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Jimmy smirked, turned on his heel, and walked away, completely ignoring Lip's screaming, cursing, and pathetic attempts to chase him.
In that moment.
Jimmy suddenly felt a rush of satisfaction he had never experienced before. More importantly, for the first time in his life, he felt the kind of joy Estefania's father must feel...
Or at least, Jimmy thought he felt it.
It gave him some ideas.
In the past, if Lip smashed his car and cursed him out, he would have, at most, cursed back and secretly fantasized about Lip getting hit by a truck or dropping dead.
But now, something had changed.
He wasn't sure exactly what caused this shift.
Was it the thrill and excitement of screwing Lip over last time?
Was it the influence of the South Side? Or maybe the Gallaghers themselves?
He didn't really care.
He liked this feeling.
This joy was something stealing and selling cars could never match.
So.
Lip...
Heh.
Did you think this was over?
Not a chance. No need to rush. Take it slow. The future is long, and there will be plenty of opportunities!
Thinking this, Jimmy was completely unaware of how sinister his smile looked in that moment.
...
Seeing Jimmy walk further and further away, even though he genuinely wanted to kill the guy, Lip was forced to stop because he simply couldn't catch up.
Stopping, Lip unleashed a barrage of curses at Jimmy's retreating back with that mouth of his that really should be sewn shut.
Lip screamed every profanity he could think of until Jimmy was completely out of sight.
But the rage was still boiling...
The truth was, the anger simmering in Lip's chest right now wasn't just about Jimmy anymore...
After all these years living in the Gallagher house, with parents like Frank and Monica, living in a slum like the South Side... day after day, year after year, Lip had accumulated too much rage.
Against his parents, against his family, against his environment, against God...
In a way, Lip's anger right now was like a flood crashing through a dam, releasing uncontrollably...
And so.
Lip turned around. Thump-thump-thump. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he hopped back to Jimmy's car in the blink of an eye. Gritting his teeth, he smashed open the fuel cap.
That classic movie trope of lighting a car on fire came in handy.
Lip moved fast. In no time, he lit the rag stuffed into the fuel tank. Then, he turned to Karen and ordered decisively, "Let's get back inside! Now!"
Honestly.
Having witnessed Lip's string of actions and now seeing him torch a car, Karen was actually a little afraid of him...
Not because she was worried he would hurt her, but because she realized that when Lip lost it, he was basically no different from a lunatic.
And most people are afraid of lunatics.
Karen nodded, not daring to say a word. She obediently supported Lip, helping him get back to the Gallagher house as fast as possible.
Just as they reached the stairs.
BOOM.
Jimmy's car exploded with a deafening roar, sending flames shooting into the sky.
The scene was terrifying, yet spectacular... at least, that's how Dexter, who was watching the show, saw it.
Dexter grinned, moved his finger, and pressed the stop button on his phone.
He had recorded the entire process of Lip torching the car.
As for how to use this video, Dexter hadn't decided yet. No rush.
Just then.
Bianca, who had been busy inside the house, heard the explosion and ran out in a panic. Arriving at Dexter's side, she immediately saw Jimmy's burning car. "What happened?"
"Phillip Gallagher lost his mind," Dexter replied with a smile, handing her the phone to watch the video. "I just realized something. Debbie has mental issues, which landed her in juvie. Ian has mental issues and desperately needs psychiatric treatment. Phillip clearly has major mental issues too, and at this rate, he's bound for prison sooner or later..."
"That's three little Gallaghers with screws loose..."
"Frank and Monica don't even need mentioning; they're certifiable lunatics."
"That makes five."
"Fiona's mental state isn't exactly stable either; it's just not as severe as the others yet..."
"Carl is surprisingly the most normal one."
"Liam is too young to tell."
"Bianca, it seems we're living next door to an asylum."
Dexter was in a great mood and rattled all this off in one breath.
Bianca listened, completely bewildered. "????"
...
With Karen's help, Lip got upstairs. He stopped, looking back at the thick, dancing flames.
