Chapter 1: Stepmother's Hatred

Six months ago, Olima Adams lost her parents in a car accident, and she has been living with her stepmother and stepsister since then. They turned her into a maid and withdrew her from continuing her education.

**17 years ago**

Mr. Leo Adams married Mrs. Zoe Nelson, and she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with sparkling brown eyes named Olima Adams. But after Olima's birth, Mrs. Zoe developed complications.

Mrs. Zoe cried because she wanted to give her husband more children, but he assured her that his love for her would never change.

Two years later, Mr. Leo spoke to his wife about his intention to marry a second wife who could give him more children, especially a son who would inherit all his properties and bear his name, rather than adopting a son, since Olima was a girl.

Mrs. Zoe became emotional and afraid of another woman coming into her home and turning her husband's heart against her. She spoke to her best friend, Gina Edwards, and asked her to accept and marry Mr. Leo.

Mrs. Zoe and Gina had been best friends since high school and had lived on the island where billionaire families reside. They remained friends even after Mrs. Zoe got married.

Mrs. Zoe never knew that Gina secretly admired her husband. She proposed to Gina that she should accept and marry Mr. Leo.

Gina wasted no time in accepting the marriage proposal and moved into the white mansion to live with them.

However, as Gina arrived at the home, her attitude changed, and she began quarreling with Mrs. Zoe.

Gina told Mrs. Zoe to leave the master bedroom so that she and Mr. Leo could use it, since Mrs. Zoe couldn't give Mr. Leo another child.

Mr. Leo was shocked by Gina's change in attitude, as she dared to quarrel with Mrs. Zoe and even called her a witch for refusing to leave the master bedroom.

Mr. Leo became annoyed and threatened to divorce Gina the following day. But Mrs. Gina calmed down and reverted to being the good friend she was to Mrs. Zoe, begging Mrs. Zoe to plead with their husband not to divorce her.

Mr. Leo said to Mrs. Gina: "How dare you come into my house today and quarrel with your best friend. I regret marrying you, Gina. Olima will inherit all my properties tomorrow, even if she gets married and changes her surname, she will still be my daughter. Get ready to leave my house tomorrow, as our marriage is over!"

Mrs. Gina begged Mrs. Zoe to plead with their husband not to divorce her, and Mrs. Zoe sighed, knowing she was the one who had asked Gina to marry her husband.

Mrs. Zoe pleaded on Gina's behalf, and Mr. Leo finally allowed Mrs. Gina to stayed in the mansion with them, but in a separate bedroom.

From that day, Mrs. Gina hated Mrs. Zoe and avoided speaking to her, feeling that Mrs. Zoe and their husband had conspired to marry her just to show her how loving they were as a couple.

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One day, Mrs. Gina finally went into Mrs. Zoe's room and pleaded with her to allow their husband to spend a night with her, since that was why Mr. Leo married Gina in the first place.

Mrs. Zoe waited for Mr. Leo to arrive home that night, and she spoke to him about spending the night with Gina in her bedroom, to see if Gina could give him a son.

Mr. Leo refused, as he was avoiding Gina and regretted marrying her. But after Mrs. Zoe sent him away, he had no other option than to spend the night in Gina's bedroom, and he made love to her.

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A month later, Mrs. Gina was still jealous and continued hating Mrs. Zoe, seeing that Mr. Leo loved Mrs. Zoe much more than her. She had thought that Mr. Leo would love only her and leave Mrs. Zoe because of her inability to give him more children.

But Mr. Leo instead dismissed Mrs. Gina, refusing to eat food she cooked and avoiding her entirely.

Mrs. Gina quarreled with Mrs. Zoe again, which made Mr. Leo annoyed, and he finally brought home divorce papers.

Mr. Leo ordered Mrs. Gina to sign the divorce papers, but Mrs. Gina refused, telling her husband, "I'm pregnant."

Mr. Leo couldn't send Mrs. Gina away with his child growing in her womb, so he allowed her to stay in the mansion, but on the condition that she would live in the boys' quarters, away from the main house, and that she would not quarrel with Mrs. Zoe again.

Mrs. Gina accepted, as she had no other choice and didn't want to leave the house.

Eight months later, Mrs. Gina gave birth to a baby girl named Mia Adams, but Mr. Leo never came to her again to try for more children, especially a son.

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14 years later, Mrs. Gina's hatred for Mr. Leo and Mrs. Zoe grew worse, as it had only happened once in her 14 years of marriage.

Only once did Mr. Leo touch her and make love to her; he claimed he regretted marrying her.

Mrs. Gina knew she couldn't leave Mr. Leo's house and remarry, as the townspeople already mocked her for marrying her best friend's husband, and her parents had not supported her marrying Mr. Leo in the first place.But Mrs. Gina had thought that Mr. Leo would love her, but he avoided her.

Mrs. Gina knew that if she went out and got pregnant to try to give Mr. Leo a son, he would know the child wasn't his, as he only accepted Mia living in the main mansion because she was his biological daughter, and because Olima wanted a younger sister.

Mrs. Gina's heart turned cold, and she contacted a truck driver to ram into Mr. Leo and Mrs. Zoe's car, knowing they were on their way to Lemon Hill high school for the graduation ceremony of Olima and Mia. Olima was graduating from college, while Mia was entering a senior class.

Mrs. Gina later confirmed with the driver about his successful job, then she killed the truck driver to hide her secret.

Three months after the burial ceremony ended, Mrs. Gina moved back into the main mansion that her late husband and his admirable wife had sent her away from. She dismissed all the maids, and turned Olima into her servant, withdrawing Olima from her tutorial class.

All their family members, who had been silent, started visiting the mansion to find out who would take over the late Mr. Leo's wealth and oil company. But Mrs. Gina was a brutal woman, and she had all her in-laws arrested, accusing them of being responsible for the deaths of her late husband and his wife.

All the arrested in-laws had to bail themselves out and signed a declaration never to disturb Mrs. Gina Adams and her family again.

Mrs. Gina later contacted Mr. Leo's lawyer to find out about Mr. Leo's will, remembering that Mr. Leo had told her that Olima would inherit all his properties.

Mrs. Gina could have killed Olima too, but she didn't want her only daughter, Mia, to be alone in the big house without a sister. So Mrs. Gina decided not to kill Olima, instead turning her into a lifetime maid, knowing that no one would come to Olima's rescue.

When the lawyer arrived, he told Mrs. Gina, "Mr. Leo's will cannot be changed. The will states that the company should be given to Olima Adams, but only when Olima turns 24 years old."

Mrs. Gina became annoyed and started plotting how she could change the will so that the property would belong only to her and to Mia.