Chapter 23

"Damn it!" Lip kicked the wall in frustration, the thought of Frank's shamelessness making his blood boil. He truly wanted to throttle the man.

Debbie, too, had no lingering affection for their disgraceful father.

Lip quickly calmed himself, aware that Debbie and Carl were watching him closely.

"Don't worry, everyone," he said with a smile, masking his anger. "We'll get $600 from Frank every month. That's enough to repay the credit cards in just four months."

He patted their shoulders, attempting to reassure them.

"I can chip in by working part-time," Ian offered earnestly, trying to lighten Lip's burden.

"I've saved $56—I can help pay too," Debbie added.

Lip smiled warmly, ruffling their hair. "Ian, use your money for yourself—it's your pocket money. And Debbie, keep your savings. Trust your brother; I've got this."

His tone was gentle but firm.

"We'll pay off Debbie's card first since the overdraft is the smallest. Then we'll tackle Ian's, and finally mine. Sound good?"

"Lip, we'll do whatever you say," the three of them answered in unison.

With that settled, Lip took them back home.

"Well done, Lip!" Fiona greeted them as they walked in, her hands busy preparing lunch while keeping an eye on Liam.

Lip immediately understood how she knew. If Kevin had found out, Veronica surely did too—and from there, it was only a matter of time before Fiona was in the loop.

Walking to the kitchen, Lip pulled out Debbie and Carl's credit cards and handed them to Fiona. "You hold onto these for emergencies," he said.

Fiona took the cards and wrapped her arms around Lip tightly.

Lip hugged her back, softly saying, "I promise, everything will be fine—and it'll only get better."

Fiona released him, smiling through the worry in her eyes. She playfully hit him on the shoulder.

Lip grinned. Noticing the bags of groceries on the counter, he realized Fiona had gone all out for dinner tonight. As always, she was ready to do anything for the family.

"Fiona, I'm going to clean out Frank's room," Lip said.

"Why?"

"Because it's mine now."

"Does Frank agree?" Fiona raised an eyebrow.

Lip smirked. "Aha~"

Fiona laughed, giving him a thumbs-up.

Lip dashed upstairs, his siblings trailing behind. Together, they cleared out Frank's belongings, tossing everything into the utility room.

Within half an hour, the room was empty. Another half-hour saw it cleaned and the bed neatly made. By the end of an hour and a half, Lip's clothes and belongings were arranged in his new room.

"Thanks to all your help, my new room is finally done," Lip said, bowing slightly in gratitude.

Ian, Debbie, and Carl rushed to hug him tightly.

"Lip, we're so lucky to have you!" they said together.

Lip wrapped his arms around them, pulling them close.

"Alright, let's go help Fiona downstairs," he said with a smile, leading the way.

In the kitchen, Veronica greeted them cheerfully. "Hey there, little darlings!"

"Hi, Veronica," they chorused.

"Lip, have you grown taller recently?" Veronica asked, eyeing him closely.

"If you look carefully, you'll notice I've also gotten much more handsome," Lip teased.

"Hmm, you might be right!" Veronica replied, her eyes lighting up.

Lip flashed a mischievous smile but then remembered something important.

"Veronica, can I ask for some advice—just the two of us?"

"Advice?" she asked, intrigued.

"Yes, something... specific."

"Alright, wait here, handsome. Let me finish helping out this little cutie," she joked, giving Fiona a playful kiss on the cheek.

"Go on," Fiona said with a laugh.

Lip and Veronica moved to the living room sofa.

"Okay, handsome. What's your question?" Veronica asked with a smirk. "Or are you about to ask for my measurements?"

"Haha, Veronica, you're shameless!" Lip laughed.

"Of course! What else?" Veronica said, puffing out her chest proudly.

"Well... I want to know—when is it easiest for a woman to get pregnant?" Lip asked, his tone turning serious.

"What?" Veronica's expression changed instantly. "Boy, don't tell me you've been fooling around with someone's daughter without using protection—and now you're panicking!"

She crossed her arms, giving Lip a sharp look that seemed to pierce through him.