Finally, Lip felt a shred of relief.
With that relief, the veins bulging on his forehead subsided slightly. At the same time, a bit of reason returned.
And with reason returning, Lip thought of Fiona.
Heh.
Fiona was still entangled with Jimmy?
Lip looked away, turned around, and went back inside. He decided to call Fiona and demand an explanation!
—
The Bar.
Fiona had just finished a round of drinks. She returned to the bar, put down her tray, and planned to rest for a moment. She pulled out her phone.
In an instant, naturally, Fiona saw the video Jimmy sent. She clicked on it.
As she watched...
Fiona's expression changed drastically. She couldn't believe her eyes.
When it finished...
"Jesus!" Fiona couldn't help but gasp. Her brain was buzzing, unable to form a coherent thought. Her eyes went glassy.
The screaming, car-smashing lunatic in the video certainly looked like Lip.
But...
In that moment, Fiona felt like she didn't know him. Like she couldn't recognize him!
Lip had a temper, sure. He was irritable, occasionally angry...
But the person in the video looked like a psychopath!
How could that be Lip?
Fiona didn't want to believe it. She refused to believe it. She froze, unable to move a muscle.
This state persisted until her phone suddenly rang, forcing her back to reality.
Fiona blinked, looked at Lip's name on the screen, stared blankly for two seconds, then snapped out of it and hurriedly pressed answer.
As soon as the call connected.
Before Lip could say a word, Fiona spoke up frantically, launching into her signature Fiona-style interrogation. "Lip! What did you do? Have you lost your mind..."
"..."
Words fired out of Fiona's mouth like a machine gun, non-stop.
Lip, who had called specifically to interrogate Fiona, was beaten to the punch. It was perfectly logical that he was pissed off. Gritting his teeth, he roared back, "Fck you, Fiona! You have the nerve to ask me what's wrong?"
"Are you fcking crazy?"
"I'm asking you! Since when are you back in contact with Jimmy? When did you see him??"
"Did you fck him again??"
Lip screamed a series of questions.
Fiona knew exactly why Lip was angry. She choked for a second, then subconsciously chose to lie. "I only saw him tonight! I ignored him!"
"He was harassing me..."
Fiona offered a string of excuses, half-true, half-false, conveniently ignoring the question about fcking him.
However.
Lip was genuinely sharp when it came to this stuff. He immediately sensed the deception and roared even louder, demanding, "Fiona! Answer me! Did you fck him or not!"
Hearing this.
Her little trick exposed, Fiona felt a wave of panic and guilt.
The next second.
Fiona pulled out her go-to tactic for situations like this: playing the Big Sister Authority Card. She yelled back, "Lip! What is that attitude? I am your sister! I worked my ass off to raise you..."
"Fck you, Fiona!" Lip knew Fiona too well. Hearing her say that, he knew she had indeed fcked Jimmy. So, without waiting for her to finish, he cursed her out and hung up.
Beep, beep, beep...
Listening to the dial tone, Fiona's face was dark. She felt helpless, her mind going blank again, completely unsure of what to do.
---
The Gallagher House.
Hanging up the phone, Lip threw it onto the couch. He hurriedly pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and smoked furiously.
Beside him, Karen was typing rapidly on her phone, updating Dexter on the situation.
Moments later.
Done texting, Karen put away her phone. She thought for a moment. She knew speaking up to stir the pot right now was dangerous and could backfire, but she also felt there was a chance it could have a super positive effect. So, she spoke up.
"Lip, what are you going to do?" Karen asked softly.
By now, Lip had genuinely fallen in love with Karen, even if he stupidly told himself he was just having fun and it wasn't about love.
Hearing Karen, Lip took two hard drags on his cigarette, turned to her, stared silently for a few seconds, and finally said, "I am going to destroy Jimmy."
Nice!
Didn't backfire.
There's a chance!
Karen was secretly delighted. Without hesitation, she spoke again. "What about Fiona and Jimmy's relationship? Who knows how long they've been sleeping together..."
