Chapter 19 – Lip, Blinded by Money
"You—!"
Lip's neck and face flushed bright red with anger at William's words. He wanted to spit something venomous back, some smartass retort — but the look in William's cold, unreadable eyes made him freeze.
"Fine!"
He yanked open the car door, slammed it shut with a violent bang, and stormed off without another word.
William watched him go, fingers absently brushing his chin.
"That kid's gonna do something stupid," he muttered under his breath. "Better keep an eye out."
Then—
[Ding! Mission Detected]
Host's words have caused Lip to feel deeply humiliated. He now harbors resentment and intends to seek revenge.
Mission Objective: Show Lip the meaning of true love. Redeem this lost lamb.
Reward: WRC World Championship-Level Driving Skill.
William stared at the notification in silence for a few seconds.
"Yeah," he sighed. "Just as I thought."
---
Inside Southside High
Lip's thoughts were a mess. Half of his mind plotted revenge against that smug bastard William — the other half, grudgingly, carried out the errand he'd been given.
He told himself it was about keeping his word. But deep down, it wasn't honor — it was greed.
After all, if William didn't see Karen, there was a chance he might come after that two grand.
And Lip had zero intention of paying it back.
In truth, Lip Gallagher lived by one unshakable family motto: "Debt? That's tomorrow's problem."
---
"Hey! Karen!"
He finally spotted her — chatting with another girl near the lockers.
Karen turned her head at the sound of his voice, her blonde ponytail swinging as she frowned slightly.
The moment she recognized him, something flickered across her face — a mix of memory and discomfort.
She immediately recalled the agreement she'd made with William.
"Carrie, I'll talk to you later."
And before Lip could get close, she slipped away in the opposite direction — like avoiding a plague.
Lip froze, then cursed under his breath.
"Shit…"
If she didn't go see William, there was a real chance William might come back for his money. And Lip had no doubts about William's ability to make that happen — violently, if necessary.
So no, he couldn't let her leave.
The money was already as good as gone in his head — he'd spend it fast, make it untraceable, and then just keep dodging William forever.
As for payment from that tutoring app William used? Lip already had plans to tweak a few things in the code.
If he ever used that kind of cunning for something legitimate, he might not climb into the upper class — but making it in Silicon Valley as a clever middle-class coder? That was well within reach.
"Wait! Karen! I just need to talk to you!"
Lip sprinted after her, panic flaring as he imagined his two thousand dollars flying out of reach.
Karen, seeing he wouldn't stop chasing, broke into a run herself.
Soon, the two of them were darting through the school halls — a chaotic chase that drew stares from every direction.
"Help! Somebody help me! He's trying to rape me!"
Her scream echoed down the corridor.
But thanks to her reputation, no one actually stepped in.
Instead, students gathered around, watching like it was free entertainment.
Whispers rippled through the hall.
"Wait, that's Lip Gallagher, right? What the hell's he doing chasing her like that?"
"Didn't he used to be the school's hookup king?"
"Guess he's lost it."
Among the crowd, a girl who'd been with Lip just days ago looked on in disgust.
"Seriously? Him? Pathetic."
A few others gasped, snickered, or whispered — gossip spreading like wildfire.
Because gossip, after all, was the one universal human hobby.
"Help! Help! Somebody help me!"
Karen kept shouting as she ran, and the echo of her voice carried through the halls — until a sharp, authoritative voice cut through the chaos.
"What's going on here?! Karen Jackson! Philip Gallagher! No running in the hallways!"
The teacher's words rang out, but by then, the damage was done.
In a single morning, Lip Gallagher's name — once tied to charm and rebellion — had turned into something far uglier.
Blinded by anger, by humiliation, and by the glitter of two thousand dirty dollars… he couldn't see that he'd already begun to fall.
Just then, a P.E. teacher finally stepped in.
This was 2010 — back when teachers still carried some authority, not the paper-thin kind they'd have in 2025.
Students, for the most part, still feared teachers.
So when one appeared, Lip had no choice but to stop chasing.
Still, he couldn't understand — why did Karen look at him like she'd seen a ghost?
"Fuck! Karen! Someone's looking for you outside the school! Go or don't — I don't care! Message delivered!"
He spat out the words and, boiling with frustration from the day's humiliations, slammed his fist into a nearby locker with a loud clang.
"Hey! That's my locker!"
A chubby kid in the crowd shouted indignantly.
"Fuck off."
Lip shot him a vicious glare — and the boy shut up instantly. Without another word, Lip stormed off, leaving behind the echoes of his own anger.
Karen finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Miss Jackson," the P.E. teacher crossed his arms, giving her a look that mixed suspicion with fatigue. "Care to explain what just happened?"
"I'm not sure, sir. Maybe Gallagher's… having another breakdown."
Karen stuck out her tongue playfully, her innocent expression expertly masking the chaos she'd just caused.
"Can I go now?"
The teacher rubbed his temples.
"Go, go. And no running in the hall next time."
He didn't even sound angry — just tired.
After all, most of these kids came from broken homes. Poor families. Parents who didn't care or didn't have time to. Teachers could only do so much.
When the commotion finally settled, Karen left the building, curiosity tugging at her mind.
Lip's words replayed in her head — "Someone's looking for you."
Who could it be?
As she stepped out into the cold, she spotted it almost immediately — a black BMW parked by the gate.
Lip was leaning on the hood, talking to whoever sat inside.
"Huh… who drives a BMW around here?"
In the South Side, luxury cars weren't exactly common. Not because they were impossibly rare, but because keeping one running was expensive.
A beat-up Honda or a rusty Ford — that was more the neighborhood speed. A BMW meant money, and money didn't usually live here.
After a moment, Lip walked off without looking back, disappearing down the street. The BMW, however, stayed put.
Karen hesitated, then decided to approach.
As she drew closer, she saw her own reflection in the dark-tinted window — the glass so black it was impossible to see inside.
She raised her hand and knocked softly.
With a smooth whirr, the window rolled down.
And there he was.
William's face appeared — sharp, calm, and coldly handsome, the kind of beauty you'd expect carved in marble by a Greek sculptor.
"Get in."
He tilted his head slightly, gesturing toward the passenger seat.
Karen blinked, then opened the door and slid in.
Like Lip before her, she couldn't help but gawk at the pristine interior — the polished dashboard, the soft leather seats, the faint scent of new car wax.
"This is your car?"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
If William could afford a BMW, that meant he wasn't just rich — he was reliable. And in Karen's mind, that meant the car he'd promised her later might actually be even better.
At least, that's what she told herself.
Because if William ever tried to ghost her after what they'd agreed on…
Well, Karen Jackson wasn't the type to take betrayal lightly.