Fiona ran until her lungs burned.
Lucy-Jo, dragging a baby along, couldn't keep up. She finally gave up and stopped, screaming curses at the top of her lungs.
Once she was sure Lucy-Jo wasn't chasing her anymore, Fiona slowed down. She hid for a moment, catching her breath while the vile insults echoed in the distance, before finally moving again and taking the long way home.
Two minutes later, the panic started to fade, and Fiona's thoughts drifted to Steve. Her face fell. She didn't know how she was going to face him. Subconsciously, her pace slowed to a crawl.
After about fifteen minutes—ignoring the side-eyes from people she knew on the street—Fiona reached the Gallagher's back door.
It was unlocked.
Fiona took a deep breath. She made a decision: she was going to try and beg Steve for forgiveness.
Yeah, it was shameless. But so what?
Fiona walked into the kitchen.
Lip and the other three were sitting around the table. They'd already finished breakfast and were clearly waiting for her.
Fiona saw the vibe immediately. She gave a bitter smile and asked Lip softly, "Steve?"
"Gone," Lip said, taking a drag of his cigarette, his tone complicated.
Fiona didn't know what to say. She stayed silent, walked to the fridge, grabbed a beer, and chugged a few mouthfuls. "You guys should get to school."
"No rush," Lip said again. "Fiona, what the hell is going on with you? First Tony, and now someone else's husband?"
Fiona froze, her eyes going wide. She didn't expect Lip to figure out the Tony thing.
Ian and Debbie looked just as shocked.
"You banged Tony?" Ian exclaimed.
"Fiona..." Debbie looked at her like she was seeing a stranger.
Fiona felt a twinge of shame, but just a twinge. Not much. She gritted her teeth. "It's complicated."
Lip didn't say anything else, just stared at her.
The truth was, Lip didn't really care who Fiona slept with. He was more worried about her getting caught...
Ian, on the other hand, was judging her a bit.
Debbie was still young and hadn't reached that level of shamelessness yet. Compared to Ian, she judged Fiona even more.
"Fiona, that's not right," Debbie couldn't help but say.
"Adult stuff is complicated. Stay out of it and go to school," Fiona couldn't explain, so she pulled the 'I'm the adult' card.
Debbie opened her mouth to argue.
Fiona glared. "Go!"
Debbie got mad, puffed up her cheeks, shoved away from the table, grabbed her bag, and stormed out.
Carl and the others didn't move.
Carl looked around, then piped up, "So, you've been sleeping with three dudes? Impressive!"
Fiona: "..."
Carl's comment hit harder than Debbie's.
Fiona couldn't handle it and snapped, "Go to school!"
Carl didn't care that much anyway, so he got moving.
A moment later, Carl and Ian left together.
Lip stayed behind. He blew out a cloud of smoke. "You're still on parole. You keep this up, you make one tiny mistake, and you're going back to prison. You know that, right?"
Thud.
Prison was a nightmare Fiona never wanted to revisit. Just the thought of it terrified her.
"I know," Fiona blinked, her voice weak.
Lip stared at her for another two seconds, then stood up. "Get your shit together."
Lip left.
The Gallagher house suddenly fell silent.
Fiona stood in the kitchen, silently nursing her beer.
As she drank, the calm facade she was holding up began to crumble. Tears started to slide down her face.
She cried silently for a while before the tears finally stopped. She scrubbed her face hard, took a few deep breaths, and headed upstairs. But the moment she walked into her room and saw her bed—remembering Steve—the tears started flowing again.
Crying the whole time, she got changed. Fiona wiped her eyes, went downstairs, grabbed Liam, and headed out to work.
---
Around 9:00 AM.
Lucy-Jo walked out of a copy shop with a stack of flyers. They had a photo of Fiona she'd pulled off Facebook. Lucy-Jo started plastering them everywhere like a maniac.
10:00 AM.
People on North Wallace Street and the surrounding blocks had seen the flyers. Everyone knew Fiona slept with someone's husband.
It's worth noting that most people just laughed. They thought it was funny; nobody really thought what Fiona did was a big deal.
Of course, Tony was the exception.
Sitting in his squad car, Tony was stunned. He felt like his heart was being ripped out.
First, Fiona cheated on Steve with him. Then, she cheated on Steve with another guy's husband...
Tony was hurt. He was heartbroken.
His partner in the passenger seat noticed Tony's reaction and patted him on the shoulder. "Tony, don't be like that. You should be glad she didn't end up with you."
"She's just a skank who'll fuck anyone."
"Think about it. If you guys were together, she'd be cheating on you with other guys behind your back. Maybe more than one. You'd go crazy."
The partner didn't know Tony had already slept with Fiona. Driven by his disgust for "sluts" like her, he kept rambling. "I heard she's slept with like, over a hundred guys. It's insane."
