THE BILLIONAIRE CRIPPLED WIFE

chapter 15&16

🌹THE BILLIONAIRE'S CRIPPLED 🌹

🥀WIFE🥀

{Love In Contract…}

Chapter 15💎16

🥀AFTER EVERYTHING🥀

“Wow Richard Diamond. It's nice finally meeting you!”. One of the influential guests called to Richard's attention at the party as he approached them.

Then he extended his hand to Richard for a handshake and Richard boldly took it.

Angela, who was with him, smiled at the guest.

“I'm guessing she must be your wife. She's very beautiful! Now I see why it took you so long to reveal her to the public. You're afraid of her getting snatched from you right?”. The guest joked and Angela chuckled along with him while holding Richard's arm like he was really her husband.

Richard on the other hand had a straight face on as he watched them.

“Trashy party. Why would grandfather make our home the venue, now I have to sleep in a hotel tonight because of how stuffy everywhere is”. Gaston spat from gulping down another glass of red wine.

He sat with Pascal at the seats reserved for family members.

He was in a white and black tuxedo like Richard, but Pascal who still had issue with everyone for what happened earlier felt he wasn't obligated to wear the dress theme and so just wore a jean short and a white shirt in which the short sleeves were rolled up a little.

He was a natural blonde, with beautiful sharp facial features and knowing how he was the only blonde present, he had a face cap with cool rings on to cover his hair, giving him a nonchalant but smart look.

“Someone just got married, and you expect the company's anniversary to be held by someone else and not here?”. Pascal replied as he sipped from his glass and Gaston's eyes widened.

“You think he will give Richard the promised shares at this party? He's publicly giving them to Richard so the investors present here would think he’s 30% stronger and stop supporting us!”. Gaston spat in realization as he balled his fist while glaring at Richard and Pascal threw Richard a glare also.

“It's so easy to replace a wife nowadays”. Pascal muttered as he sipped from his wine glass again.

His gaze was still on Richard when he noticed two guards walking out of the venue and not too long Irene in her maid's uniform followed them sneakily from behind.

And Pascal dropped his wine glass as he frowned puzzly.

“That girl again”. He muttered remembering how Irene had also been present earlier and acting more frustrated than others when Gerald forced a kiss with Ophelia.

Pascal then got up and followed her also.

Gaston was too focused on Richard to notice anything.

Ophelia on her wheelchair, with her heart right in her mouth peeped out the door for the upteethm time again.

She stared directly at the chandelier if it would go off like earlier but nothing happened and then she wheeled out of the room and slowly shut the door behind her.

“He must have his reasons. So far, I'm the only one between us both who's capable of being brutal, he can't suddenly just replace me like that”. Ophelia mumbled as she wheeled herself towards the stairs and her eyes widened seeing how people from the higher class were so much.

She instantly wheeled back to watch everything from the glass rails upstairs since she couldn't go down the stairs herself.

And seeing how Richard interacted with Angela made her feel weird within.

Angela wasted no time in making everyone notice the wedding ring on her fingers and the fact that Richard wasn't hiding his made Ophelia a little puzzled as she glanced at the wedding ring in her finger.

“He was just ashamed of making everyone know his real wife can't walk”. She mumbled as she stared at the ring.

Then she took her gaze back to Richard and Angela downstairs and this time she found him staring at her and for a moment their eyes locked, even though they were feet and heights away.

Ophelia's beautiful blue gaze was more blurry and glassy as she retained tears within them, while Richard's was beyond clear and brighter.

Suddenly Ophelia's phone beeped of a message and she cut the contact to check who the message was from.

“Honey, quit zoning out! We have a lot of guests to meet”. Angela said, grabbing Richard's arm, as he still stood staring at Ophelia even though she was fixed on her phone now.

Angela noticed and glared secretly at Ophelia, before pulling in Richard again.

“Darling. You need to focus–

“Don't push it. And stop being so touchy”. Richard muttered harshly, cutting her off as he walked to sit down right opposite Gaston who was still glaring at him.

And Angela glared at Ophelia one last time before going to sit next to him.

The Chairman who noticed all sighed as he made his way to the podium with a glass of water and an iron spoon.

The moment he got to the podium, he hit the glass with the spoon and all attention turned to him, as some guests who were standing took their respective seats.

“Thanks for showing up once again. I and the entire Diamond family and Holdings are beyond honored”.

The chairman started and applause filled the air for a short while before he continued.

“Yes, tonight's party is for us all to celebrate our company's 80th anniversary and unlike our 60th and 70th anniversary that was held in huge halls in the city, this one was held here because of a certain someone I wanted to attend. She can't leave this mansion on her own, so of course she won't attend if the party were held outside and that's why I thought of bringing the party to her”. The chairman stated.

