Chapter 157: Fiona and Lip's Conflict
When it came to William, Lip suddenly didn't know what to say.
"What about me? What are you trying to say? Say it clearly!" Fiona snapped, anger rising.
Even though Lip had only spoken half a sentence, she already knew—
He was talking about William.
In her insecurity, Fiona's mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusion:
Does he think I'm like a prostitute—trading myself to William for everything I have now?
Honestly, with a family like the Gallaghers, it was nearly impossible for normal people to deal with them.
Lip could tell from her tone that she had misunderstood him.
But he didn't explain.
Because what he knew—
If even one piece of it came out, this entire family could fall apart.
He might be selfish, but he didn't want to see them end up homeless.
For Liam, Debbie, and Ian—
He still carried a sense of responsibility as the older brother.
"Fuck!"
In the end, all he could do was curse in frustration.
Then he strode over to Sniqua, grabbed her hand.
"Sniqua. Let's go."
Without waiting, without looking back—
He walked straight out the door.
"Lip! Where are you going?" Fiona shouted from the doorway.
The only reply she got—
Was his raised middle finger.
"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Fiona muttered, completely baffled.
No one else had an answer.
Max, as an outsider, understood even less.
---
"Hey—what are you all doing standing at the door? Throwing a party or something?"
At that moment, Frank limped in, pushing Peggy's wheelchair.
"Frank, what the hell are you doing back here?" Fiona snapped immediately.
"Come on, my dear eldest daughter," Frank said, eyes darting, already scheming.
"Would you really let your father—and your grandmother—end up on the streets?"
He put on a pitiful tone.
"Maybe I don't matter… but surely you wouldn't abandon your grandmother, right?"
Peggy immediately exploded.
"Shut your damn mouth, Frank! Don't use me as your excuse, you useless piece of trash!"
Frank, however, was completely unfazed.
His skin was thicker than a brick wall.
Fiona looked at Peggy.
Then at Frank.
Then at the direction Lip had left.
Finally—
She sighed.
"…Fine. You can stay."
In the end, she softened.
"You see? The Gallagher family is full of love, Mom," Frank grinned.
Peggy shot him a look of pure disgust.
"Shut up, you worthless idiot. Go run me a bath—I smell like hell!"
To Peggy, Frank wasn't even a son.
He was just… a tool.
---
That night—
Peggy treated Frank like a servant, ordering him around nonstop.
Fiona, clutching her pillow, lay in bed—
Imagining a brighter future ahead.
Lip, meanwhile, was in Sniqua's basement—
Completely lost in the moment, as her nails dug into his back.
And William—
Stood on Bianca's rooftop, an arm around her waist, a bottle of beer in hand—
Looking up at the moon.
---
By the next morning—
William woke up in Bianca's bed.
William leaned over and kissed Bianca lightly on the cheek as she slept.
"Mmm…"
She stirred, then slowly opened her eyes.
"Good morning," Bianca smiled softly, reaching up to caress his face.
Just as the two of them were about to start a morning round—
Lip, in a cramped basement, slowly woke up.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Sniqua getting dressed.
"You're up this early… where are you going?" Lip asked, rubbing his groggy eyes as he watched her back.
"To work at your sister's place, obviously. Did you sleep yourself stupid?" Sniqua rolled her eyes.
Only then did Lip remember—
He'd agreed to help Fiona at the restaurant.
But thinking back to last night's argument, he hesitated.
For a moment, he didn't know whether he should go.
"What's wrong?" Sniqua noticed immediately. Reading people was second nature to her—it was how she survived.
Lip didn't respond.
Because, truthfully—
Even though he had "regained his manhood," he was still the same self-centered Lip.
He grabbed a pack of Marlboros from the table, lit one, and took a drag.
Seeing he had no intention of talking, Sniqua didn't push.
According to William's instructions—
Her job now was simple:
Keep Lip close.
And find a way to get pregnant by another Black man.
With that in mind, she reached into a drawer and pulled out a key.
"Here. Spare key. If you want… you can stay here."
Lip froze when she tossed it over.
He had never expected—
That Sniqua would actually let him live here.
For a moment, he even felt… touched.
"Thanks," he said sincerely.
Sniqua wasn't the sentimental type. She waved it off casually and headed out of the basement.
---
At the Fast Food Restaurant
Fiona looked at Max, Sniqua, Veronica—and even Lip—all dressed in work uniforms.
She couldn't help but give Veronica a thumbs-up.
"V, you're amazing. You found all this overnight?"
"Of course," Veronica grinned. "Snatched them from a laundromat last night. They lose stuff all the time anyway—no one's gonna check."
Max stood there, completely stunned.
Back in New York, she had never seen this kind of… "resourcefulness."
"By the way, Fi—what are you naming the place?" Veronica asked.
"Name? What name?"
At that moment, William walked in from outside.
Nearby, Lip was half-heartedly sweeping an already spotless floor—clearly just pretending to be busy.
The tension between him and Fiona hadn't improved at all.
But—
Work was work.
He still showed up.
If not for Fiona, then for Debbie and the others.
At least, that's how he justified it to himself.
"Hey, generous investor—you came at the right time," Veronica joked.
"We're deciding the restaurant's name. Since you funded it, you get naming rights."
William immediately shook his head.
"No, no, no. I just loaned Fiona the money. She's the only one who gets to name it."
Hearing that—
Lip instantly looked up and shot William a glare.
Loan?
He knew the truth.
This was money laundering.
And yet William made it sound so noble.
As expected—
Fiona, hearing this, leaned happily into William's arms, her face full of warmth and trust.