"She's basically a hooker."
"Actually, no. A hooker would at least make money sleeping with that many dudes."
Every word was like a knife in Tony's gut.
"Shut up!" Tony finally yelled.
Knowing Tony was hurting, his partner didn't take offense. He just smiled faintly. "Alright, alright. You're a good-looking guy, you won't have trouble finding a woman. Don't overthink it."
Tony stayed silent.
---
Dexter stood outside his restaurant, looking at a flyer on the wall, shaking his head and laughing.
Fiona Gallagher. What a ride. Everybody gets a turn.
Just then, Veronica walked out. She saw the flyer and sighed. "Ugh."
Dexter smiled. "Is it really surprising coming from her?"
Veronica smiled bitterly and nodded. "I guess not really. But before, she only slept with other people's boyfriends. She never touched a married man. I don't know what's wrong with her now."
"Environment shapes people," Dexter said thoughtfully. "With a father like Frank, it's not surprising Fiona turned out this way."
"Actually, Lip, Ian, and Debbie are all under Fiona's influence. There's a high probability they'll end up just like her."
Veronica was shocked. "Damn, is the influence really that strong?"
Dexter grinned at her. "I told you to read more books. How many have you read so far?"
Veronica choked. "Uh... I'm working on it."
Embarrassed, she quickly changed the subject. "You didn't mention Carl. Is he immune?"
"Haha, Carl is different. Carl is... not smart enough. He's simpler, so what he wants is simpler," Dexter said. "Remember when I said I had high hopes for Carl?"
Veronica realized what he meant. "So that's why."
"Yeah," Dexter replied. He didn't want to elaborate, so he asked, "Did you need me for something?"
"Yeah. I'm taking tomorrow off to look for a hotel venue and a wedding dress with Kevin. We're trying to get it all done in one day." Veronica actually hated taking the day off—she'd lose out on hundreds of dollars in tips.
"Sure. Need a car? You want to borrow my Ferrari?" Dexter asked casually.
Veronica grinned. "Thanks, Boss."
"No problem." Dexter pulled the keys from his pocket and tossed them to her. "It's in the hotel parking lot. Go find it yourself."
"Will do."
The two of them went back inside to prep for opening.
---
Noon.
In the break room of the clothing store.
Fiona was feeding lunch to Liam.
While she was doing it, she noticed a few female coworkers whispering and glancing at her. She pricked up her ears to listen.
After a moment, she confirmed it.
Fiona didn't exactly have a great temper. Like she said herself, she was a bitch.
"You got something to say about me? Say it louder!" Fiona snapped, whipping her head around to glare at them.
The coworkers looked at each other. They weren't scared. They fired right back.
"Heh. So what if we are? You have the nerve to sleep with someone's husband, but you're afraid of people talking?"
"You really are a bitch."
"You look normal, but you're actually worse than a hooker."
"..."
They piled on, one after another, showing no mercy.
Fiona was furious. She shot up from her chair, eyes wide with rage. "Who the fuck I sleep with is my freedom! It's none of your goddamn business! Look at you skanks—you couldn't get a guy to sleep with you if you paid him!"
Damn!
The coworkers stood up in unison, ready to scream back.
Suddenly, the break room door was shoved open. A woman dressed to the nines, looking very much like a wealthy housewife, stomped in on high heels. Her eyes scanned the room and locked onto Fiona.
Clack, clack, clack.
The woman marched right up to Fiona. "You Fiona?"
Fiona didn't know who this woman was. She nodded. "I am."
Smack!
The woman raised her hand and slapped Fiona hard across the face.
Fiona was stunned. Her cheek burned.
"What the fuck!" Fiona yelled, snapping out of it.
The woman slapped her again. "I'm James's wife! You fucked him and thought I wouldn't find out?"
Fiona's brain buzzed. Her mind went blank as she realized this was the manager's wife.
Nearby, the coworkers were trying their hardest not to laugh out loud.
"You're fired. Get the hell out of here, now!" The woman didn't hit her again. She just dropped that bombshell and walked away.
Fiona stood frozen, both cheeks stinging.
It wasn't until the woman left and the coworkers started jeering that Fiona snapped back to reality. Fighting back tears, she picked up Liam in a daze and walked out.
She walked out the back door like a zombie.
Finally, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She collapsed on the ground and wailed.
For the first time in her life, Fiona hated herself. She hated that she couldn't keep her pants on...
She cried for a long, long time.
Then, reality hit. No job. Debt to the bank. Steve gone. Putting food on the table was about to be a major problem.
Fiona looked back at the store.
She stared for a long time.
Gritting her teeth, she picked up Liam, swallowed her pride, and went back inside to demand her paycheck.