And soon everywhere became filled with whispers, and not to mention the flashes coming from the press and paparazzis.

Angela glanced cluelessly at Richard who sat watching his grandfather with his usual unfazed gaze, though his eyes kept moving from Ophelia who looked more terrified than ever with her eyes still glued to her phone to his grandfather on the podium.

“And that lady, who I so much want to attend this party. Is my grandson's wife”. The grandfather said with a smile as he turned to the stairs rail where he knew Ophelia was and began clapping but she was nowhere to be found.

The audience who didn't notice The chairman's movement all instantly turned to Angela and began clapping for with wide smiles on their faces and she smiled back as Camera flashes covered her.

She then turned to the chairman who stood staring sternly at Richard, who stared back at him.

“Thank you so much grandfather. I never knew I meant this much to you”. Angela stood with smiles as she bowed at the chairman while faking tears of joy knowing too well she wasn't the daughter-in-law he was talking about.

Gaston on the other hand stood frowning at her as he wondered when his grandfather suddenly became her fan.

The chairman ignored her as he continued his speech while still staring at Richard…

Irene followed the guards secretly to the back of the servants' annex, and her eyes widened as she saw more guards and other maids gathered on the carpet grass ground, to have a drinking feast with Gerald's drinks that had been confiscated and meant to be burnt.

They all sat together as they drank wholeheartedly while watching the beautiful shiny blue pool before them.

(The pool was built specifically for the servants at the annex)

And Irene seeing all this, placed a hand on her chest in a heart attack as she ran to them.

“You all have lost it!! Weren't you supposed to return the drinks when you noticed there weren't drugs in the bags?!!!”. She snapped loudly stomping her feet to the ground and some of the servants frowned.

“Hey! You're the youngest here have some manners kid!!”. A guard shouted loudly.

“Are you mad because you're not old enough to drink these strong drinks yet?!!”. Another said and all of them bursted out laughing and Irene frowned at them.

“What if the second boss wakes up and finds his cellar empty! Huh?! What are you all going to do?!!”. Irene shouted and a maid stood up storming towards her.

“The chairman said burn all the contents in that bag! And we wanted to do so, but now that we found out Alcohol was what was inside, how do you want us to set it on fire?! Don't you know some drinks are flammable?!! Do you want us to set them all on fire and have this whole mansion explode?!!”. The maid shouted pushing Irene by the chest and she staggered backwards closer to the pool.

“And you just got here, what makes you think you're any smarter than us?! Just because the chairman finds you cute doesn't mean you get to disrespect your seniors alright?!!”. Another maid spat from behind and others agreed.

“The chairman doesn't even find her cute! He's just specially nice to suffering young ladies because his wife and daughter died of an accident on the same day, after they both suffered from an unknown disease for two years!!---

“Shut your nasty mouth up!”. Pascal sneered angrily from behind and instantly the servants got up in shock as they bowed in front.

‘This short tempered 5th Sir. He seems to have heard everything’. Irene thought as she bowed also.

“Good evening…Sir Pascal”. The servants greeted while stuttering as Pascal walked past them still blazing in anger as he walked straight to the one who made the last statement and punched him hard on the face, which sent him straight to the ground.

And then he bent and gripped the guard's collar.

“Your Job here is over. I give you, just two minutes to f**k off this mansion you asshole!!”. Pascal shouted his blue eyes glaring daggers as he pushed the guard away roughly and instantly the guard stood up and ran out of the place.

Then he turned to the other servants with a sharp glare.

“I guess there's no more job for any of you to do while an event is ongoing right? You all would prefer taking the night bus back to your hometown won't you!!!”. Pascal shouted and the servant's eyes widened.

“We're sorry sir Pascal!!”. They shouted as they began running rampantly and Irene joined them, as she made sure to mix with the crowd, so he wouldn't notice her absence.

But a strong hand yanked her wrist from amidst the crowd and she forcefully turned with her chest slamming hard on Pascal's firm chest and her eyes met with his fierce gaze, glaring deep at her as she couldn't help but shake in his strong grip.

“You caused what happened earlier didn't you?”. Pascal's stern voice came as his gaze tore her to pieces and Irene shook her head negatively.

“No I didn't. I swear on my--my--Job”. Irene said and Pascal frowned.

“You dare lie to my face?! You helped my brother out of his room knowing fully well it was that time of the day he gets high!! And the fact that he would push that heavy bag himself when he could have called his guards to help, is beyond suspicious. You were more flustered than everyone else earlier, because you planned on stealing but it went wrong right?”. Pascal asked again and Irene's eyes widened.

