The Dirty Truth: Secret Obsessions, Book 1

By Ashley Cole

Recently divorced, Naomi Archer and her 4 y/o son, desperately attempt to adjust after their world is rocked to the core. Reluctantly she tries to handle their future walking on eggshells, with her now ex-husband, Ethan, but he refuses to go down without a fight, continuing to wreak havoc on her already broken spirit. Attempting to camouflage her emotions, she buries any love she’s ever had for him into her newly owned company Sassy Couture. Naomi is a well-known fashion designer striving for her clothing & shoe collection to be sold worldwide, but her success lies in the hands of her close friend Dominique. He happens to be preparing for his 20th Annual Paris Fashion Week. She knows that if her friend loves her clothing & shoe line her collection will be added to his upcoming Fall Fashion Show, which would surpass her expectations and skyrocket her success in the fashion world. Her best friend, Scarlett, is secretly a bi-curious 3rd grade teacher who seems to have fallen in love with the 2nd grade teacher across the hall, Stephanie. However, Principal Hunter has other plans, and has been pining for her since she was first hired. Scarlett shows her obvious disinterest but may fall victim to her own faults and into the arms of the wrong one. Only time will tell if she will end up with the one, she loves or the one who obsesses over her. Chanel doesn’t believe life could get any worse but every time she tempts life to get better, she loses each battle. She recently discovers she has an older sister Naomi who happens to be living the life she’s only dreamt of. Feeling torn, she doesn’t know whether to be happy she has the sister she's always wanted or to hate her for seeming so perfect. Struggling to stay ahead, she must decide which direction she should turn. Unfortunately, life doesn’t make her decision an easy one.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664119932

Book preview

The

Dirty

Truth

Secret Obsessions, Book 1

ASHLEY

COLE

Copyright © 2020 by Ashley Cole.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 07/28/2020

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

816634

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 1

Why even bother? Every attempt at happiness has been two steps forward and five steps back. I’ve been envisioning this dream for years now, and the minute I have a chance at getting ahead, this happens. Is it not enough that Mason has separation anxiety? Scarlett thinks I’m slipping into a depression, and Mason’s father is intentionally being a dick about this stupid parenting plan.

Naomi was vexed. Her four-year-old Mason was refusing to eat breakfast. Her once-fresh latte was now cold, and she couldn’t seem to find her favorite Louboutins for this morning’s teleconference.

Seriously, where in the hell are my shoes? I don’t have time for this shit today.

Oooh, Mommy said a bad word. Mason frowned while passively nibbling his croissant.

Mason, please finish eating. We have to leave soon, she countered.

Annoyed mostly with herself, she searched every crack and crevice.

I can’t believe I woke up at 5:00 a.m. for this shit. It’s obvious I’m still going to be late. Why did this have to happen today? Dominique’s schedule is too busy to have to deal with my shenanigans.

"Naomi, pull your shit together. Having a panic attack isn’t going to solve anything."

Mommy, are you talking to yourself again?

And now my son thinks I’m crazy. Alexa, add that to my list of failures.

Naomi’s scheduled morning meeting was with Dominique, an A-list clothing designer who resides in Paris. He graciously had his assistant pencil her in to discuss her Sassy Couture’s Fall Collection while in preparation for his twentieth annual Paris Fashion Week show. Naomi was confident Dominique would love her designs. However, she also knew she’d have to bring her A-game.

Mason, have you seen my shoes?

Mason complacently pointed towards the den.

You have got to be kidding me. I know damn well those shoes weren’t sitting there the entire time, she mumbled.

They were sitting beside the same coffee table she’d passed several times. Thank you sweetheart, now please finish your food. We have to go.

Mason vigorously shook his head, refusing. No, Mommy, I’m not hungry.

Fine, you can eat at day care. Let’s go, Naomi replied, saving today’s battle for another day.

After handing Mason his Marvel backpack, she headed toward the front door, activating the house alarm. She then spun around to face Mason, yelling, Ready, set, go! as they sprinted to her Mercedes S-Class Benz. This was their morning ritual.

Beat you! Mason shouted, jumping up and down.