---
When some people realize they've messed up big time, they resolve to change.
Others say "screw it," smash the pot, and let everything go to hell.
Fiona was the latter.
She wanted to change, but what she thought and what she did were two different things.
She had no self-control.
Especially on the way home, seeing those flyers plastered everywhere... she lost it. She just wanted to get drunk and make this nightmare of a day end.
So, holding Liam, she walked into a liquor store, bought a bunch of cheap booze and a few packs of cigarettes.
The owner had seen the flyers too. After she paid, he smirked. "Hell of a day, huh?"
Fiona's temper flared. She glared at him, didn't say a word, and stormed out with her bags.
On the walk home, thanks to the flyers, countless people gave her looks.
Most of the men had the exact same look in their eyes.
Fiona was young, hot, had a great body, and apparently liked to sleep around.
They all wanted a taste of the Fiona experience.
As the "town bicycle," Fiona knew exactly what they were thinking. It made her furious. She couldn't control her rage and started screaming at random guys, "The fuck you looking at?"
She finally made it home in a rage.
The house was empty and quiet.
Fiona collapsed onto the couch. All her energy drained away... the walk had been exhausting.
A few minutes later, she managed to settle Liam down, then sat back on the couch, popped a bottle, and started drinking.
She'd only had a few swigs when Lucy-Jo—who somehow got the news—showed up outside the Gallagher house and started screaming insults again.
Fiona heard her clearly. She just started laughing like a maniac. "Heh... hehe... hehehe..."
She had completely lost it.
---
Dex Restaurant.
[Main Mission Progress: 10%]
Dexter was just about to head out to buy a van and some other "supplies" when the notification popped up silently. He paused, sat back down on the sofa.
So.
What happened?
Why did the progress jump?
What did Fiona do now?
Dexter thought back to the original show. In the original, she slept with Craig Heisner and got harassed by Lucy-Jo, but Fiona didn't react that strongly. She didn't take it that seriously.
So where was the change?
Something else must have happened. But what?
Dexter mused silently. He was curious, but with limited info, he couldn't figure it out.
Whatever. He'd ask Carl later.
Dexter stopped thinking about it and walked to the train station.
He had a lot to buy this afternoon. A van, a meat cleaver, clothes for a disguise, black spray paint to modify the van... and a plastic cooler to store Frank's right arm.
The plan was...
When the time was right, he'd chop Frank's arm off at the elbow, freeze the severed limb in the cooler with ice, and then anonymously call 911 so Frank could get to the hospital in time to have it reattached...
He wanted to torture Frank, not kill him. Not yet.
Killing a scumbag like Frank outright was too easy.
Torturing him, wave after wave... that was interesting. That was satisfying.
Dexter lit a cigarette, imagining the scene, and smiled happily.
---
Lip still didn't go to school. He was sticking to his plan of scamming and hustling for money.
Since he'd sent Karen a photo of the cash he made last night before giving it to Fiona, Karen's attitude toward him had improved.
Naturally, Karen was faking it.
That was exactly the effect she wanted.
So, to make her evil plan run even smoother, around 2:00 PM:
Karen drove over and picked up Lip.
In the car, she gave him an enthusiastic blowjob. When she finished, she looked up at him seductively and swallowed.
Lip was so excited he was practically vibrating. He felt like everything was perfect. It had to stay this way. He couldn't stop.
Addicts are all like that.
And Lip was definitely an addict.
Karen was very satisfied with his reaction. She knew the time was right. She started the manipulation. "Are you really willing to quit school and make money to support us?"
Lip, still riding the high, nodded immediately. "I am."
"Will you look for other women?" Karen asked, feigning worry.
"Absolutely not! I swear!" Lip said with conviction.
Inside the car, a somewhat clumsy but highly effective PUA mind-game was unfolding.
---
Evening.
The Gallagher House.
Debbie walked up to the front door, saw the spray paint on it, shook her head helplessly, and went inside.
The moment she stepped into the living room, the stench of alcohol hit her in the face. She frowned.
She looked at the couch. Fiona was passed out, surrounded by empty bottles.
Thump!
Debbie's heart tightened. A complicated, awful feeling rushed into her head.
She felt a wave of dizziness.
For a second, Debbie felt like she wasn't looking at Fiona, but at Frank!
The scene was just too familiar.
Frank was always like this.
Debbie stood there for a long time before she could move her heavy legs toward Fiona.
She squatted down and gently shook Fiona. "Fiona... Fiona..."
Half a minute later, Fiona groggily opened her eyes. She saw a blurry Debbie and grinned. "Oh, Debbie, you're back..."
The smell of booze on Fiona's breath blasted into Debbie's face.
