, dodging her question. "Off with yet another guy? I thought you and James already tied the knot."

"Got married, we did~" Mom replied, slinging her purse all the way to her shoulder with a cheeky smile on her face. "But become exclusive, we did not~"

Hmph, swinging. I couldn't think of a more hedonistic lifestyle short of full-blown polyamory. Whether it was James' influence, or if Mom was just reclaiming her youth after years of widowhood, I couldn't say. Probably a bit of both.

"Right..."

"Don't worry about feeling lonely, hun. James will hold the fort with you here while I'm out." And with that, Mom was out the door, off to meet her next lay of the week.

James Vilhelmsen.

A man of Danish descent--blonde, well-built, and more than a little wealthy. All the sleazy traits that would turn women's heads without him so much as trying. He met my mom at a swinger's club, married her, and now he, for some reason, is content living under the same roof as us.

This is despite the fact that he's a shareholder of several major businesses and the CEO of the firm Jun currently works at.

~~

The first time they met was at a company dinner, a sort of welcoming party for all the fresh recruits. With James being the CEO of that particular firm, I suppose it was only natural for him to be the center of attention. Ever the charmer, he made sure to introduce himself to Jun, glass of wine in hand and with a smile that could disarm anyone.

"Ah, you're Jun, right?" he said, extending his hand. "I've heard quite a lot about you. Mina's a lucky woman, I'll just say that now." Mom laughed heartily at his remark, but I didn't find it quite as funny.

Jun, ever polite, shook his hand and smiled back. "Yes, thank you, sir. Err, you must be Saeko's new husband--it's nice to meet you, too."

James chuckled, his tone light-hearted and casual but with an edge that only I seemed to notice. "Please, we're all practically family now, aren't we? No need for formalities."

Jun nodded with a grin, oblivious to the way James' eyes lingered on me longer than was necessary.

"Jun, come with me," James said, clapping him gently on the shoulder. "Since you're my, err, new stepdaughter's new husband, I'll personally show you the ropes of how we do things around here."

With that, he led my husband away, leaving me alone with Mom who was flirting with a bunch of other guests at our table.

~~

That man...

'...Mina's a lucky woman...'

...to think he'd find me again.

"Hey, Mina. Still awake?" Speak of the devil. "Where's Saeko?" James asked as he shuffled downstairs half-asleep, his deep, baritone voice piercing through the silence.

"I thought you'd know." I replied without missing a beat.

"Mmm... ah yes! Ha, slipped my mind," he chuckled as he sat beside me, beer can in hand after having taken one from the fridge. "So, what're you up to? How's your novel going?"

"Swimmingly. Not much to report." I shrugged, keeping my tone neutral.

He then fell silent after that. 'Finally some peace and quiet', I thought--until I felt the sensation of his knuckle softly tracing my face. I flinched, leaning back out of reflex, but it wasn't enough to break contact.

"J-James, stop--"

"You grew out of your slut phase, alright," he said bluntly while taking a sip of his beer. "Too bad you couldn't grow out of being a terrible liar."

"I said stop," I hissed, swatting his hand away with more force than was necessary. He didn't put up a struggle, but that insufferable smug look on his face remained, like he knew exactly how much it drove me up the wall. "For the life of me, I can't figure out what my mom sees in you, you're such a sleaze."

"Rich, fit, great in bed--everything Mommy dearest could ever ask for," he replied as he leaned closer, his breath that stunk of booze permeating my nostrils. "You of all people should know that."

"D-Don't know what you're talking about..."

"Don't pretend like we haven't met before," his whispers became louder as he got even closer, his breath tickling my ear with every word that he spoke.

"Get off me..."

"Yeah, I believe we have. Kobayashi 'I can't live without this cock anymore' Mina." Those words of his were like keys turning in a lock, unearthing memories I'd tried so hard to repress. I had said those words, alright...

"You thought I'd forget, didn't you?"

...and look where it had gotten me.

"James... get off of me. I won't ask again." I snapped with a firm, almost angry tone. He backed off right away, holding up one hand in the air in mock surrender while still displaying that awful smirk.

"Alright, sweetie, you're the boss."

"And just so you know, my name is *Sunohara* Mina."

I got up before he could try anything else, then practically raced upstairs to the bedroom that Jun and I shared, not even bothering to take my half-finished coffee with me. I threw myself on our bed and laid there for what felt like hours, staring at the ceiling while my chest felt tight with frustration.

Not at James, but at myself.

Resist harder. You have a husband, you're married. Don't let that demon drag you back into his claws...

===============================

I spent the next hour hunched in front of my PC, trying to claw out every last bit of creativity out of my head. Yet the harder I tried, the more disjointed my ideas became, leaving behind a messy pile of useless, lifeless scraps that made me want to shriek. When I finally skimmed through what I'd written, I slumped over on my desk, groaning in exhaustion, frustration and defeat.

Writer's block had reared its ugly head once more, and with it came the crushing weight of my inadequacy.

"Think of something... think of something, think, think, think..." I murmured, gently banging my head against the desk after every word. "You weren't like this when you first started writing."

Before my thoughts could progress any further, I heard the door swing open. It was James, barging into the room like he owned the place.

"...What're you doing here?"

"Settle down, I'm just here to give you this,' he said as held up my phone. "You left it on the table earlier."

"Alright, just hand it over and then go."

James extended the item to me, but just as I was about to reach for it, he yanked it back, his lips curling into his trademark devil smirk that swiftly turned my confusion to anger. Almost immediately, I glared at him, my patience already stretched thin at that point.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not so fast."

"James," I snapped through clenched teeth, then stood up and walked over to him. "Give it to me. Now."

"C'mon Mina, is that any way to talk to your new daddy?" he taunted me as he held my phone up just barely out of my reach, teasing me with it like it was a carrot on a stick. "Learn to be more grateful, please."

