The Alibi Room.
Dexter had barely finished his sentence when the door swung open.
Fiona walked in, carrying the backpack full of contraband Lip had smuggled back.
In a single glance, she spotted Peggy and Dexter.
Just like that, the good mood she'd been in—buoyed by the prospect of finishing a deal and making some decent cash—evaporated instantly.
Fiona's expression curdled. Her face and eyes filled with distinct, palpable hatred.
She shot a venomous glare at Peggy and Dexter, then turned her head away, stomping toward one of the drunks at the bar who had ordered some goods.
Peggy saw Fiona. She saw Fiona pretend she didn't exist...
Heh.
Any shred of guilt Peggy might have felt about the deal she just struck with Dexter vanished into thin air.
What good is a granddaughter like that?
Family? What a load of crap.
Fuck 'em.
Peggy's lips curled into a cold, sneering smile.
Dexter watched Fiona, too.
He had kept tabs on her through Little Wu and Carl. He knew she'd been working at the strip club for the past week, and he knew she went home crying every night.
Seeing the ugly expression twisted onto her face now, Dexter smiled.
It was amusing, really.
As a Gallagher—a shameless one at that—she was poor, incompetent, but had a temper the size of Texas. Resenting the rich was one thing, but she just hated everyone and everything at the drop of a hat...
Then again, that was probably normal.
Generally speaking, successful people with money tended to have better tempers. It was the poor and incompetent who were usually the opposite—the less capability they had, the bigger their rage.
So, is a good temper the key to success?
Dexter mused on the thought.
Not far away, Fiona found her buyer and started the transaction.
Kevin saw her but didn't say a word, pretending he was busy.
Fiona did the same. Her attitude radiated a "me against the world" vibe.
Fascinating stuff.
Dexter watched with great amusement.
"Mr. King ," Peggy suddenly spoke up.
Dexter tore his gaze away. "Hmm?"
"I'm a little curious why you're targeting her," Peggy asked in a low voice.
Dexter knew she meant Fiona. He thought for a moment. "The reasons are complicated. I can't even explain them fully myself. But, fundamentally? I want to help her."
He paused, then smiled. "Do you believe that?"
Peggy was old. She might not be a genius, but she had enough life experience to fill the gaps. She thought it over, understood the subtext, and shook her head with a chuckle. "I doubt you'll achieve that goal. I don't believe a person's core nature changes just because their circumstances do."
Look at that. Words of wisdom.
A leopard doesn't change its spots.
Could Fiona's personality change?
No chance.
throughout the original series, aside from Veronica, Fiona never really had any friends.
Even later, when she cut ties with the Gallaghers, she still didn't have friends—only men. And most of those men were idiots.
Was that kind of life caused by poverty? No.
Poor people could have plenty of friends.
Fiona's shitty personality destined her to be lonely.
Dexter smiled and shook his head as well. "Whether her personality changes or not doesn't matter. As long as her life gets better."
Peggy blinked, finally understanding what Dexter really meant. "With your capabilities, that certainly won't be difficult."
Dexter beamed.
Just then, his phone rang. It was the real estate agent.
Dexter answered the call and stood up. "Peggy, I'm heading out. If you need anything, feel free to contact me anytime."
Peggy nodded silently.
---
Fifteen minutes later.
Dexter stepped out of his car, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked up at the apartment building in front of him—the very building that, in the original show, represented Fiona's brief period of glory. He couldn't help but chuckle.
The real estate agent saw this and couldn't quite understand what was so funny about a dilapidated apartment complex. But he didn't ask. Instead, he said, "Mr. King , I've inspected the interior thoroughly. This building is a wreck. It needs repairs everywhere."
"If you want to overhaul it, I estimate even a hundred thousand dollars might not be enough."
"Are you sure you want to buy this place?"
"I have my uses for it," Dexter replied with a smile. "Let's go sign the contract."
Since Dexter was insistent, the agent felt he had done his due diligence and didn't push further.
The whole process took about half an hour.
Contract signed. Check written. Deal done.
Walking out of the apartment with the agent, Dexter looked at the rather large empty lot next to the building. He thought for a moment. "Buy that empty lot for me too."
"Sure!" The agent was thrilled. The commission from the last deal was already hefty; this was just icing on the cake.
"That's it for now. You go ahead, I'm waiting for someone," Dexter said, cutting the chatter.
"Alright, Mr. King . We'll be in touch." The agent hopped in his car and drove off, happy as a clam.
Dexter took out his phone and called Karen.
Thinking about this situation made Dexter want to laugh again.
Over the past six months or so, he had given Karen roughly a hundred grand, on and off.
Now, Karen was going to have to take the remainder of that money and give it right back to him to "invest"...
It felt like he'd gotten a free ride this whole time.
---
The Gallagher House.
Ah, the stamina of youth.
At Lip's insistence, they were currently in the middle of Round Three.
Karen's phone rang. Karen, who didn't really have friends either, wondered who would be calling at this time. After two seconds, she suddenly thought of Dexter.
Thump.
Dexter was her Golden Goose; she couldn't keep him waiting.
Karen immediately reached into the pocket of her clothes on the floor and pulled out her phone. She looked at the screen openly.
The Caller ID read: Sheila.
That was the code for Dexter.
Confirming it was him, Karen didn't hesitate. She sat up immediately, pulling away from Lip. As she scrambled to the side, she lied through her teeth. "It's my mom. Something might be wrong."
She pressed answer. "Hello?"
"I'm at [Street Name], [Number]. Can you come over now? I found a good business opportunity for you," Dexter said concisely. No fluff.
"Okay, I'll be right there," Karen agreed instantly, completely ignoring Lip, who was still waiting to finish the battle.
"My mom has an emergency, I have to go back. Let's finish tonight," Karen said, throwing the words at Lip as she hurriedly threw on her clothes. She didn't even look back as she sprinted out of the Gallagher house.
Lip: "??????"
Fuck!
She just ran off in the middle of sex?
What the hell is this?!
Lip felt terrible. Physically and mentally frustrated. But with no other option, he had to take matters into his own hands. Literally. Self-reliance is a virtue, after all.
To the side.
Liam was in his crib, mimicking the exact same motion.
The scene was bizarre, surreal, and utterly sick.
But, heh.
In the Gallagher house, maybe that wasn't so sick after all. Just another Tuesday.
---
In front of the Apartment Building.
Seeing Karen arrive, flushed and dripping with sweat, Dexter gave a sly smile. "Were you in the middle of something?"
Karen laughed. "Lip, that idiot, is back. He insisted on going non-stop."
"Do you think it would be funny if he lost his junk, just like Frank?" Dexter asked with a grin.
Karen paused for a moment, then burst into a brilliant, genuine laugh. "Haha! A guy like him losing his junk? He probably wouldn't want to live anymore."
Dexter figured she was right. "Alright, let's talk business."