Billionaire's Admirable Bride

Chapter 1. The Wicked Stepmother

It had been six months since Olima Adams lost her parents. Since then, she had been living with her stepmother and stepsister.

Her stepmother had turned her into a maid and withdrawn her from continuing her education.

Seventeen years ago, Mr. Leo Adams married Mrs. Zoe Elliott, who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with brown, sparkling eyes named Olima Adams.

After Olima was born, Mrs. Zoe had complications.

Mrs. Zoe cried because she wanted to give her husband more children, but Mr. Leo assured her that his love for her would not change.

Two years later, Mr. Leo spoke to his wife about his intention to marry a second wife who could bear him a son. Since Olima was a girl, a son was needed to continue the family name and inherit his properties.

Mrs. Zoe was worried about another woman entering her matrimonial home and turning her husband's heart against her. She spoke to her best friend, Gina Edwards, about marrying her husband.

Gina and Zoe had been childhood best friends, attending the same college and growing up in the same town.

Mrs. Zoe, a light-skinned, 25-year-old woman, pleaded with her best friend Gina Edwards to agree to marry Mr. Leo.

She begged, “Please, Gina, can you accept and marry my husband? He needs a son to take over his properties and carry on his name.”

Gina Edwards, also 25 and light-skinned like Mrs. Zoe, quickly agreed to marry Mr. Leo Adams.

Mrs. Gina had been secretly jealous of Mrs. Zoe's marriage, even though they were childhood best friends. She told Mrs. Zoe, "Yes, I will marry Mr. Leo."

Unbeknownst to Mrs. Zoe, Gina was jealous of her marriage and secretly admired Mr. Leo during her visits to see Olima.

After Mr. Leo married Mrs. Gina, she moved into the white villa to live with them, but Mrs. Gina changed on her first day there.

Mrs. Gina demanded that Mr. Leo send Mrs. Zoe out of the master bedroom, claiming she was the new wife who could give Mr. Leo more children since Mrs. Zoe was unable to do so.

Olima was only two years old when her father officially married Mrs. Gina.

Mr. Leo was annoyed by Mrs. Gina's sudden change of attitude and told her, "How dare you move into my mansion and quarrel with your best friend? I thought you were best friends. Do you think I married you because I love you? If Zoe hadn't spoken to me about you, I wouldn't have wanted you. Get ready to sign the divorce papers tomorrow and leave my house! Olima is still my daughter and will inherit all my properties, even if she changes her surname after marriage. Olima will always be my daughter."

Mrs. Gina frowned, realizing Mr. Leo truly loved Mrs. Zoe more than she thought. She reverted to being the good friend she once was to Mrs. Zoe, getting down on her knees to beg Mrs. Zoe to plead with their husband not to divorce her.

Mrs. Zoe, being kind-hearted, knew it was all her fault, as she had been the one who begged Mrs. Gina to marry Mr. Leo.

Mrs. Zoe spoke to Mr. Leo on Mrs. Gina's behalf, asking him not to send Mrs. Gina away after marrying her.

Mr. Leo calmed down and allowed Mrs. Gina to continue living with them. However, he moved her to a separate bedroom and warned her not to cause any more quarrels. Otherwise, he wouldn't hesitate to throw her out.

Mrs. Gina realized she couldn't claim Mr. Leo as she had hoped, thinking he would ditch Zoe and accept her as his new wife. Instead, Mr. Leo distanced himself from her.

Mrs. Gina stayed in the new room given to her, but Mr. Leo ruined her wedding night by not touching her or visiting her.

Days turned into weeks, and unable to bear the shame of being called a barren woman, Mrs. Gina went to Mrs. Zoe's bedroom one day and pleaded with her to ask Mr. Leo not to divorce her and to fulfill his conjugal rights with her as well.

Mrs. Zoe knew it was her fault, as she was scared of another woman turning her husband's heart against her, so she agreed to speak to Mr. Leo.

