Chapter 149 — Lip's Powerless Rage
"All right, I'm done eating. I've got things to do."
Lip set his empty bowl on the table, stood up, and headed for the door without another word.
"Hey, Ian," Fiona asked as she watched his back disappear, worry creeping into her voice.
"Do you know what Lip's been up to lately? What's going on with him?"
Ian shrugged. "No idea. Same as always, I guess. Little side hustles and stuff."
Fiona didn't press further. She just stood there, staring after Lip, unease settling in her chest.
---
Once outside, Lip pulled out a pack of Marlboros and lit one.
The South Side was… fertile ground.
Sex addicts weren't exactly rare here—Karen and Fiona weren't special cases.
"Katherine, you home?"
Katherine wasn't especially pretty, but at South Side High she was famously… available.
Lip wasn't about to aim high right now.
If his problem wasn't actually fixed, embarrassing himself again would be catastrophic. Last semester alone, rumors had already started spreading that he'd "switched teams."
He could tolerate a lot of insults—but not that one.
"Who the hell is it, this early?"
Katherine opened the door wearing nothing but a loose robe, clearly braless, irritation all over her face.
Then she saw Lip.
The annoyance vanished instantly.
"Oh—hey, Lip. Didn't expect you. What's up?"
She leaned against the doorframe, her voice deliberately sultry.
Lip didn't bother with small talk. This was the South Side—people here didn't waste words.
"Katherine. Wanna fuck?"
Hands in his pockets, eyes locked on her.
William might not see what women liked about Lip, but South Side girls absolutely did.
"Now?" she asked. "My room?"
Lip nodded. "Yeah. Now. Anywhere."
Katherine hesitated, glancing behind her.
"My parents are home. Maybe we go outside?"
"Yeah, yeah—whatever," Lip said quickly. He was desperate. Patience was gone.
She went back inside to change.
A minute later, she came out dressed light and ready.
They slipped into an old van parked in the yard—engine dead, used mostly for storage.
"Hurry up," Katherine whispered as she climbed in.
"If my parents wake up and catch us, they'll probably kill you."
She started stripping immediately.
Lip followed suit.
"That bad?" he muttered. "Guess I better be quick."
---
A few minutes later—
"Lip… are you serious right now?"
Katherine was completely naked.
So was he.
"No—no, that's impossible," Lip snapped, panic flooding his voice.
"Try again. This can't be happening."
He was more frantic than ever.
Katherine rolled her eyes but reluctantly leaned down.
Ten more minutes passed.
Lip's face was red all the way up to his neck.
Katherine, thoroughly bored now, pulled back.
This wasn't even a fake show of performance.
At least a fake one looked impressive.
She studied Lip with open suspicion.
Was he… not into women?
She wasn't a knockout, sure—but no straight guy reacted like this.
With a look of faint disgust, she got dressed.
Lip said nothing.
Inside, his mind was collapsing.
After she left, he finally snapped.
"Fuck! Fuck! How is this possible?! How can this be happening?!"
That morning he'd been fine—more than fine.
So why did everything shut down the moment it was a blonde, white girl?
A terrifying thought surfaced.
"…Is it really because she wasn't black?"
---
Meanwhile, back in the red-light district—
Fiona stood inside the fast-food restaurant that now belonged to her.
Her heart was a mess of emotions she couldn't even begin to untangle.
"So, Fi," Veronica asked, still incredulous,
"you really own this place now? And William lent you all the money—zero interest—and you don't even have to start paying him back for five years?"
Fiona didn't answer right away.
She just looked around the space that had changed her life.
Veronica couldn't help but feel a little bitter.
"Wow," Kevin muttered, running a hand over the brand-new table and chairs.
"William is fucking generous."
"Enough," Fiona said, cutting them off.
"I didn't bring you here so you could stand around being impressed."
She picked up the contract and skimmed it again.
"Does anyone here actually know how to run a fast-food place? William gave me the location and the equipment, but he didn't arrange any staff.
"Well—except accounting. That part looks like it's been outsourced."
She lowered the papers, satisfied there were no obvious issues.
"How would we know?" Kevin shrugged. "But starting today, you're officially upgraded to boss."
Veronica sighed dramatically. "Then why don't you just hire me?"
"Really?" Fiona shot back, eyes lighting up. "You could manage the servers."
Veronica froze. "Wait—seriously?"
"I'm serious," Fiona said confidently, hands on her hips.
"William left plenty of operating capital in the account. I can afford you.
"Full benefits. Full medical insurance."
"Full medical?" Veronica stared at her. "You're not messing with me?"
"Why would I lie to you?" Fiona laughed. "You're my best friend."
At that moment, the restaurant door opened.
Sniqua stepped inside, dressed plainly, looking nothing like she had the night before.
"Oh—sorry," Fiona said instinctively, already moving into owner mode.
"We're not open yet."
"Ah, I'm not here to eat," Sniqua said, putting on a shy smile.
"I wanted to ask if you're hiring."
Fiona turned instantly to Veronica.
They exchanged a look.
The same thought passed between them at once.
Speak of the devil.
---
Next door.
"What do you mean I don't need to come in anymore?" Lip snapped.
"Was this William's call?"
"Believe whatever you want," Svetlana replied calmly.
She lounged on the sofa, cigarette between her lips, stacks of cash spread across her lap as she counted.
"We're done with street distribution. From now on, it's wholesale only.
"If you've got money, you can still buy from us and sell on your own. I won't stop you."
Before Lip could respond, a Russian man stepped forward and dropped a bundle of cash on the table.
"Twenty M9s," he said. "That's the payment."
Svetlana flipped through the bills quickly, nodded, then gestured to Mandy.
"Take him to the back."
Mandy understood immediately.
"This way," she said, leading the man out.
Lip stood there, suddenly very aware that the ground beneath his feet was shifting—and that he was no longer standing where he thought he was.