“Steal?! What's that? I've never stolen in my entire life. Do I look like a thief? I'm nineteen sir”. Irene pleaded with a persuasive facial expression and Pascal nodded, pulling away from her.

“Seems G2 was right after all. You are a nasty liar, but because he was always on drugs, of course everyone would believe a cutie over him”. Pascal muttered.

“Thanks for the compliment–

“Swallow your statement”. Pascal hissed before Irene could finish as he walked away, shocking her.

“You're the reason why the new lady is having a hard time with her husband, and G2 also got punished for something he isn't aware of. I have no reason to punish you myself, but I would pay millions to see you pay for your actions”. Pascal said as he left and Irene only let out a deep as she broke down to the ground.

“I should just leave, otherwise if that monster wakes up, I'll be dead”. Irene muttered as she panted heavily on the ground.

“I had earlier let my entire family know that the first to get married amongst my grandson's would receive 30% shares of our company as a wedding gift”. The chairman stated and instantly gasps and camera flashes filled everywhere as everyone turned to Richard and Angela.

“Now that my third grandson Richard has become the first amongst all five of my grandsons to get married. I'll hereby be granting him a total of 15% shares as his wedding gift!!”. The chairman said and Richard frowned puzzly while everyone exchanged puzzled looks.

“15%? Didn't he just say 30?”

Many muttered in puzzlement. Angela glanced puzzly at Richard also.

“And then the remaining 15% to my Son's wife. And I hope he knows the wife I'm talking about”. The chairman said giving Richard one last glance before returning back to his seat and Rochard’s gaze followed him.

While the crowd who didn't notice anything from his statement broke into loud cheers as their applause filled the whole place.

Angela sat glaring at the chairman with a balled fist.

‘Does he realise he just gave that much power of his company to a cripple? She could be a billionaire again if she sold part of the shares!’. Angela thought in anger.

“Congratulations Angela!! Your grandfather-in-law really dotes on you a lot!!”

“You deserve the best Angela!”

“Congratulations Angela!!”

“Congratulations Sir Richard!!”

“You both are the best couples!”

Many wished but Angela in anger glanced at Richard who only drank from his wine glass unfazed and without hesitation she stormed out of the place and Mrs Diamond who was also taken aback by the announcement went after her.

Pascal walked in at that time and he blinked when he saw Gaston angrily storm past him, as he walked straight to the parking lot and drove roughly out of the crowded gate.

Soon people also began leaving and Richard went up to his room.

“Angela! Angela, wait a second. I thought you were reasonable, how could you just get mad over a little thing, like that?!!!”. Mrs Diamond called as she went after Angela who turned to her with a frown.

“I'm unreasonable for wanting to leave after being insulted?! The chairman just flat out said to my face that he preferred a cripple over me!!---

“So what? Does his opinion matter?! No right? It doesn't! Father-in-law never gets involved in the personal affairs of anyone in the mansion. He always believes we adults are smart enough to solve our issues ourselves. So don't you worry, just focus on Richard please. I want my son as far away from that cheater as possible”. Mrs Diamond said and Angela sighed as she pulled a strand of her hair to the back of her ear.

“You're right. I'm now your son's public wife, things like this shouldn't get to me. Richard obviously spends more time with me, than with her”. Angel said assuring herself and Mrs Diamond smiled holding her hands.

“Of course! His eyes have finally opened to appreciate what a gem you are. And to tell you a little secret, the chairman is vulnerable when it comes to seeing girls suffer. He watched his wife and my husband's younger sister who was just six at that time, suffer from a strange disease for two years. So that's why he couldn't stand seeing that cripple sad, he gave her the shares out of pity and sympathy”. Mrs Diamond said and Angela only chuckled and she laughed also.

Richard walked into the room and put the lights on, his gaze scanned through the. whole room in search of Ophelia but she was nowhere to be found.

He then checked the toilet and dressing room, but she wasn't in there and he blinked puzzly as he took off his suit jacket and walked out of the room.

“Have you seen my wife?”. He asked a maid who walked past him.

“Lady Angela is downstairs with her ladyship–

The maid paused seeing how Richard frowned at her.

“No. I haven't seen the first lady”. The maid replied with a bow before running off.

And Richard asked another servant that passed by and still no vital info, as he stood at the hallway while running his long fingers through his silky hair.

He then remembered how she had left the stair rails out of fright of what she saw in her phone and for a second his eyes flashed in worry as he began searching every room for her, including the guest and game rooms, as he dialed her number at the same time.