When Mr. Leo arrived that night, after dinner, Mrs. Zoe refused to let him touch her and sent him to Mrs. Gina's bedroom, saying, "You cannot continue to avoid Mrs. Gina. Please go to her room and perform your conjugal rights."

Mr. Leo saw the pain in Mrs. Zoe's eyes, knowing her words didn't match her heart, but he finally went to Mrs. Gina's bedroom and made love to her that night.

Mrs. Zoe cried alone in her bed and eventually drifted off to sleep, knowing there was nothing she could do.

After that night, Mrs. Gina wanted Mr. Leo to be with her every other night, but Mr. Leo refused, saying, "I cannot be sleeping with you every night. One night is enough to get you pregnant."

Mrs. Gina was annoyed, and after Mr. Leo left for work, she quarreled with Mrs. Zoe, calling her a wicked woman.

She accused Mrs. Zoe of being a bad friend and depriving Mr. Leo of loving her.

Mrs. Zoe informed Mr. Leo about the quarrel, and he got annoyed, bringing home divorce papers the next day and ordering Mrs. Gina to sign them and leave his house.

However, Mrs. Gina refused, telling Mr. Leo, "I am pregnant."

Mr. Leo realized he couldn't send Mrs. Gina away with his child growing inside her, so he allowed her to continue living with them.

After eight months, Mrs. Gina gave birth to a baby girl, shattering Mr. Leo's hope for a son.

Mrs. Gina was happy to be a mother and named her daughter Mia Adams.

Mrs. Gina hoped Mr. Leo would be with her again and get her pregnant, but he avoided her, sending her to live in the guesthouse.

Time passed, and 14 years later, Mr. Leo still hadn't been with Mrs. Gina.

Mrs. Gina knew she couldn't cheat on Mr. Leo to get pregnant, so she decided to kill Mr. Leo and his wife to seize all his wealth and the oil company for herself.

Tired of seeing Mr. Leo and Mrs. Zoe acting lovingly, she arranged for a truck driver to ram into Mr. Leo and Mrs. Zoe's car, knowing they were going to Lemon Hill High School for Olima and Mia's graduation ceremony.

Mrs. Gina attended the ceremony alone, taking several photos with her daughter, while Olima waited in vain for her parents to arrive.

Later that evening, when Olima got home, she was shocked to hear of her parents' absence. She cried, knowing her stepmother hated her most.

She wanted to leave the house but had nowhere to go.

Olima patiently waited for her uncles to arrive, and when they did, they were more concerned about the oil company and other documents.

Three months after her husband's burial ceremony, Mrs. Gina wasted no time arresting her in-laws, accusing them of killing Mr. Leo and his wife to claim his wealth.

Mr. Leo's two brothers had to sign an agreement never to disturb Mrs. Gina again, and they left, never to return.

No one asked about Olima again, as Mrs. Gina moved into the main mansion, throwing away all of Mrs. Zoe's belongings.

She burned them outside, unable to bear seeing the beautiful portraits of the late Mrs. Zoe on the living room walls.

She replaced the empty walls with her photos, leaving Mr. Leo's images.

Mrs. Gina fired all five housemaids, including the cook, turning Olima into her housemaid.

She told Olima, "You saw how your late father treated me and Mia. There's no money for you to continue your education, so you'll remain as my maid to help take care of the house your parents left behind. We can't sell it to sponsor your schooling; that would be evil."

Olima couldn't do anything as her stepmother withdrew her from tutorial classes, turning her into a maid.

She was forced to learn to cook, wash dishes, and wake up early to tidy the house.

She took care of the garden, her mother's farm, and trimmed the flowers.

Olima cried, but her tears weren't enough to solve the problem, as she watched Mia continue going to school while her stepmother claimed there was no money for her.

Mrs. Gina later invited the family lawyer to discuss Mr. Leo's will.

When the lawyer arrived, he told Mrs. Gina that the will couldn't be changed and stated that the oil company left by Mr. Leo Adams should be given to Olima Adams once she turned 24.

Mrs. Gina was annoyed and sent the lawyer away, plotting to turn Mr. Leo's oil company and other businesses into her own.