Many children bring happiness, a shameless start

Lip took his three younger siblings and walked slowly down the street.

They were on their way to confront an old bastard, their father—Frank.

It all started a few nights ago when Lip was thinking about how to get some money. But after much deliberation, he couldn't think of anyone who might be able to help.

Then, out of nowhere, it hit him:

Frank, the shameless father who made a living through cheating, kidnapping, and stealing, was actually the richest man in the Gallagher family.

Now that Lip had discovered this, it was time to face him. But where should he even begin?

Lip thought through the situation and realized something:

Frank had broken Aleb's bar's LCD TV after drinking too much, then he stole Carl's identity and some of his personal information to apply for a credit card and overdraft it for cash, all for his own gain.

Because Fiona was an adult and already had a family to take care of, Frank hadn't targeted her. But the identities of Lip, Ian, Carl, and Debbie had long been stolen by him.

And, as if that wasn't enough, Frank even used Liam's credit as a baby.

In the U.S., credit is incredibly important. It's the foundation of a person's ability to live well.

The U.S. has a robust and complete credit system, and a person's credit affects everything—bank accounts, loans for houses and cars, student scores, applying to schools, medical insurance, and job hunting.

If your credit goes bankrupt, it's as if you no longer exist in the system, or worse.

Frank was a complete asshole.

He had no hesitation in ruining his children's futures just to fuel his drinking and DU (drunk driving) addiction. He acted without boundaries, worse than any animal.

Though it was just a few hundred dollars he overdrew on his credit card, it was still a breach of trust, and no one knew what Frank might do next. Only God could predict his next move.

Sure enough, most of a family's misfortunes stem from selfish and irresponsible parents.

Knowing this, Lip wasn't going to stand by and let it slide. He was determined to "honor" his bastard father in any way possible.

And even though Frank spent his days drunk and dreaming, he was still the one who enjoyed the most in the family.

"Lip, where are we going to get money?" Carl asked, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"We're not making money, we're taking back what's rightfully ours," Lip explained patiently. "Our credit and money have been stolen."

"What?" Ian, Carl, and Debbie asked in unison, surprised.

"What kind of bastard is he? I'm going to kill him!" Karl said, his eyes widening with fury.

"Frank?" Ian asked, piecing it together.

"Who else could it be?" Lip answered.

"No way!" Debbie was still reluctant to believe it. "But where did we get the money for him to steal?"

"Well…" Karl froze, unsure of what to say.

Sure enough, Carl and Debbie were still too young to understand the full extent of Frank's betrayal. Children tend to trust their parents the most, even when those parents didn't show them much care.

"That's how it is," Lip said, smiling and ruffling Carl and Debbie's hair. "If you don't believe me, just follow me and see for yourselves."

A little while later, Lip and the others arrived at Kevin and Veronica's bar, Aleb's.

"Hey, Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, what brings you guys here?" Kevin, who was behind the bar, asked in surprise, raising his eyebrows.

"You're not of legal drinking age, but if you want to drink, I can…" he trailed off, but Lip cut him off.

"Kevin, thanks, but we're looking for Frank. Is he here?"

Kevin tilted his head and nodded toward the bar.

Lip and the others made their way around the bar and found Frank passed out on the floor next to the pool table.

"It seems like this guy's been living well recently," Lip muttered, his eyes growing colder.

"Lip, how can you say that?" Debbie asked, confused.

"When Frank has money, he'll go out to feed his addiction," Lip explained, looking at Debbie. "But when he's broke, he goes out and finds a way to make some cash. The only time he comes home is when he's too drunk or injured to do anything else."

"I can confirm what Lip said," Kevin chimed in as he walked over. "He showed up at 8:30, had a few drinks, and passed out. I can't even count how many times I've had to drag him to this corner."

"So, what do you want with him?" Kevin asked.

"We're here to take back what's ours," Lip said, kneeling down and starting to rummage through Frank's pockets.

Frank was too drunk to resist, making the task easier.