It was six months since Olivia Adams lost her parents, and she had been living with her stepmother and her stepsister since then. Her stepmother had turned her into a maid and also withdrew her from continuing her education.
Seventeen years ago, Mr. Leo Adams had married Mrs. Zoe Elliott, and she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with brown sparkling eyes named Olivia Adams. However, after Olivia was born, Mrs. Zoe had complications.
Mrs. Zoe cried that she wanted to give her husband more children, but her husband 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 Olivia was a girl. He wanted a son to continue to bear his name and inherit his properties.
Mrs. Zoe became worried about another woman coming into her matrimonial home and turning her husband's heart against her. She spoke to her best friend, Gina Edwards, asking her to agree to marry her husband.
Gina and Zoe had been childhood best friends, having attended the same college and grown up in the same town. Mrs. Zoe was a light-skinned 25-year-old woman, and she begged Gina, "Please, Gina, can you accept and marry my husband? He needs a son to take over his properties and bear his name after we leave."
Gina Edwards was also a 25-year-old light-skinned woman, and she wasted no time in accepting to marry Mr. Leo Adams. Mrs. Gina had previously been jealous of Mrs. Zoe's marriage, and even as childhood best friends, she agreed, saying, "Yes, I will marry Mr. Leo."
Unbeknownst to Mrs. Zoe, Gina was envious of her marriage and secretly admired Mr. Leo during her visits to see Olivia. After Mr. Leo officially married Mrs. Gina, Gina arrived at the white villa to live with them. However, Mrs. Gina changed on the first day of her arrival.
Mrs. Gina told Mr. Leo to send Mrs. Zoe away from the master bedroom, claiming that she was the new wife and could give Mr. Leo more children since Mrs. Zoe was unable to. At that time, Olivia was only two years old when her father had married Mrs. Gina.
Mr. Leo became annoyed with Mrs. Gina's sudden change in attitude and told her, "How dare you move into my mansion and quarrel with your best friend, Zoe? I thought you and she were best friends! Do you think I married you because I love you? If Zoe hadn't spoken to me about you, do you think I would want you? Get ready to sign the divorce papers tomorrow and leave my house! Olivia is still my daughter, and she will inherit all my properties. Even if Olivia grows up and marries a man, changing her surname to her husband's surname, she will always be my daughter."
Mrs. Gina frowned upon realizing that Mr. Leo truly loved Mrs. Zoe more than she had thought. She then switched back to being the good friend she had been before to Mrs. Zoe. She went down on her knees and begged Mrs. Zoe to plead with Mr. Leo not to divorce her.
Mrs. Zoe was a kind woman and understood that it was her fault for begging Mrs. Gina to marry Mr. Leo. She finally spoke to Mr. Leo on Mrs. Gina's behalf, pleading with him not to send Mrs. Gina away now that they were married.
Mr. Leo calmed down and allowed Mrs. Gina to continue living with them but took her to a separate bedroom, warning her not to cause any more quarrels. He stated that if she did, he wouldn't hesitate to throw her out.
Mrs. Gina realized she could not claim Mr. Leo as she had thought; instead, he had distanced himself from her. Mrs. Gina ended up in her new room, but Mr. Leo ruined her wedding night by not touching her or seeing her at all.
Days turned into weeks, and unable to bear the shame of being called a barren woman, Mrs. Gina eventually went into Mrs. Zoe's bedroom and pleaded with her to convince Mr. Leo to perform his conjugal rights with her, as her husband.
Mrs. Zoe was aware that it was all her fault. Fearing another woman would come into her home and turn her husband's heart against her, she agreed to speak to Mr. Leo. When Mr. Leo arrived that night after dinner, Mrs. Zoe refused him, telling him, "You cannot continue to avoid Mrs. Gina in this house. Please go to her room and perform your conjugal rights with her."
Mr. Leo saw the pain in Mrs. Zoe's eyes. Despite her words not reaching her heart, he eventually left for Mrs. Gina's bedroom, and they made love that night.
Mrs. Zoe cried alone in her bed and eventually drifted off to sleep, realizing there was nothing she could do. After that night, Mrs. Gina wanted Mr. Leo to touch her every night, but he refused, stating, "I cannot sleep with you every night. One night is enough to get you pregnant."
