Abigail Fairgate Cunningham Ewing Sumner

Abigail Fairgate, known as ‘Abby’ to her family, was the youngest child of three, her nearest sibling Sid, was already in his teens when she was born. After Abby was born, Sid immediately took on the role of older protective brother and from that day on there was nothing he would not do for Abby. Abby’s mother died when she was two, and her father died 3 years later. Young Abby was very lucky that she had an older brother like Sid, who immediately upon the death of their father took on the role of parent. Abby’s childhood was one of love and security but very little money. When she reached the age of 10, Sid married a wealthy socialite called Susan Philby. They soon had a Daughter called Annie. Sid and Susan’s relationship was not to last and after a while Susan took Annie and left Sid. So again it was just Abby and Sid.

After a while Sid remarried, this time to Karen Cooper. Abby still hung out with Sid at his garage, and it was while she was at the garage one day that she met her first love. Charles Scott III was the son of a rich family, he and Abby soon started to date. Abby fell in love and imagined that she and Charles would be together forever. So it was a shock when Karen showed Abby, the announcement of Charles engagement to another woman. When Abby confronted Charles with news of his engagement, Charles said that this should not change his and Abby’s relationship. Abby learnt a hard lesson from Charles, and after trashing her room she vowed never to let a man hurt her like that again.

At College Abby met the first of her husbands Jeff Cunningham. He was a relatively staid young man who was studying to be a lawyer. At one point during her college years, Abby dated two men Mike and Robert at the same time, the men were the best of friends, but had not known about the fact they were both sleeping with Abby. When Mike found out that Abby was sleeping with Robert too, the young men started to fight and Mike died from a head injury, caused by Robert pushing him. Abby lied to the police for Robert. Abby soon finished her relationship with Robert and married Jeff.

Two children, and a boring marriage later Abby, decided that she could not bear to live with Jeff any longer so she packed Olivia and Brian, her children, into the car and left Jeff. She planned to move to San Diego, but decided to pay a visit to Sid first.

It was so nice to be near Sid, that Abby decided to stay in Knots Landing and not move to San Diego after all. Sid hired Abby as the bookkeeper for his garage and Abby moved into an empty house on Sea View Circle. Soon she started flirting with Kenny Ward and when that did not get very far, she shifted her attention to Richard Avery another neighbour. All the while she really wanted to be with Gary Ewing, yet another neighbour. Her main attraction to Gary was the fact he came from the rich and infamous Ewing Family.
After borrowing money from J.R.Ewing to pay of an illegal Auto Parts Dealer, she started an affair with Gary. In the mean time Jeff, had absconded with their two young children, Olivia and Brian. This was the beginning of Abby’s mini hell, Sid, her beloved brother had died due to a car accident, which had been caused by the illegal Auto Parts Dealer. Karen, her sister in law had fired Abby, and as well as that she could not find her missing children. Olivia sent Valene, Gary’s spouse, a postcard, which helped Abby find Jeff and the kids. Abby knew she had to be devious, if she was to retrieve the kids from Jeff, so she tricked him into believing she was going to remarry him. But, instead of the wedding Jeff had been expecting, he received a restraining order to stop him going near the children ever again.

Back in Knots Landing with her children, and back working at Knots Landing Motors, Abby and Gary were seeing a great deal of each other. Val soon realised what was going on and confronted Abby, asking her if Gary and Abby were sleeping together. Abby replied by saying: ‘that she was not saying yes, and, she was not saying no, but, what she was saying, was that she could have him anytime she wanted him.’

After finding out that Gary would inherit millions of dollars from his father’s recent death, she persuaded Gary to divorce Val. Abby should have been happy, she had the man, money and her lovely kids, but she was bored and worried that if Gary did not marry her she would be left poor again, so she started to secretly siphon of some of Gary’s funds. With that money, she set up a company called Apolune. When Sid’s daughter Diana collapsed and it was discovered that Diana needed a kidney transplant, Abby was asked to be a donor. Abby was very frightened at the thought of dying in surgery which would leave her children motherless like she had been, so she originally said no to the request. Abby changed her mind when she realised how truly ill Diana was, and the transplant was a success.

