Chapter 228 – A Father and Son Talk
Although Frank was curious about what Fiona had been thinking during her high school years, he resisted the urge to snoop further. Respecting her privacy, he closed the diary and set it aside.
"Let's read a storybook instead," Frank suggested.
"Aw…" Carl let out a disappointed sigh.
"What's with the sigh?" Frank flicked Carl on the forehead—a small reprimand. He didn't want to encourage bad habits.
After dinner, Frank privately found Fiona and returned her old diary.
"Next time, make sure to keep your things properly," Frank said.
"What are you talking about? What is this?" Fiona asked, not understanding at first, taking the diary from Frank on instinct.
"!!"
She flipped it open and, after just a glance, her eyes widened in shock. She snapped it shut with a loud smack.
"Where did you find this?" she demanded.
"I didn't find it—Carl did. Under the stairs," Frank explained.
"That little rascal!" Fiona hissed through clenched teeth.
She had asked Carl just yesterday to clean under the stairs. He must have found the diary then and held onto it instead of returning it. Two whole days had passed—who knows how much of her embarrassing past he had already shared?
If Frank hadn't returned it, she might never have known it was missing.
To be honest, Fiona had long forgotten about the diary. She had dropped out of school years ago and had been working nonstop to support the family.
"CARL!" she shouted, stomping off, diary in hand, ready to confront him.
Frank understood exactly how she felt. It was like digging up an old, cringeworthy online post from your teenage years—status updates, blog entries, or messages that now made your adult self want to die from secondhand embarrassment.
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Leaving the chaos at home behind, the next day Frank kept his promise and took Lip out for a fancy dinner. They ordered multiple lobster dishes and a bottle of whiskey.
"Pretty good, huh?" Frank asked, sipping his drink.
"The food here's... decent," Lip said after a bite of lobster.
"This is nice. We should do this more often—spend time together. We don't do that enough," Frank said.
"No, we never have," Lip replied bluntly after taking a drink.
The old Frank never cared about anyone but himself. He'd never had real father-son time with his kids before.
"That's why I want to change things now. I know you have your issues with me, and that's fair. But you can come to me for anything. Whatever it is, I'll be there for you," Frank said.
"Sure," Lip mumbled, clearly unconvinced.
"I worry about you, you know," Frank added.
"Seriously?" Lip raised an eyebrow, surprised. He'd never heard Frank say something like that before. Actually, Frank had been acting strange all day.
"Look at you—smart, handsome, the whole package. You've clearly inherited all my best traits, especially when it comes to women," Frank joked.
"If you showed up one day with a kid and told me I was a grandfather, I wouldn't even be surprised."
"But no matter how old they get, kids are still kids in their parents' eyes."
"So, do you want any fatherly advice? On anything at all?" Frank asked.
"No thanks," Lip replied instinctively.
"Come on, don't be like that. Just talk to me—just us, father and son. What's on your mind?" Frank pressed gently.
"Well... alright, I guess. I've had a few drinks, and today's already weird enough." Lip scratched his head.
"I could graduate from school any time now, but I want to stay in high school another year. I don't want to go to college—tuition's too expensive, and there's not enough money in your account anyway. That money would be better used for the family."
"And even if I did use it, what about Ian, Debbie, Carl? What happens to them?"
"I don't even trust myself. Say I did go to college—would I really be able to help the family?"
"Let's say I somehow got a degree, landed a high-paying job, then what? Buy Fiona and the others a house? Support everyone?"
"If I don't, and all the money goes into sending me to school, the pressure's unbearable. Why should I be the one to carry this burden? Just because I'm good at school and tests?"
"I don't want that. I don't want to be a golden goose that everyone depends on. I just want to live my own life and take responsibility for my choices," Lip confessed, the alcohol loosening his tongue.
Lip was smart—too smart. And that made him overthink everything.
Everyone saw that bank account as "Lip's college fund." That unspoken expectation weighed on him like a ton of bricks.
It was like being the only kid in a poor village family who had the chance to go to school, while the others stayed behind to work. If you succeeded, got a decent job, wouldn't you be expected to send most of your earnings home?
Of course, you could ignore your struggling family and live freely on your own—but when you're lying awake at night, wouldn't guilt eat away at you?
Lip wasn't the kind of person who could abandon his family. He wasn't built that way.
So, the thought of college became overwhelming. The pressure, the responsibilities—it all felt like too much.
He'd watched Fiona work herself to the bone for the family. He admired her. He was lucky to have a sister like her.
But he didn't want to become Fiona.
Lip knew himself. He was lazy, self-centered even, and he accepted that. He could never be as selfless or devoted as Fiona.
That's why he didn't want to touch the money in the bank. Because once he did—once he chose college—he'd be taking on everything that came with it.
Even if Fiona and the others never asked him to take care of them, even if they never expected a dime from him—Lip wouldn't be able to live with himself unless he did.
So instead of that burden, he'd rather not go to college at all.