Love, Lust & Lies (season one)✔️

S1E6

DONNA JACKSON-Always Business on Her Mind

She was not going to let her brother bully her into a deal that she did not think was right for the company. That was not how she was wired, and they knew that. She liked making her money just as much as her brothers but she did it keeping her integrity intact. In her eyes, the Scovilles were just as bad as the Van Russells.

She was busy filling out reports on her computer when there was a small knock on her office door, and then it opened.

"Donna."

"Yes Anita, come in."

Anita was her hard-working assistant. She completed her undergrad at Midtown University and was smart as a whip and loyal. She was applying to law school and hoped to get in next fall. Donna hoped that serving as her mentor was just the push she needed.

"Your brother is on a rampage."

"I know. He'll calm down once he sees I'm right."

"And you are," Anita told her, "Jessica Scoville spilled the beans to me how daddy ruined the business with multiple sexual misconduct lawsuits."

"I always knew he was a slimeball."

It was Anita who got Hunter's daughter talking. She revealed things that were not in the proposal, about how the company suffered from paying out multiple legal cases. Those things of course were not disclosed to Quinton, because Hunter was trying to get as much money as he could. Donna was pretty sure the Van Russells did not know everything or else they would not have put in such a high bid.

As far as Donna was concerned, the Van Russells could go to hell and jump on hot coals all night long. That is where they belonged. They thought the world revolved around them and she was supposed to jump for them whenever they said so. She had gone through that before. When the Jacksons and Van Russells were two close-knit families, Marty and Ethan were two more older brothers to her.

Those "good old days" were long gone.

"You're going to be a shrewd lawyer one day," she said to Anita.

"I want to do corporate law just like you. Hopefully, work at a large company like this."

"Anita, I don't know what I'd do without you, but I know you can't be my assistant forever."

ANITA COHEN-More Than Your Average Assistant

She adored her boss and reveled in the praises and compliments. She was in awe of Donna Jackson, as well as all the Jacksons. They were a family and she never had as a foster kid.

From the first glance at her, one would never know she grew up dirt poor to a drug-addicted mother who left her home alone when she was only six.

From there, foster family after foster family, no one ever gave her a permanent place to stay. She always felt dumb, ugly, like a freak. No family and no friends, an outsider looking in. In Midtown, you either were rich or you were poor. There was no in-between. For years she dreamt of being part of the Van Russell or Jackson family. 

Look at her now.

She may look like little orphan Annie with her curly red hair, green eyes, and freckles over her face, but once she put a little effort into how she dressed and wore make-up, more boys noticed her. Her mediocre grades went to all As and she applied for college not even knowing how she was going to pay for it. Once she turned eighteen, in the foster system she was on her own.

Good thing she had good counselors who made sure she applied to every type of scholarship and aid she could get. She ended up not having to pay a dime for her four years and put in work on her back with rich men with deep pockets to have extra spending money.

Now if all went as planned, Jackson Properties could all be hers.

MARTY VAN RUSSELL-Shit Hits the Fan

A few weeks later, the Scoville deal had closed. Marty hired a few key people to handle the redevelopment of the strip malls. He tried to find ways to get rid of the other three lead properties; an office building that only filled thirty percent, and two residentials with low-income families. They were not anything Van Russells needed, but they were part of the deal.

Hunter Scoville was pissed that he was not brought on at the closing of the deal. Marty did not have time to worry about his hurt feelings.

What he did worry about was his useless brother who did not give a damn about the family business or his family. He had been gone for two months with no word from him. Marty was sure he was out of the country with whatever model he was dating.

Ever since he split with Sasha he spent less and less time at the company. He did not even spend time with his children. Their father and his fourth wife took care of his niece and nephew, or they were pretty much left on their own. His stepmother was the best wife his father ever had, other than his mother. She died when he was a teenager and his father immediately remarried JoAnna.

She was a crazy bitch who tried to kill his father. Unfortunately for them all, she popped out a crazy son as well. JoAnna was currently in jail. His half-brother Michael, he couldn't care less about him and wherever he was.

Then there was Deidre, Jennifer's best friend. Thankfully she had been married and divorced before and had two children from that relationship. Just in case, he made sure his father had a vasectomy.

Deidre lasted two years. Then his father dated a string of women young enough to be his daughter, granddaughter even. Finally, he met Doreen. She was more his speed, at sixty, she was only ten years younger than him. She fit perfectly in the family and doted on all her stepchildren and grandchildren because she had none of her own.

She was the only one who could tolerate Ethan. She treated that grown man like a baby. The baby he acted like most of the time instead of the forty-three-year-old man.

A knock and William walked in.

"Got a minute?"

"Sure, what's the word?"

"Guess who's back in town?"

Marty knew immediately who he was talking about. What the hell blew Ethan into town?

"Great. I don't have time to babysit him," Marty grumbled.

The only reason he was employed at Van Russells was that their father thought it was his birthright. Ethan could care less about the business, he cared about spending the money.

And bringing scandal to the family name.

Hey readers!

So who is your favorite character so far? Who do you think needs more story?

I have to say, my favorite character (besides all of them because I created them, lol) is yet to come. No worries, next chapter we will get to know all about the sexy Ethan Van Russell.

XOXO
Kimberly