Diana told Abby that Gary was having an affair with Ciji. This was not true, but then Ciji was found dead on the beach by a drunken Gary. Gary was convinced that he had killed Ciji. The police arrested Gary and Abby took advantage of Gary’s situation by gaining control of his money. An innocent Gary was released from prison, and asked Abby to live with him at his ranch.
Abby hated the ranch but realised that to keep Gary she must stay there, so she opened up an office in town. The office was perfect for Abby, as it had a secret apartment attached to it. Then Gary decided to marry Abby, because he felt that this was the only way that Val would get on with her life, without him. On honeymoon, Abby spotted a Ciji look a like. Cathy, the Ciji look alike was quickly hired by Abby as a distraction for Gary. Abby, correctly assumed that if Gary was distracted from business affairs by Cathy, she would be able to run the business anyway she liked.

Karen and Abby were left a small property in a place called Lotus Point. Abby was delighted and tried to buy Karen’s half. When Karen refused, Abby set up her master plan and brought all the property at Lotus Point and set about developing Lotus Point. To develop the area she needed a variance from the coastal commission, the only person who could help her achieve the variance was Greg Sumner. The news of Abby’s plans for Lotus Point reached the head of the Wolfbridge Group, who were determined to be in on developing. Abby, much against her will was forced to have the Wolfbridge Group as a partner in Lotus Point’s development.

Greg Sumner then makes Lotus Point’s variance public. He implicates Mack Mackenzie and Karen. Gary then realised that he needed to have his business audited. Abby managed to hide Apoloune from Gary. Due to Mack’s investigation of Lotus Point, Gary discovered that Abby had being lying to everyone about her involvement in Lotus Point and threw her off his ranch.
Mack offered Abby immunity from any charges concerning Lotus Point if she helped him with his investigation into the Wolfbridge group. Abby was then shocked to find out that Gary had died. After Abby discovered, that Gary was in fact alive and helping Mack with his investigations Abby became very angry, she then agreed to help Mack with a plan. The plan went wrong and Abby ended up being held hostage on a boat, she was rescued when Greg came to the boat and shot her kidnapper.

Gary and Abby reconciled and Gary decided to make Lotus Point more ecologically sound with him, Karen and Abby in charge. This upset Abby, who then turned her attention to Pacific World Cable, Gary’s new acquisition. Abby was shocked to discover that Ben Gibson the station manager and Val’s boyfriend, was not the father of Val’s unborn twins. In fact Gary was the father. This angered and scared Abby, she confided in Scott Easton that Gary was the father of Val’s twins and that if this became known it could ruin every thing she had ever had. Scott took it upon himself to solve Abby’s ‘problem’ and it was a shocked Abby who discovered that Val’s twins had been taken from her and put up for adoption in an illegal adoption ring.

Meanwhile everyone thought Val’s twins had died. Gary had begun negotiation with Paul Galveston on water rights for Lotus Point. The water ran through Empire Valley, which was owned by Galveston who was Greg Sumner’s natural father. Abby decided she wanted to help Gary, but Paul Galveston hated Abby and would not have anything to do with her.

When Val went missing Gary hired a detective to find her, the detective offered Abby the information in return for sex. When Abby went to receive the information she was met by Paul Galveston, who threatened to tell Gary all about the twins. So Abby told Gary she had found Val. After Galveston’s death Greg renounced his senate seat to take over his father’s business. Abby realised that there was more to Empire Valley than she had originally thought. After Galveston left Gary the land in Empire Valley, Abby realised that Empire Valley was big, big money and a big risk. Karen was getting closer to finding Val’s twins and Greg had all the investigator’s report he offered the information to Abby in return for Gary’s Empire Valley land. Abby could not give Greg the land so Greg’s mother offered her another deal if she split Laura and Greg up, she would get Abby the information. Abby was successful, now all she had to worry about was covering her back in concern of the twins. Abby went to Val and told her she had received a message meant for Val, telling her where the twins were.

Abby concentrated on Empire Valley and Greg for a while. Empire Valley was going to be an International Communications Centre. Abby new that Gary would not be happy with this, so she kept him in the dark. But, when the Construction Supervisor died Gary found out everything and made Abby help him blow up Empire Valley.

Abby with Greg’s help soon got on to the State Planning Commission board. Greg wanted Abby to side with all of his proposals and when Abby refused he threatened to tell Gary all about Val’s twins and Abby’s involvement in their disappearance, and that Gary was there natural father. Olivia decided to leave home and live with Karen and Mac, because she knew her mother was involved in the disappearance of Val’s twins. Abby became frustrated, she had Greg and Olivia, threatening to tell all about her involvement with the twins disappearance and she had Gary ignoring her. A bright spot appeared on the horizon, Greg had hired his half brother Peter Hollister as his secretary.