Mrs. Gina became annoyed. After Mr. Leo left for work the next day, she quarreled with Mrs. Zoe, calling her a wicked woman. She accused Mrs. Zoe of being a bad friend and said Zoe was depriving Mr. Leo of loving her.
Later, when Mr. Leo returned home, Mrs. Zoe informed him of the quarrel. Mr. Leo became annoyed and brought divorce papers home the following day, ordering Mrs. Gina to sign them and leave his house. But Mrs. Gina refused, declaring, "I am pregnant."
Mr. Leo knew he couldn't send Mrs. Gina away with his child growing in her womb, so he allowed her to continue living with them. After eight months of pregnancy, Mrs. Gina finally gave birth to a baby girl, and Mr. Leo's hope was shattered when he realized the baby was not the boy he wanted.
Mrs. Gina was thrilled to be a mother and named her daughter "Mia Adams." She hoped that Mr. Leo would touch her again and get her pregnant, but Mr. Leo continued to avoid her, sending her to live in the guesthouse.
Time passed, and fourteen years went by without Mr. Leo ever touching Mrs. Gina again. She felt she couldn't cheat on Mr. Leo to get pregnant with another man's child. Frustrated, Mrs. Gina resolved to kill Mr. Leo and Mrs. Zoe and seize all of Mr. Leo's wealth and oil company for herself.
Mrs. Gina grew tired of witnessing Mr. Leo and Mrs. Zoe's affectionate behavior toward each other. Knowing that Mr. Leo would never love her, she arranged for a truck driver to ram into Mr. Leo and Mrs. Zoe's car, planning to kill them both.
She knew they were going to Lemon Hill High School for Olivia and Mia's graduation ceremony. She, too, was attending the school for her daughter’s graduation, as Mia was entering a senior class while Olivia was set to graduate at the top of her class.
Mrs. Gina attended the graduation ceremony alone and took several photos with her daughter while Olivia anxiously waited for her parents to arrive. Later that evening, upon arriving home, Olivia was shocked to learn of her parents' absence. She cried, knowing her stepmother hated her the most.
Wanting to leave the house, Olivia found nowhere to go. She patiently waited for her uncles to arrive. When they did, they asked Mrs. Gina about the oil company and the other documents pertaining to the mansion.
It was only three months after Olivia's parents’ burial that Mrs. Gina wasted no time in arresting all her in-laws, accusing them of killing Mr. Leo and his wife to claim his wealth. Mr. Leo's two brothers signed an agreement never to disturb Mrs. Gina again, and they left, never to return.
No one inquired about Olivia again, and Mrs. Gina moved into the main mansion that Mr. Leo had previously chased her away from, throwing out all of Mrs. Zoe's belongings. She burned everything outside, unable to bear to see the beautiful portraits of the late Mrs. Zoe on the living room walls.
She replaced the empty walls with her own photos while leaving Mr. Leo's image untouched. Mrs. Gina fired all five housemaids, including the cook, and turned Olivia into her maid.
She told Olivia, "You saw how your late father treated me and Mia when he was alive. There’s no money for you to continue your education. You will have to remain as my maid to help take care of the house your parents left behind. We cannot sell it to sponsor you through school. That would be very wicked of you; selling the only property we live in when we haven't seen the will or acquired another house..."
Olivia was left with no option, as her stepmother withdrew her from her tutorial classes and transformed her into a maid. She was forced to learn how to cook, wash the dishes, wake up very early in the morning, and tidy up the house. She had to tend to the garden, manage her mother’s farm, and trim the flowers as well.
Olivia cried, but her tears were not enough to resolve the situation as she watched Mia return to school while her stepmother had already denied her the opportunity to continue her education.
Mrs. Gina later invited the family lawyer to discuss the late Mr. Leo's will. When the lawyer arrived, he informed Mrs. Gina that the will could not be changed. The will stated that the oil company left behind by Mr. Leo Adams was to be given to Olivia Adams, but only when she turned 24 years old.
Mrs. Gina became furious, sending the lawyer away and plotting how she would turn the oil company and all other properties belonging to the late Mr. Leo Adams into her own.