It was a form of mockery that I no longer had the patience for.

"Give it back!" I lunged at him and tried clawing for the phone myself, but he was too tall, too strong. A minor scuffle between us broke out, one that ended with him tightly wrapping his arm around my shoulder in a suffocating embrace while his mocking, condescending laughter echoed in my ears.

"What the--let me go! James!"

"Easy there, I just have something to show you real quick." I struggled vainly in his grasp, clawing and scratching at his skin, until I saw what it was that he wanted me to see.

It was a photo of me and him together, taken years back. We were on a hotel bed, its sheets soaked to a point that the wet spots outnumbered the dry ones. Countless condoms littered the floor and the bed itself, all used and filled with an unmistakable white fluid.

I was in James' arms while we both sat on the bed, sporting a half-asleep smile while practically caked in his semen--from my hair down to my crotch, where most of his load had pooled. He held the phone in one hand, the front cam capturing this licentious scene while he smirked at the lens, his arm wrapped possessively around my shoulders.

"I was wondering why you still had this," he whispered, his voice smooth and teasing.

"W...Wait, no--"

"Can't say I blame you, though," he continued, his warm, yet oddly minty breath tickling my earlobe. "In those five months, you were the happiest you've ever been."

"Shut up, t-that's not true..."

"That being said, I wonder too if Jun is privy to any of this."

My heart immediately sank hearing him mention my husband's name.

"Don't bring him into this mess!" I yelled at him, now seething with fury. I had done everything to keep this a secret from my dear Jun, ever since I ended my relationship with this sleazy prick. In my head, as long as I never made another mistake like it again, there was no harm in keeping Jun in the dark.

"Why not? He's your hubby, isn't he?" he said as he pinched the photo on my phone and zoomed in on my smiling face, as if to disparage me. "It'd be a shame if he finds out what you've been up to when you were a freshman."

I couldn't take it anymore. I lunged for the phone one last time in a desperate bid to erase that stain of a photo. He saw my attempt coming from miles away and promptly stopped it cold--with the same hand he was holding my device with. He didn't even flinch, as if my struggle was little more than an inconvenience to him.

"Bad girl~"

"Nmh, s-screw you...!"

My phone was right there, in his clutch, mere inches from my grasp. The thought of it being so close, yet so far nearly brought me to tears.

I swallowed hard, then with a tight chest forced my words out in a trembling whisper. "What... do you want from me?"

"What do I want from you?"

It's then that he began to gently guide me to the bed, still with a firm grasp around me. I made no further attempts at resisting at this point, rationalizing to myself that this will all end the moment James gets what he wants. Once we were seated together, he set my phone aside, far from where I could reach it.

"Don't act like you don't know, baby," he said as he traced his knuckles on my cheek once more, sending a cold, frigid shiver down my spine.

He then wasted little time taking my top off, lowering its spaghetti-thin straps until my chest was fully exposed, the cool air a sharp contrast to the heat that his hands gave off. His fingers brushed against my shoulders first, as if chewing the sight that was in front of him, before moving his hands to my collarbone, then my sternum, and finally, my breasts themselves, each of his hands holding a firm grasp.

"After all," he positioned himself behind me once he was done, his hands now copping a firm grip on my breasts as if he was kneading dough. "You always loved playing this game more than I did."

"S...Shut up..." I blurted out a response in between labored breaths, all while trying to hold in my moans. "Just get this... mnhh, over with."

"You're definitely Saeko's daughter," he snickered in between soft strokes with his fingers. "Equally sized tits, equally tight cunts. Yes, your mom has quite the vice between her legs, I'll just say that now."

I clenched my fist hearing those perverted words come out of his mouth. Him assaulting me like this was bad enough, the least he could do was keep that annoying trap of his shut.

"P-Please, just, mfhm... shut up--ah!"

I bit my lower lip as soon as he started toying with my nipples, tweaking and tugging on them in ways I haven't felt in a long time. I couldn't help myself--I held his wrists right as my groin began to feel warm, heat rising from my core fast enough to make me squeeze my thighs.

He didn't show any reaction somehow, and just kept on playing with me as if my hands weren't gripping him at all.

"You know you're free to moan, right?" he said while he held my lips and softly parted them open with his fingers. "Sing for me, sweetie. I miss hearing you mewl like a slut in heat."

"G-Go fuck your--aghh, ahhha..."

"Watch your language."

His movements soon increased in intensity, and I found my resolve wearing thin with each second that he spent exploring every inch of my chest. My hands moved over to his thighs where I gripped his legs doing my best to retain my composure despite it slowly becoming a losing battle.

Focus... focus, you can't let him win. He'll get bored eventually, you just have to endu--

"Niinhmm!!"

I was in the midst of trying to calm my racing thoughts, when James took advantage, sliding his hand down my shorts where his fingers pushed with a force that left my legs trembling. I squealed, and immediately tried to pry his arm off of me, but that went as well as you'd expect.

"J-James...! Not that spot!" I yelped.

"There's that voice," he whispered with a weird, yet soothing tenderness in his tone. "A little louder for daddy, please."

Exhausted, both physically and mentally, and with a flurry of sensations flaring inside my crotch, I finally let my voice loose. As he dug and stirred deep into my aching depths, I wailed with equal ferocity. Each stroke, each rub, my voice flowed incessantly, free from my control.

"Gnhh, aahha... n-no, mhhh!"

My hips shook and bucked against his hand and my fingers clawed at the bedsheets, desperate for either a stop or a release from the conflict of sensations that coursed throughout my body.

"That's it. Sing to your heart's content, baby," He continued to whisper, now going in for an occasional kiss on the neck that only served to torment me even further.