Chapter 278: Cancer Again
Pinkman was deep in the throes of a new romance — a time when people are often irrational, impulsive, and prone to saying foolish things.
All men care about saving face. Anyone who's dated or pursued a girl knows this instinct well.
Even if you've never seriously dated, you've likely had similar experiences: hanging out with girls, eating together — as long as girls are around, men instinctively try to show off. It's practically hardwired into our DNA — a primal, male instinct.
Take basketball for example — if girls are watching, suddenly everyone's playing like their life depends on it. Or gaming — once you realize there's a girl in your team, people go all out, playing like pros to impress her.
And the most common move? Bragging.
"Yeah, I know this guy."
"This dude's my friend."
They try to show off their connections or how "cool" they are. Ironically, this usually stems from not having much to show for themselves — no special skills, no real accomplishments — so they lean on others to boost their own image.
But girls hate that kind of empty talk. Bragging? It's one of the biggest turn-offs.
Now, Pinkman didn't have a proper job. He used to be just a street kid. After he started working for Frank, he made a ton of money — but none of it was clean.
He had fallen in love with the landlord's daughter. If she asked what he did for work, how he earned money, how much he made each month — what could Pinkman even say?
Sure, he had cash — Frank had already helped him launder a good chunk of it — but there was no easy way to explain that.
If Pinkman, driven by pride or love, decided to show off and reveal his wealth to the landlord's daughter, she'd definitely ask where all the money came from.
And if he truly believed they were soulmates, thinking "there should be no secrets between us," he might blurt out everything — the good, the bad, and the downright illegal. That would be a total disaster.
Frank knew Pinkman well — indecisive, submissive, terrible under pressure, and easily swayed.
Even though he'd matured a lot under Frank's guidance, Pinkman was still vulnerable. He could absolutely screw this up.
Frank couldn't let that happen. So he gave him a heads-up, a warning in advance.
"I know, I know. I'm not stupid," Pinkman replied impatiently, clearly thinking Frank was just nagging again.
"As long as you know," Frank said, giving him a sidelong glance.
---
Time passed quickly, and the day of the delivery arrived. The goods were ready. Frank and Pinkman personally escorted the shipment back to Chicago.
This deal was crucial — their first official handoff — and Frank had to oversee it himself.
First, they delivered the goods to Chicago, completed the transaction with the local buyers, then waited for the New York Serpents to pick up the cargo.
Whether it made it back to New York safely or not — that was their business. The Serpents would bear any losses.
Because it was their first time working together, Frank didn't even go home. He and Pinkman stayed with the shipment the entire way.
No matter the business, first impressions are everything. You can't afford any screw-ups.
Three days later, the job was done. The money was deposited in the bank, and Frank finally let out a long breath of relief.
"Everything went smooth this time. No hiccups. We'll do it this way from now on," Frank muttered as he slumped into the car seat, massaging his temples and lighting a cigarette.
"Mm." Pinkman nodded from the passenger seat, equally exhausted.
---
When they got home, they found the house empty. The kids weren't around.
"School already started. You didn't know?" Lip said, coming downstairs after hearing them arrive.
"Oh, right. I completely forgot. You're heading to college soon too, aren't you? When's your move-in day? I'll drive you," Frank offered.
"A few more days. Honestly, you two look like the ones who need rest more than I do," Lip said, eyeing them both.
"Yeah. When the kids get back, don't let them wake me," Frank muttered, heading upstairs.
The past three days had been all business — barely any sleep.
By the time Frank woke up, it was already the next day.
---
"Dad!" Debbie shouted, throwing herself into his arms.
"School's started, so make sure you study hard, got it?" Frank said, ruffling her hair.
"And you, brat — if you get held back again and end up repeating third grade, don't blame me for being rough with you," he warned, glaring at Carl.
"Yeah, yeah," Carl muttered, clearly not paying attention.
"If your grades improve, I'll take you to the shooting range," Frank added suddenly.
"Really!?" Carl perked up instantly, eyes sparkling.
"Have I ever lied to you? Just go to school, and make sure you look after your little nephew — he should be transferring to your school too. Don't let anyone bully him. A real boss doesn't let his minion get pushed around," Frank said, recalling something important.
"Deal!" Carl said, fired up.
"Now get your butt to school, punk," Frank said, ruffling his hair.
---
"Fiona!" Jimmy showed up with a coffee while the family noisily ate breakfast.
Frank raised an eyebrow, seeing how close Jimmy and Fiona seemed again.
Looks like they're back together… he thought.
Screw it, Frank sighed internally.
As a father, he'd said and done all he could. If his precious girl insisted on throwing herself to the wolves — what more could he do?
---
"Dad, I need to talk to you about Grandma," Sammi pulled Frank aside.
"Mom?" Frank frowned.
"She passed out a while back and had to be rushed to the ER," Sammi explained.
"What? What did the doctor say?" Frank asked anxiously.
"They said it's cancer — late-stage pancreatic cancer. She doesn't have much time left. The doctor said she's in a lot of pain and shouldn't go out too often. We should just help her live the rest of her days as comfortably as we can," Sammi said, glancing over at Grandma with a complicated look.
Sammi didn't have much emotional attachment to her. After all, she and Frank had only reconnected recently.
Same went for the other kids — Fiona and the rest didn't really feel anything for Grandma.
Fiona was still young when Grandma got arrested and locked up. She'd been in prison for over a decade.
At first, Sammi took care of her out of a longing for family — and because Grandma had a significant sum of money.
But over the past month, spending time together day after day, she'd started to feel something.
Despite her fierce face, vulgar mouth, and explosive temper, Grandma genuinely cared for the grandchildren.
Even little Chuckie — mentally challenged as he was — she never looked down on him. Instead, she worried about his future and even made sure he exercised and stayed healthy.
---
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