Debbie recoiled, frowning. "Why are you at home drunk? Shouldn't you be at work?"
Alcohol is a scary thing. Fiona's brain wasn't in charge anymore. She laughed and replied, "Got fired. No job. Haha."
Debbie's brow furrowed. "Why were you fired?"
Fiona's smile got brighter. "Because I fucked the manager. His bitch wife found out and fired me."
Debbie: "..."
She'd only been working there a few days and she slept with someone's husband again?
Debbie was speechless.
Fiona just kept giggling foolishly. "Haha."
A few seconds later, her eyes closed and she passed out again.
Looking at Fiona like this, Debbie felt a mix of hate and panic. She bit her lip, not knowing what to do. She couldn't handle this alone. She took Fiona's phone from her pocket and called Lip.
Lip didn't answer.
Debbie left a frantic voicemail.
A minute later, Lip listened to the message and called back immediately.
Debbie explained the situation through tears. "Lip, come back. Get Ian too. I'm really worried about Fiona."
"Okay, I'm coming."
Lip hung up, ran to the grocery store to grab Ian, and they bolted home.
When they saw Fiona wasted like a mud puddle on the couch:
Ian couldn't hold back. "She needs a therapist. She's seriously sick!"
Lip's face was dark. He stared at Fiona silently, chain-smoking, his anger rising like mercury.
In the blink of an eye, he finished the cigarette.
Lip stormed into the kitchen, filled a basin with water, marched back to the couch, and splashed it right in Fiona's face!
Ian and Debbie gasped. "!!!!"
Soaked in cold water, Fiona jolted awake screaming. "Jesus! What the hell!"
"You awake now?" Lip asked through gritted teeth.
Fiona was definitely more awake. She blinked, her vision clearing enough to see the three of them. "Lip, what the fuck are you doing?"
"You're asking me?" Lip was furious. "I'm asking you! What are you doing? Are you trying to be Frank?! Ignoring Liam and drinking yourself to death?"
Hearing Liam's name, Fiona sobered up a bit more. She scrambled up, swaying, trying to get to the playpen. "Shit, shiiit!"
Liam was standing in the crib. He wasn't hurt, but his diaper was full and reeking.
Fiona smelled it and felt a wave of guilt. She hugged Liam. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
The smell of booze on her was overwhelming.
Liam instinctively struggled, trying to get away from her.
Lip stepped in. He snatched Liam from her arms. "I'll change him."
He turned to the others. "Ian, Debbie, start dinner. I'll help in a minute."
Ian nodded and went to the kitchen.
Debbie didn't move. She looked sad and worried. "What about Fiona?"
"She wants to be Frank? Then we treat her like Frank. We don't need her," Lip said coldly.
The words were like daggers stabbing Fiona in the heart.
She couldn't take it. She collapsed on the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Lip, don't say that. I'm not Frank. I'm really not. I just had a really hard day, I'll get better..."
Lip cut her off, his voice icy. "A hard day? You just got out of prison. You cheated on Steve, slept with a bunch of guys—two of them were married—and lost your job!"
"You call that a 'hard day'?"
"You did this! You did all of this to yourself!!"
Fiona trembled, crying harder, instinctively trying to defend herself. "I didn't want to... I don't know what's wrong with me. I promise I won't do it again..."
"Heh," Lip sneered. "Sounds exactly like something Frank would say. Right now, you're no different than him."
Boom!
Being told she was no different than that piece of scum...
Fiona felt like she'd been struck by lightning. Panic exploded in her chest.
She cried hysterically, gasping for air.
Lip saw it clearly, but he ignored her. He took Liam and walked away, dragging Debbie with him.
Soon, Lip, Ian, and Debbie went about their business.
Fiona was left alone in the living room, crying her eyes out.
The atmosphere in the Gallagher house was heavy.
---
Dex Restaurant.
Carl, having made his usual cash at the Alibi Room, said goodbye to Dexter and headed home without staying for dinner.
Dexter kept working.
At 7:30 PM, he closed up. He chatted with Bianca for a bit, made up an excuse about having plans for the night, and put her in a cab.
Dexter went back to the hotel to prep for the night.
Once ready, he didn't drive. He walked to the Alibi Room.
Frank wasn't there.
To keep things looking natural, Dexter hung around for twenty minutes. When Frank didn't show, he left and walked toward that ugly woman's house.
Outside the house, he listened closely.
Frank's voice was easy to recognize.
Frank was there.
Dexter smiled. He didn't linger. He went back to the Alibi Room to wait for Frank to show his face.
Of course, it wasn't guaranteed Frank would come.
But the odds were high.
And waiting at the bar was safer than lurking outside the ugly woman's house.
Anyway.
If he caught him, great. If not, there was always tomorrow night.
Better late than unsafe.