Mickey's House.
Mickey was a simple, straight-shooting kind of guy. That was just his personality; he didn't do subtle.
Karen, on the other hand, had leveled up. She was now a seasoned, top-tier manipulator. Playing Mickey like a fiddle was almost too easy.
And that's exactly what happened.
A little after 7:00 PM.
Mickey's Room.
Everything was going exactly according to plan.
Just then.
Mandy, having nowhere else to go after work, unlocked the front door and came home.
Karen had been waiting for this moment. As soon as she heard the latch click, she turned up the volume on her moans, making damn sure Mandy heard her.
Mandy heard it alright. She didn't realize it was Karen, though; she assumed it was that little blonde from last time. She frowned and shook her head, unable to figure out what the hell Mickey was playing at.
After a second thought, Mandy plopped down on the living room couch. She decided to wait for Mickey to finish his business so she could have a serious talk with him.
The reason was simple: Mandy could see that Mickey genuinely liked Ian. She didn't want Mickey to blow it and lose Ian forever just because of one fight or a little argument.
...
The battle ended.
Karen, having enjoyed herself, smiled and said playfully, "You're really good."
Mickey grabbed his cigarettes, lit one up, and grinned. He looked incredibly smug but didn't say anything.
"I'm taking off, then," Karen said nonchalantly. She got dressed, dropped that line, and headed for the door.
"Yeah," Mickey grunted.
Karen walked out of the room, acting casual. She looked around, locked eyes with Mandy, and gave a faint smile.
Mandy knew Karen was Lip's girlfriend. Seeing her walk out of Mickey's room, she was visibly stunned. "????"
Then, the shock faded, replaced by disgust.
Mandy had always had a thing for Lip. But because of her low self-esteem—and the fact that Lip was with Karen—she had never made a move...
And now...
Discovering that Karen was screwing Mickey behind Lip's back...
Mandy naturally had some thoughts. Her eyes instinctively followed Karen as she moved.
Karen didn't say a word. She walked out of the house feeling pretty pleased with herself and got into her car.
Just like that, she'd made an easy ten grand. Karen started the car and hummed a tune, her mood absolutely soaring.
Mickey's House.
The second Karen was gone, Mandy couldn't hold back. She stomped over to Mickey's room.
The door was open. Mandy immediately saw Mickey sitting on the bed, smoking.
"What the fck!" Mickey jumped, startled. He quickly yanked the blanket over his lap to cover his junk. "When the fck did you get back? Don't you know how to knock?"
Mandy curled her lip, not bothering to answer. She just asked, "What is wrong with you? Why are you hooking up with Karen?"
"None of your fcking business!" Mickey shot back rudely.
"Did Karen and Lip break up or something?" Mandy wasn't giving up that easily.
Mickey took a drag. "How the hell should I know? Not my problem."
Mandy glared at him. "You just fcked her, and you don't know what her situation is?"
"She came onto me. Why do I need to know the details?" Mickey retorted.
Mandy: "..."
Dammit, that actually made sense.
Mandy was speechless for a second. She thought about it, dropped that line of questioning, and pivoted. "What is going on with you and Ian? Are you gay or what?"
Mickey hated the word "gay." He snapped immediately. He grabbed a beer can from the bedside table and hurled it at Mandy. "None of your fcking business! Fck off!!"
Mandy was used to this household. Her reflexes were sharp. She reached out and snatched the beer out of the air with precision. Crack. She opened it, took a huge swig, and glared back ferociously. "Karen is Lip's girlfriend. If you want to be with Ian, you shouldn't be fcking Karen. How the hell are you going to face Lip after this?"
Mickey hadn't actually thought that far ahead. Hearing this, his brain buzzed. He genuinely felt a pang of regret. But regret was one thing; admitting he was wrong was another. He wasn't about to look soft. "Get out!!"
She'd said her piece. Mandy didn't argue further. She turned around, walked to her room, and sighed.
When she first saw Karen, Mandy wanted to tell Lip immediately...
But now, thinking about it... if Lip found out, it would probably make it even harder for Mickey and Ian to ever be together...
For Mickey's sake, Mandy made a decision. She wouldn't say anything... at least, not for now.
---
Time flew by.
Fiona returned home. She hesitated, but the urge to vent was too strong—holding it in was suffocating. She decided to put aside the unpleasantness with Lip from earlier and spoke up, telling him about Monica getting arrested and everything Tony had said.
By the time she finished, Lip's brow was furrowed tight. "Damn Peg!! Damn Tony!!!"
He cursed viciously, then added, "And damn Monica!!"
Fiona wiped her face with a bitter smile. "Yeah. Damn them. Bunch of bitches."
Lip could clearly feel the sorrow and pain in Fiona's voice. He didn't rush to speak. Instead, he pulled out a cigarette and handed it to her.
Fiona took it and lit up. "The best outcome for Monica this time is the psych ward."
Lip genuinely hated Monica. He saw her as the enemy and didn't care one bit. "She belongs in a psych ward."
Fiona still held onto some hope for Monica. She subconsciously glanced at Lip and couldn't help but say, "She is still our mother, after all..."
Lip hated hearing that. He immediately cut in with his logic. "What gives her the right to be our mother? After she gave birth to us, how many of her motherly duties did she actually fulfill..."
Lip went on a rant.
"But..." Fiona didn't want Lip talking like that. "Lip, she's sick. We can't blame her entirely..."
Lip didn't want to hear that bullst. He cut her off instantly. "Forget it. I don't want to talk about this."
Then there was nothing left to talk about.
So much had happened today; Fiona was truly exhausted.
They chatted briefly about nothing important, and then Fiona dragged her tired body upstairs, carrying Liam.
Lip stayed put. With a cigarette dangling from his lips, he sat on the couch and checked the time on his phone, frowning slightly.
Karen had said she was coming over tonight. It was getting late, and not only was she not here, but there wasn't even a call or a text. Lip was annoyed.
After thinking about it, Lip sent a short text to Karen: [When are you coming?]
Karen had just finished showering at home and was sitting in her room enjoying the AC. Seeing the text, honestly, she was too lazy to move.
But...
Money had to be made. Which meant she still had to keep Lip happy.
[Be there soon. Got held up by something.]
She sent the reply, sighed, got up, and drove toward the Gallagher house.
It didn't take long.
Like clockwork, the battle commenced.
And as the battle raged on...
Karen suddenly started to feel a little sorry for her pussy. The mileage was getting a little high today.