Chapter 159: DNA Test
"If we want to take Liam legally, we'll need the legal guardian's signature. That means we just need Frank to sign all those damn papers," said Roberta.
"A guy like Frank? Give him enough money and he'd sell his own ass. I brought plenty of cash—he would've signed for sure."
"But now, we can save the money. Frank's dead. You're their mother, Monica. That makes you their legal guardian now. If you handle the paperwork properly, we can take Liam," Roberta explained.
"No... Frank's not dead. He's not the kind of man to die that easily," Monica insisted, still in disbelief.
"Then we'll go to the police station tomorrow and check," Roberta replied.
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The next day, Roberta and Monica went to the precinct to verify Frank's status and figure out how Monica could legally take Liam as his mother.
"Damn it! Frank's been missing for months—nearly six months! Why the hell doesn't that count as dead?!" Roberta fumed as they left the station.
Because Frank's body was never found, the police records still listed him as missing, not deceased.
And that changed everything.
Since Frank wasn't legally dead, he was still considered the children's guardian. If Monica wanted to take Liam, she'd need Frank's signature. But Frank was nowhere to be found. Everyone believed he was dead, but without proof, they were stuck. It was like trying to withdraw money from a dead man's account, only to be told he had to show up in person.
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"So now what?" Monica asked, kicking at a rock on the sidewalk.
"There's only one thing left—DNA testing. Anyone with eyes can tell Liam isn't Frank's kid. But we need legal proof."
"If we get a DNA test showing no biological relationship between them—and if you're confirmed as Liam's mother—the judge will give you custody. No question," Roberta explained.
Getting Frank's DNA wouldn't be hard. All they needed was some old clothing or hair.
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Back at the Gallagher house…
"What are you two doing here again?" Lip asked with a scowl.
"Easy, kid," Roberta muttered, raising an eyebrow.
"You wait in the car. I'll handle this," Monica said, trying to keep things calm.
"Hmph," Roberta scoffed but stepped outside.
"I just came to pick up a few things," Monica told Lip.
"Well, we don't have any money," Lip said bluntly.
"I'm not here to ask for money. Just some old clothes," Monica replied.
"There's still some of your stuff here? Whatever—take it and leave," he said coldly.
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Monica gathered a bunch of Frank's old clothes and stuffed them into a plastic bag. The kids hadn't thrown out all of Frank's belongings—maybe out of some lingering sentiment—otherwise, Monica would've had nothing to collect.
"There's got to be some of Frank's DNA in here," Monica said, handing the bag to Roberta.
"DNA?" Lip's brows furrowed. He had followed Monica to make sure she wasn't stealing or pulling anything shady. When he heard the conversation, his instincts kicked in.
"You're planning to use the DNA test to prove that Frank and Liam aren't biologically related..." Lip muttered, quickly putting the pieces together.
"I don't give a damn about any DNA test. I'm not letting you take Liam," Lip declared.
"What's your problem, Phillip Gallagher?" Roberta said, using his full name.
"My problem? You slept with my mom and now you want to steal my little brother. That's my problem!" Lip shot back.
"Motherf— I'm gonna kick your—" Roberta growled, stepping forward.
"Stop it! Lip didn't mean it," Monica quickly got between them.
"Oh, congrats, Mom. You've always had stellar taste in men," Lip sneered before storming off.
---
"Lip! Lip, wait!" Monica called after him, signaling Roberta to stay put and ran after her son.
"Please don't go, Lip. I haven't even had a chance to talk to you," she pleaded.
"There's nothing to talk about," he said, without turning around.
"No, I want to talk. I just... I don't know where to begin. I don't know how to explain things. I worry about you all the time. I think about you every single day."
"I miss you. There's so much I want to ask. How's school? You're so smart—just like your father. My incredible Lip... I'm so sorry for hurting you," Monica stammered, emotions spilling out.
Lip stayed silent, not even looking at her, as if her voice was just background noise.
"Look at me, Lip... Look at your mom," she said, gently touching his face.
"If you ever think about coming back again, do us a favor—call first so we can get the hell out of here. Dad was right. The farther we stay away from you, the better. We've already suffered enough because of you," Lip said coldly before walking away without looking back.
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"Lip…" Monica murmured, her eyes filled with pain as she watched him go.
"He's not worth your tears," Roberta said, putting an arm around her shoulder.
Later, they went to the testing center and submitted the samples for DNA analysis.
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"In a few days, once the results are back, we'll have the proof we need. We'll take Liam and leave this dump behind," Roberta said.
"…I'm not sure I can go," Monica said hesitantly. "I don't know what happened to Frank, but he's been gone so long, and the kids… they've had no one. Maybe my coming back now means something. Maybe they need me."
"They'll be fine. They managed without you for years, didn't they?"
"And back then they had Liam to care for too. He's only two. Taking him with us will actually help them. One less thing to worry about," Roberta reasoned.
"…Didn't you see the look on Fiona and Lip's faces? How hurt they are? That's all because of me," Monica said quietly, guilt eating away at her.
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