First Abby, manipulated Gary into giving her his remaining half of Empire Valley, by reminding him that he had been a lousy father to her children, and she also told Gary she would bring Val, the twins, and his relationships with Cathy and Jill Bennett, into a divorce battle. Then she started to secretly date Peter Hollister and had him Spy on Greg, then she coerced Sylvia Lean into revealing that she was not Peter’s mother. Abby asked Peter to seduce Jill away from Gary and when Peter said no, and threatened to reveal all about the twins, followed by Greg threatening the same thing moments later. Abby had had enough. Abby publicly declared that she knew the twins were alive all along, but had needed more evidence before she could declare it. Abby was elated this had got the hold that Greg, Peter and Olivia had over her, invalid, and to top it all Olivia came home as well.

Abby’s detective found out that Jill’s family used to own Empire Valley and told Gary that it was obvious that Jill was using him to get Empire Valley back. Abby then persuaded Peter to take Greg’s money and offer to help him run for senate, then she took Peter for a lover, and 51% of Greg’s money!
Lilimae and Olivia got involved in a car accident, Abby was horrified when Lilimae told Abby that she had found cocaine in Olivia’s car. Olivia continued to abuse drugs, this only ended with a dramatic two day affair, which involved Abby and Olivia locked into the ranch house together and Brian being beaten up by Olivia’s dealer. Olivia finally saw the light, and started going to AA with Gary.

Gary declared that he wanted a divorce, Abby agreed, but only for a settlement of $3 million dollars. The divorce with Gary finally over and a new relationship with Peter, plus a third ownership of Lotus Point, Abby was happy. … for a while.

Peter had asked Olivia, to help him with an Anti Drug Abuse campaign aimed at youngsters like herself, but neither Peter nor Abby had not reckoned with Olivia falling in love with him. Abby, fell out with Peter when she realised that he was too friendly with Olivia, and then Olivia fell out with Peter following Paige’s revelation that Peter was seeing Abby. Subsequently when Olivia and Abby found Peter dead in the Lotus Point Dinning Room, they both thought that the other had killed Peter. Abby, buried Peter in the Lotus Point children’s playground. Gary and Karen had the playground dug up because cracks began to appear on the surface, Peter’s body was found, and Olivia was about to be arrested, so Abby decided to protect Olivia by declaring that she had killed Peter. Olivia was horrified and told Gary that she believed Abby to be the Killer. Abby upon hearing this news, realised that neither she nor Olivia had killed Peter, so Olivia and Abby made up, and informed the police of their revelations. Abby was very angry, when it was revealed that it was in fact Paige that had killed Peter. Abby was really very angry with Paige and was out for revenge!

Bonding with Olivia again was a slow process, not helped by Olivia still grieving over Peter. Abby, trying to be the understanding mother told Olivia, about her first love Charles Scott III.

A Business Convention held at Lotus Point brought Abby face to face with Charles Scott. In a series of flash back scenes to the mid sixties, we come face to face with a young Abby, Karen, and Charles, in an attempt to explain how Charles had broke Abby’s heart by marrying the more appropriate Judith. Charles is still married to ‘the more appropriate’ Judith, but, is very unhappy and feels that it was a big mistake. Abby screams to Charles that she hates him, but still sleeps with him. After several fun dates with Charles, Abby begins to feel in control, until Judith comes to town. It is clear to Abby, that Judith controls Charles. Judith tells Abby, that Charles will never leave her, and in fact Charles packs his bags to go with Judith. And, then changes his mind and declares his love for Abby, he asks her to marry him. Abby says yes.

Judith and Charles cannot divorce until a merger goes through, which could take ages. So Abby, asks Greg for help to ruin the merger and accelerate the divorce. Judith who secretly taped Abby and Greg’s meeting, informs Charles that Abby used inside information. Charles replies that he does not care – as he loves Abby.

