Chapter 337: Two Choices
Ever since Frank learned he didn't have much time left, he had been thinking constantly about the kids' future.
Jimmy's place in that future?
Frank had already mapped it out down to the smallest detail.
But as always—
Plans couldn't keep up with reality.
Pinkman's relapse.
His sudden withdrawal.
Those unexpected twists shattered everything Frank had prepared.
"You don't need to think about Heisenberg anymore," Frank said flatly.
"Why not? I've done the work before. I've got experience. If I didn't, I wouldn't have even met Nando. I promise I won't screw it up this time—" Jimmy insisted.
"I said stop thinking about it." Frank cut him off, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Jimmy studied Frank's expression and wisely chose not to push further.
"From now on," Frank continued, "you're done with the petty stuff. No more stealing cars. No more dealing."
"Then how am I supposed to live?" Jimmy asked.
It was a genuine question.
Jimmy had gone from school to dropping out to hustling—car theft, shady jobs, drifting through the underworld. If he couldn't do any of that, he honestly didn't know how to make money.
"Pull over," Frank suddenly said.
"What? Why?"
"Just pull over."
Jimmy stepped on the brakes and parked along the roadside.
Frank got out, walked to a nearby newsstand, and bought a newspaper. When he returned to the car, he tossed it into Jimmy's lap.
"Like a normal person," Frank said. "Find a legitimate job. And don't count on Fiona to bankroll your life."
Jimmy picked up the newspaper. It was filled with job listings and hiring ads.
"When did you two suddenly get so close?" Fiona asked suspiciously when Frank and Jimmy returned home.
"We didn't. Same as always," Frank replied. "Come to my room for a minute."
Jimmy looked like he wanted to say something. But when he saw Fiona helping Frank upstairs, he swallowed his words. He lowered his head and started flipping through the newspaper Frank had given him.
To his own surprise, he even took out his phone and began calling some of the numbers listed, asking about openings.
After several calls, though, he tossed the paper aside in disgust.
The pay was pathetic.
So low he could barely stand to hear the numbers. A month of work for that? And with all those requirements and conditions? He could steal a car in under ten minutes and make what they were offering in several months.
As for Frank's lecture?
Frank might be dead any day now. Jimmy figured he could just fake it—pick up some random job for show until the old man was gone.
After thinking it over, Jimmy grabbed his jacket and left the house.
He was about to be free.
Time to see if his old skills were rusty.
---
"What did you need, Dad?" Fiona asked after helping Frank back into his room.
"I wanted to ask about your plans," Frank said.
He had asked her this more than once before. Back then, his health hadn't been this dire. There had been time—time to stay by her side while she figured out her own path.
Now?
He could drop dead at any moment. Fiona's future couldn't be left hanging anymore.
Out of all the kids, she worried him the most.
The younger ones—Liam, Debbie, and Carl—were still children.
Liam could barely speak clearly yet. Frank worried about him the most in a different way: in a country riddled with racial prejudice, Liam's dark skin might make his life much harder.
Debbie and Carl were at that in-between age—on the brink of adolescence, still sheltered by childhood. No grand ambitions yet, just the usual growing pains.
As for the older ones—
Ian had his heart set on the military. After quitting work and enrolling in prep classes, his grades had improved dramatically, especially his weakest subject—math. With effort, he could realistically get into a military academy.
Lip didn't need worrying. After a brief period of confusion when he skipped grades in high school, he found his footing at the University of Chicago. Between classes and lab research, he might be the busiest person in the entire family.
Karen now had her own company. Her livestreaming platform was already built, she'd signed several major streamers, and she had a clear blueprint for her future.
Sammi was over forty. She'd been married multiple times. At this point, all she wanted was for her son—little Chuckie—to grow up safely. He was her entire world. With Sammi around, Frank didn't worry much about his grandson. The only concern was that she might spoil him too much—but given Chuckie's intellectual limitations… well, it was what it was.
Only Fiona kept Frank up at night.
She had devoted her life to this family. She raised her siblings. She never truly lived for herself.
And worst of all—
She had terrible taste in men.
That was why he couldn't rest easy.
Some things he couldn't say directly to her. Some truths would only hurt her. So he'd tried to steer Jimmy instead, nudging him from the side.
"I won't go into Jimmy again. You know I've never liked him," Frank said.
"You've basically finished your accounting fundamentals now. I have two options for you."
"Two options?" Fiona asked, confused.
"Do you remember Gretchen? The woman who came by the house."
"I remember," Fiona nodded.
Even though she'd only met Gretchen a few times, the image stuck. Multi-million-dollar sports car. Designer clothes. That aura of wealth and power. And the vague, complicated history between her and Frank.
"I can arrange for you to work at her company," Frank continued. "A proper, official position. Full benefits. It's a major corporation worth billions."
With Frank's relationship to Gretchen Schwartz, getting Fiona hired would be as simple as making a call.
Nothing complicated. Fiona had studied accounting—she could work in finance. Office environment. Stable hours. No running around. Decent salary. Healthcare. Retirement benefits.
A clean, legitimate path.
A future that didn't depend on Jimmy.