“Ophelia!”. He called as he opened the second to the last guestroom roughly and then he rushed in to check but she was nowhere in sight.

And he stormed out looking around in frustration as he glanced at the last guestroom he hadn't checked yet.

‘What if she's in trouble?’. He thought as he thought of phoning the police this time, but a certain part of him told him to dial Ophelia's number one last time and the moment he did.

Her phone began ringing from within the last guestroom he hadn't checked and he instantly rushed towards there, almost kicking the door open, but he calmed himself as he panted heavily, then touched the door gently like it was a person.

“Ophelia are you in there?”. Richard asked in his usual low deep voice but no reply came from within, only the sound of her ringing phone.

And he knocked this time around.

“Will you open up?”. He asked but still no reply.

“I'm asking this because you get startled by broken doors, don't paint me the villain once I kick this door open?!”. Richard continued but still no reply and that was the end of his self-composure.

As he firmly kicked down the door, and the whole door fell straight to the ground, and his eyes caught Ophelia's phone on the floor.

The screen was already cracked like she smashed it to the floor, and he picked it up and looked around for her, only for him to notice some movements around the duvet and he walked over there and yanked the duvet off the bed, and straight to the ground and Ophelia instantly came to view.

“Don't burn me alive!!”. She shouted loudly in fright, the moment the duvet came off her.

But the moment she saw it was Richard, her eyes calmed as she let out a deep sigh resting back on the bed.

“What's wrong with you?”. Richard asked his gaze scanning her troubled movement.

But no reply came from Ophelia who laid on the bed with her back facing him.

But he gripped her wrist and pulled her to sit up on the bed and she frowned, taking her wrist from him.

“Don't touch me! I already left the room for you and your new wife, what else do you want from me?! And why did you break down my room door? What If an arsonist walks in to set me on fire!”. Ophelia muttered with widened eyes as she hugged herself and Richard sat right next to her on the bed, his starry gaze completely stuck on her troubled face.

“That's why I begged you to open up yourself”. He muttered and Ophelia glanced at him.

“You did what you did to get back at me right? You clearly saw Gerald was the one who kissed me–

“Don't bring that up”. Richard uttered, cutting her off and she stopped talking, then he moved closer and took her hands, and began playing fondly with her fingers while staring affectionately at them.

“These fingers used to always be locked in mine, for every single hour of the day”. He muttered and Ophelia took in her lower lip.

Then he gazed up at her and pulled closer to caress her face with his other hand as he wasn't ready to let go of her fingers.

“Soft as ever”. He muttered as he caressed her cheek so soft like it was a fragile egg and Ophelia found herself staring lost at him.

“You're going to act like you didn't just treat me like thrash all through today”. She muttered and he gave her a raised eyebrow.

“Trash? That's too much to say. You promised to be a good wife didn't you?”. He asked in a calm voice and Ophelia's eyes widened.

“Yes I did but that doesn't stop you from standing up for me and you replaced me because of a misunderstanding…

Ophelia paused when Richard leaned more closer, now their lips were just a breath away, and his full light brown gazes were stuck on her pretty red lips.

“I didn't replace you because you kissed Gerald, I did it because it was part of the contract we both signed. You're my secret wife, remember? Requesting too much can lead to breach of contract don't you think?”. Richard said and Ophelia couldn't believe her ears.

“I can't believe you're justifying your actions. You were there when Gerald kissed me but you did nothing and replaced me with Angela instead, everyone now sees me as a cheater–

“Aren't you one?”. Richard questioned, removing his gaze sharply from her lips to her eyes and she blinked puzzly.

“Huh?”. Ophelia asked. She was taken aback by his response.

And Richard surprised her this time by pulling her by the waist into a hug and her eyes widened, as his strong arms cuddled her warmly, while he buried his face deep into her neck and sniffed in her vanilla scent.

‘I missed this body and scent so much’. Richard thought as he pulled Ophelia deeper into his hold.

Ophelia on the other hand was tempted to hug him back, it's been long they ever embraced and even though she missed his touch so much, this wasn't the time for it.

But Ophelia still shoved all her doubts aside and hugged him back, very passionately, the same way he was doing to her and Richard smiled amidst the hug.

“That's what I want My Vanilla, your submission. Just accept the pain, tears, torture and misery I give you, it might hurt a lot, but I've been there it won't kill you, it certainly didn't kill me and besides it's the least you can do for me, after everything”. Richard muttered in a husky deep voice.

As he wrapped his arms further possessively around Ophelia's slender waist and then he placed a passionate kiss on Ophelia’s neck leaving behind a hickey.

While Ophelia's eyes widened at his words…