Chapter 18 – Lip's Fall Was Always Inevitable
For a moment, there was only silence. Then, after a tense pause, Lip's voice came through — anxious, raw.
"I need money. Can you lend me some?"
William blinked, a line of question marks practically flashing across his forehead.
"What do you need the money for?"
"Fuck! Don't ask so much. Can you lend it or not?"
Lip's tone was already fraying at the edges, his patience snapping.
William stayed quiet for a few seconds before answering.
"How much do you need?"
Caught off guard by the question, Lip hesitated. He hadn't even checked how much a urologist appointment would cost.
"Uh… two thousand dollars. That should cover it."
"Fine. How do you want it?"
Since William had already pocketed over ten grand earlier, two thousand was nothing.
"Could you… bring it to my school?"
At least when asking for help, Lip managed to sound a bit less arrogant. Technically speaking, William was his employer now.
"Alright. I'll meet you at the school gate in two hours."
Lip didn't own a cellphone, so after setting the time, William hung up.
---
On the other end, Lip gently placed the public phone's receiver back into its cradle. His face was flushed — not from cold, but from humiliation and panic.
"Goddamn it…"
His body trembled uncontrollably. He couldn't accept what was happening to him. The chill in the winter air made him feel as if the entire world had turned against him.
"Fuck! Fuck!"
---
House No. 2119.
The Gallaghers had no idea that over ten grand was hidden inside their own walls.
Otherwise, they'd at least lock the damn door when nobody was home.
"Guess I won't need to crawl through the window."
William pushed open the unlocked door and stepped inside. He climbed to the second floor — to the spot where Peggy kept her stash.
One punch, and the wall cracked open.
American homes were mostly wooden frames stuffed with insulation — fragile, easy to break.
He pulled out the cash and a handgun. Two rolls of fifties — exactly ten thousand dollars.
He stuffed both into his storage space and left the house without another glance.
Whatever expression the Gallaghers would wear when they discovered the hole later — that was their problem, not his.
---
At a used car lot, William didn't go straight to meet Lip. Instead, he decided to buy a car.
He figured he could give it to Karen later as a birthday present. Until then, he could enjoy it himself.
Six thousand dollars later, he drove off in a sleek, black BMW 3 Series — clean, polished, practically new thanks to the dealership's detailing work.
Destination: Southside High.
---
Outside the school gate, Lip stood with his hands stuffed into his pockets, pacing back and forth. Every so often, a shiver ran through him, and he'd hop in place or blow into his hands to keep warm.
That's when the black BMW rolled up beside him.
"Lip."
William lowered the window and called out.
"William? This your car?"
Lip's eyes widened, a mix of envy and admiration flashing across his face.
"Get in."
William didn't answer the question — just tilted his head toward the passenger seat.
Lip hesitated only a second before slipping inside.
He looked around, running his hand over the spotless interior.
"Looks new. How much did this set you back?"
The leather and polish made it indistinguishable from a new car.
William didn't answer. His gaze lingered instead on the faint red marks still visible on Lip's neck.
"So… you gonna tell me what the money's for?"
Lip froze, fumbling for words.
"Fuck… can we not do this? Bro, I just really need it, okay? I swear I'll pay you back."
He sighed, frustration in his voice, and lit a cigarette.
William smirked, eyes narrowing teasingly.
"You knock someone up?"
"Cough! Cough!"
Lip choked on the smoke, coughing until his face turned red again.
"Fuck! No! Just— stop asking, please! Fuck!"
Seeing how flustered he was, William raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Alright, alright. Damn, man, no need to bite my head off."
Reaching into his pocket — or rather, pretending to — William discreetly pulled two thousand dollars from his storage space.
He handed the neatly rolled bills to Lip.
"Here. Don't make me regret it."
But just as Lip reached out to grab the cash, William suddenly pulled his hand back.
"What the hell?" Lip frowned, staring at him.
"Write me an IOU first. Two grand isn't pocket change."
He wasn't wrong — even Fiona barely made that much in a month, if she was lucky.
Lip knew it too. It wasn't a small favor.
Of course, the IOU didn't really mean anything; it was just a formality. If Lip actually decided not to pay him back, the only leverage William had would come from his equalizer — that cold, heavy piece of metal that made everyone "equal."
"Fine. Can I have the money now?"
Lip scribbled out a quick IOU on the folded bill William had handed him, then passed it over.
William tossed the cash to him without another word.
"Thanks."
Lip grabbed the roll and immediately reached for the door handle, ready to leave.
"Wait."
William's voice stopped him.
"Do me a favor — call Karen Jackson out here. I need to talk to her."
The name made Lip pause mid-motion. He turned to look at William, his expression stiff.
For a second, William felt like he was in the middle of some twisted, real-life NTR scenario.
"You know her?"
Everyone at Southside High knew Karen Jackson. She was infamous — the kind of name that traveled faster than rumors themselves.
And Lip, being Lip, definitely knew her.
If William hadn't crossed paths with him earlier, Lip probably would've already used his "tutor" excuse to get close to her.
"Of course I know her. Why else would I be asking you to call her?" William gave him a flat look, like he couldn't believe the question.
Lip nodded slowly, but instead of getting out, he shut the door again and stayed seated.
"What now?" William frowned. "You got another question?"
Lip took a long drag of his cigarette, eyes narrowing.
"You and Fiona… what the hell happened?"
The smoke hung heavy between them.
Ever since that night, Fiona hadn't been herself. She was quieter, distracted — haunted.
And in Lip's mind, the blame sat squarely on William's shoulders.
Now, seeing him show up at his school — in a new car, no less — asking for another girl?
It made his blood boil. His humiliation, his frustration, the weight of his own failures — it all came out at once.
"What do you mean, 'me and Fiona'? What are you even talking about?" William looked at him, baffled.
"Fuck! You don't feel like a piece of shit at all, do you? Do you even know how hard she cried that night?"
Lip's voice cracked with anger.
The irony was, he had no right to judge — he'd done worse, far worse. But self-righteous anger was easier than guilt.
William's patience snapped.
"Her crying has nothing to do with me. We're just friends with benefits. That's it."
He wasn't the type to start fights, but he sure as hell wasn't the type to sit there and take abuse either.
"Now — get out of my car."
William's tone dropped, cold and final.
"And if you still want that two grand, you'll bring Karen Jackson to me. Otherwise, you can walk home broke."
The air between them froze — heavy with pride, resentment, and the bitter truth neither of them wanted to face:
Lip's fall had already begun.