Hearing Peggy's taunt, Fiona immediately shot a vicious glare at her. "None of your business!"
Her tone wasn't just annoyed—it was the tone you use with an enemy.
"Heh," Peggy sneered. She picked up the half-finished beer from the coffee table and took a sip, calmly waiting for Carl's decision.
Life, for the most part, is just a series of choices.
Make the right choice, and life moves in a direction called "Good."
Make the wrong one, and well... you know.
Of course, Carl didn't understand any of that philosophical stuff.
Carl made choices based purely on his gut.
Whatever he wanted, he went for.
Carl thought about it. He thought about that beat-up van in the backyard. Then, he remembered how it felt staying at Dexter's house last night...
A clean room, a soft bed, no one bothering him, sleeping however he wanted, rolling around as much as he pleased...
And there was a TV in the room...
The fact was:
If he hadn't stayed at Dexter's last night—if he hadn't experienced that level of comfort—Carl might have genuinely wanted to try sleeping in the van.
But people are simple creatures. It's easy to adjust to luxury, but hard to go back to squalor.
Carl wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew which option was more comfortable.
Just like that, Carl made his decision. He smiled at Peggy. "Grandma, I need a TV in my room. I want to watch TV in bed."
A TV? How much could that cost?
Peggy didn't have much time left anyway.
So why care about money?
Besides, taking Carl away would piss off these ungrateful little shits like Fiona!
Peggy agreed immediately. "Of course."
Carl grinned happily. "Then I'll live with you."
As soon as he said it.
Fiona felt like she'd been struck by lightning. She swayed, almost losing her balance.
Lip was filled with rage, absolutely hating Peggy!
Debbie's tears started flowing like a faucet.
"Good. Give me your phone. I'll call Dexter," Peggy knew Dexter owned quite a few properties in the area. She said this with a chuckle.
Carl obediently handed it over.
Fiona panicked. She rushed forward, squatted down in front of Carl, grabbed his arms, and started pleading with him.
Lip jumped in too, trying to convince Carl not to do this.
Carl didn't say a word.
Peggy ignored them completely and dialed Dexter's number.
The Alibi Room.
Watching Frank in agony—looking like he'd aged decades in an instant, struggling to even breathe, his body noticeably hunched over—Dexter was thoroughly enjoying himself.
His phone rang.
Seeing it was Carl, Dexter smiled and answered immediately.
"Mr. King," Peggy's voice came through. "I heard from Carl that you bought several houses around here. I want to rent one and live there with Carl. Is that okay?"
Dexter: "????"
Damn, I haven't seen them for a few hours. What happened?
Suddenly Peggy is taking Carl and leaving the Gallagher house?
Tonight is just full of good news, Dexter thought, surprised but delighted. He replied, "Sure. You want to move now?"
"Do you have a place that's move-in ready?" Peggy was tempted. If they could move in immediately, she'd do it.
Unfortunately, no.
"No," Dexter replied. "They're all empty. If you want to live there, you'll need to buy furniture and appliances tomorrow."
"Then tomorrow it is," Peggy didn't mind waiting a day.
"Okay. Considering your health, I suggest you don't live too far away. How about 2114 on that same street? That's my house too. You can stay there," Dexter smiled, then added, "The empty lot next to 2119 is about to be mine too. I'm going to have someone build a house there later. Maybe you can move there when it's done."
Hearing this, Peggy gave an involuntary, wistful smile.
Building a house in a slum like the South Side was actually easy.
With enough money and enough workers, you slap down a foundation, and a house could be up in two months.
But... two months was still two months...
Peggy wasn't sure she had that much time left. She replied with a hint of sadness, "Okay."
"Alright then. When I get back tonight, I'll give the key to Carl."
"Okay," Peggy agreed.
Dexter hung up.
Bianca had heard the conversation and was curious. She hesitated, then asked, "How many houses do you own around here?"
Dexter flashed a bright smile. "Seven or eight properties, I think. I haven't really counted."
Bianca: "...You're really rich."
"Want me to gift you a property so you can experience what it feels like to be rich?" Dexter teased.
Bianca rolled her eyes and joked back, "No! Damn rich people! I despise that look on your face!"
"Haha," Dexter laughed heartily.
They joked around for a bit.
Dexter called out to Tommy, who wasn't far away. "Tommy, I bought a plot of land and want to build a house. You interested?"
Tommy immediately grinned, eyes narrowing into slits. "Hell yes! I'll put down this beer and go build it right now!"
"Haha, no rush," Dexter found this chubby white guy pretty amusing. "The paperwork is still being processed. We can start once that's done. How long do you think it'll take to build?"
"Is the land around here?" Tommy asked.
"Yeah, two doors down from my place. That empty lot," Dexter replied.
Tommy knew exactly which lot he meant. "How fancy are we talking?"
"Just a normal house," Dexter said. "Need it done ASAP."
"Then we'll need a lot of hands. That'll cost a bit more," Tommy reminded him with a smile.
"Money isn't a problem," Dexter said smoothly.
Tommy expected that answer and didn't waste words. "Fastest? Two months. Slowest? Three. Before autumn hits, I'll definitely have it built for you."
Autumn.
Unless her life could be extended, Peggy would be a pile of ashes by then.
But that wasn't a big deal.
This house wasn't really being built for Peggy anyway. It was for Carl.
"Good. Once I get the paperwork sorted, I'll call you," Dexter confirmed.
"Thanks," Tommy thanked him with a grin, thinking that after this job, maybe he'd buy a Mercedes too.
---
The Gallagher House.
Fiona and Lip were still trying to persuade Carl.
Fiona hadn't even realized her shift had started ages ago.
Carl remained silent.
Peggy hung up the phone. Watching Carl's cool demeanor, she liked this kid more and more. So, she simply ignored Fiona and Lip and cut in to speak to Carl. "I rented the house from Dexter. It's 2114, right nearby. Tomorrow we'll buy some stuff, and we can move in."
Hearing this.
Carl gave a cocky grin and finally spoke. "2114. Next to Kevin's place. Cool!"
Fiona was stunned: "????"
Lip was about to explode with rage: "!!!"
Debbie was crying so hard her eyes were red. She was heartbroken, unable to understand what was happening or why life had suddenly turned into this.