Hearing this, Lip sneered. "Fiona knew damn well Jimmy broke my leg, sewed my mouth shut, and shipped me off to Canada. Yet she not only stayed in contact with him but fcked him too!"
"From this moment on, she is she, and I am I!"
"I don't care about anything she does anymore. She has nothing to do with me!"
Speaking of this, Lip paused, then said decisively to Karen, "I'm moving out. We'll live together. I don't want to stay here anymore."
Hearing this.
Karen's eyes darted around. A great idea popped up.
Even though Karen was pretty sure Lip wouldn't agree.
"There are a lot of empty rooms in that apartment building I'm managing. We could pick one and live there for free..." Karen said with a sly look. "Dexter never goes there. As long as I don't tell him, he won't know."
"I know you hate Dexter, but think of it as revenge... Maybe once we move in, we can figure out ways to mess with him? Cause him some trouble? Maybe make some extra money?"
Karen put on a serious face as she said this.
Lip's eyes widened slightly.
The truth was, hearing the first part, Lip was ready to reject the idea without hesitation. But hearing the rest...
Lip started thinking.
Seeing this, Karen smartly chose not to push. She stayed silent and waited.
Seconds ticked by.
Although he was tempted by Karen's idea, thinking of that bastard Dexter... Lip shook his head. "I won't live in that building. I'll deal with Dexter, but I don't need to sacrifice my dignity like that."
Sigh~~
Karen sighed silently, feeling a bit disappointed.
But only a bit.
After all, Lip deciding to move out was good news in itself.
"Yeah, you're right," Karen nodded, acting understanding. "Then let's look for a place tomorrow. I have a little money saved. I can pay the rent for now."
Hearing this, Lip looked at Karen and hesitated. "Okay. I'll pay you back soon. I have to tell you something. Day after tomorrow, a friend and I are going to Canada..."
Arrogant and proud as Lip was, he couldn't stand letting Karen pay for everything.
He couldn't accept losing face like that, so he spilled the beans about the smuggling plan.
Karen listened quietly.
When he finished.
Karen was excited. She was absolutely, positively certain that Dexter would be very happy to hear this news.
"Ah? Going to Canada to do that again? Isn't it dangerous?" Naturally, Karen showed zero excitement and instead looked worried. "You really don't have to worry about the money. I can earn money now..."
Look at that. What a great girlfriend.
Lip was touched. He shook his head decisively. "Don't worry. No danger. Canadian cops are idiots..."
Lip arrogantly swore up and down that it was safe.
Karen listened quietly, then voiced a few more worries.
Lip immediately comforted her.
A few minutes later.
"Then you must be careful," Karen said "concernedly." Then, she pretended to check the time. "It's getting late. I have to go back. My mom isn't doing well. Want to go one more round before I go?"
Lip was a sex addict. After everything that happened tonight, he was frustrated. Hearing this, he definitely wanted release. He nodded immediately. "Let's do it."
Karen smiled brilliantly and got to work.
---
A few minutes later.
Karen left the Gallagher house, got in her car, and floored it toward home.
It wasn't far. In no time, Karen arrived at her front door. But she didn't get out immediately. Instead, she hurriedly pulled out her phone and texted Dexter, informing him of Lip's smuggling plan.
Dexter saw the text immediately.
Honestly.
Reading it, Dexter was genuinely surprised.
Lip actually planning to do smuggling again was something he hadn't expected.
So, what does this count as?
At this rate, Lip might be completely screwed.
Is the college storyline just gone?
Is he going to become a smuggling kingpin in the future?
Or go to prison?
Is this plot development interesting, or just bizarre?
Dexter couldn't decide right away. His thoughts raced. He felt he needed to think this over carefully.
[Interesting. If there's new info, tell me immediately. Thanks,] Dexter texted back.
[Okay. You're welcome,] Karen replied instantly.
Dexter's House.
Dexter lit a cigarette and started pondering.