Don’t celebrate too much. Mommy’s going to kick your little bootie one day. Mason giggled as she opened the back door. Hop in, munchkin, she insisted.

Mason folded his arms as he began to pout. You said you wouldn’t call me that anymore, I’m a big boy!

Mason was going through the I’m not a baby phase. He felt it was downright disrespectful to be called a baby at the strapping age of four.

Ooops, I meant Mommy’s big boy, she replied.

She helped him settle into his car seat, realizing she’d escaped another meltdown by the skin of her teeth. Ever since her divorce from Ethan, he’d been having them more frequently. She couldn’t help but wonder how the divorce was affecting him.

Okay, Mommy, no more forgetting okay? Remember, I’m a big boy. He glowered at her as she secured his seat belt.

Mommy will try to remember next time, okay? she replied.

Okay, Mommy. He sighed, allowing himself to relax.

After hopping in, she pressed the push-to-start button while activating the Bluetooth on her Samsung Galaxy S10. Searching Amazon Music for Bruno Mars, she selected Finesse, as she made her way toward I-87, praying she’d miss rush-hour traffic.

Lord, I just want you to know you were pretty frugal when delivering patience, so I’m gon’ need a lot less traffic and a little more time this morning. Amen? she prayed.

New York traffic could provoke a saint to curse, but that was no excuse. Naomi’s road rage was definitely in her DNA. She learned everything she knew from her father. That man would curse your ass out and chase you down the highway for cutting him off.

Use your blinker, psycho! You better not hit my car! she squealed.

That’s right, don’t hit Mommy’s car! shouted Mason, her loyal backseat driver.

Oh dear god, Naomi mumbled as she rubbed her temple.

Mason was undoubtedly her mini me. Lately, she’d been trying to refrain from cursing in front of him. She’d made little improvement, however; it was clear she had more work to do.

God knows I don’t need him repeating this shit at day care. They’d really judge me then. Every time I check Mason in, I see the looks that bitch Allison gives me at the front desk, that oh poor thing, she just went through a divorce and is a single full-time working mom look. I can hear the Perfect Pattys already. "Did you hear what Naomi’s son said yesterday? What is she teaching him? Maybe she shouldn’t work so much." Yeah? Well, guess what, all this working pays my fucking bills, so mind your gotdamn business.

Naomi loathed the Perfect Pattys. They were the moms who turned their noses up at you for not meeting their standards of what they felt a wife and mother should look like.

As far as she was concerned, the world would be better off without judgmental assholes. She could never do right in their eyes. She hated how the stay-at-home moms silently judged her for rarely making it to field trips and school programs.

If I had the option to be home more, I would, but these bitches are too busy judging me to understand. Why should I feel bad for working full-time and being a single mom while chasing my dreams? If I was a celebrity no one would give a shit. Whatever. Fuck these wanna be perfect bitches, I’m perfect to Mason, and that’s all that matters.

She arrived at The Boys and Girls Academy within fifteen minutes, leaving her with thirty minutes to reach the office.

After hurriedly punching 2-1-3 into the keypad, she signed Mason in at the front desk. Stacy, Mason’s teacher, greeted her at the entrance.

Be good, okay? Naomi smiled as she kissed Mason’s forehead.

Mason leapt, giving her a big hug, then sprinted towards his best friend Aiden.

Mason, no running! she shouted.

It’s okay, he’ll calm down soon. You know how he and Aiden are. Stacy chuckled.

Only slowing down once he bumped Aiden’s elbow, Mason immediately knelt beside the toy chest, searching dramatically for his favorite action figure, Black Panther.

Girl, he is going to give me a heart attack one day. Naomi laughed.

He’ll be fine, don’t worry. Have a good day, Ms. Archer, she replied as she waved goodbye.

After peeking in on Mason one last time, Naomi darted across the parking lot to her car. Once buckled in, she activated her Bluetooth and dialed her assistant Tiana’s extension.

Good morning, Ms. Archer, she answered promptly.

"Good morning, Tiana, my morning has been hectic already, so I’ll need you to handle a few things before I arrive. Prep the boardroom for my nine-o-clock meeting, display a few samples from the fall collection, and grab my laptop. It’s near the Stargazer lilies. Also, retrieve my notes for the latest