Charles offers Abby a loan and suggests that she expands the Marina at Lotus Point. Abby hires a detective to investigate Charles and when Charles divorce becomes final, she announces that she wants to get married straight away. Abby says that she can’t afford to expand the marina, so Charles gives her $2 million dollars to pay for the marina and says it is her wedding gift. Abby and Charles get married in Lake Tahoe, and the next day Abby gets her lawyer to annul the marriage, after having cashed the $2 million dollar cheque. Abby argues with Charles that he can’t have the money back and tells him what her Private Investigator has found out about him. Charles goes back east. Olivia gets upset that the marriage is annulled, and accuses Abby, of forever stealing husbands and ruining marriages. Olivia meets a young man called Harold, and Olivia introduces Harold and his Uncle Manny to Abby. Manny tells Abby that he rents yachts out for a living, (really Manny is in organised crime). Manny is keen to work with Abby and Karen at Lotus Point marina. Harold and Olivia get closer, and when Olivia and Harold announce their engagement, Abby is furious and threatens Manny that she will pull out of there yacht deal if he does not persuade Harold to break up with Olivia… Unfortunately Olivia over hears every thing. Olivia and Harold elope to Mexico. But Manny sends Johnny Rourke (one of Manny’s hench men) to stop the wedding. Home again and Olivia starts to act in a very strange and controlled manner and is giving away all her possessions, she asks Manny to give Harold a letter which says that she will think about him at the end. Manny shows this to Abby who thinks Olivia is going to commit suicide. Olivia is found at Harold’s house passed out after swallowing too many pills. At the hospital all of Olivia’s close family await the outcome. When Olivia finally comes around she screams for Abby to get out of her hospital room, and the doctor leads Abby away, telling Abby that he thinks it is better if she doesn’t visit Olivia.

Mac and Frank start to investigate Manny and discover that he is shipping in guns from Mexico to Lotus Point. In a bid to scupper this Gary and Abby fill the Marina with boats so that Manny will not be able to dock his boat. Karen, tells Abby that Paige and Michael are being held hostage by Manny, so Gary and Abby empty the marina and everyone is freed.

Abby hires Harold at Lotus Point and then plants cocaine in Harold locker and has him arrested.

Abby hires Ted Melcher to change Lotus Point’s image. It doesn’t really work and Gary and Abby persuade Karen to sell Lotus Point when Abby discovers that there is Oil at Lotus Point. Lotus Point is sold to Morikami, a firm which is supposed to be Japanese, but Morikami is really owned by Abby.

Greg shows Abby an engagement ring, and asks her to marry him. Greg explains that it will be a political marriage of convenience, and that she is the only person who is as devious as him! Abby and Greg announce their wedding and Greg’s candidacy for mayor. Olivia discovers that Abby planted the cocaine in Harold’s locker and threatens to ruin Greg’s candidacy and so Abby has to get Harold of the hook with the police.

Abby and Greg get married and then Abby pressures Greg into bringing his daughter Meg home from her foster parents, Mack and Karen. This upsets everyone, particularly when Ted Melcher on Abby’s insistence leeks it all to the press in a bid to get Greg publicity for his candidacy.

Abby hires Ted to work for Morikami and to file environmental reports so that they can drill for Oil at Lotus Point. Then both Karen and Abby are appointed to the environmental board and argue over whether to let Morikami drill for oil at Lotus Point.

Greg finds out that the President wants a new trade representative to Japan, Greg wants to set up an appointment with Morikami about the drilling permits. Abby hires a Japanese actor to play Mr Nagota, the supposed head of the American arm of Morikami. Morikami turn down Greg’s offer of help with the drilling permits. Karen and Paula find out that Morikami are going to drill in a protected part of Lotus Point, so Abby releases a virus on Paula’s computer so that Paula looses all of her evidence.
Karen and Paula decide to sue Morikami to find out who owns the company. Abby’s attorney tells Abby, that she failed to get the oil permits and if Karen and Gary find out that she owns Morikami she will be imprisoned for fraud. Abby asks Ted to pose as Morikami owner by saying to him that she will give him half of the oil profits. Abby tells Greg that Ted owns Morikami, Greg tells Abby to fire Ted. Ted finds out that Abby knew she couldn’t get the Oil permits so he tells Karen the whole truth about Morikami.

Abby throws Olivia an 18th Birthday party and is stunned when it is announced that Olivia and Harold have got married.

Karen tells Abby that she is going to have her arrested for fraud, because Abby owns Morikami and Greg is livid at Abby’s deception.

Abby announces in a press conference that she has bought Lotus Point and is giving it to the state as a wildlife preserve. Then she goes to see Olivia and takes all of her credit cards and her car. Abby goes to see Karen and asks her to keep an eye on Olivia. Then it is announced that Abby is to be the new Japanese Trade Representative.

Abby and Brian pack and drive off into there new life in Japan singing ‘Don’t worry, be happy.’