Shameless AF: Dad of the Damn Multiverse

Chapter 41: Frank as Dad

If Officer Eddie had truly accepted everything about her, it would have proven he loved her. Their broken father-daughter relationship might have been repaired, even restored to what it once was—perhaps even stronger.

But Eddie's reaction left Karen bitterly disappointed. Not only did he interrupt her, he publicly called her a slut.

Karen had still held on to a sliver of hope before—that maybe her father did love her, deep down. But in that moment, she saw the truth, crystal clear. She was just a child without a father's love. Her dad didn't love her. Not at all.

Frank had been right. A real father, no matter how far his daughter had fallen, would accept and protect her. A father should be his child's eternal refuge.

Tonight, Karen had lost her father completely.

But luckily, she had found another—someone who truly cared for her.

" Frank… were you listening outside the whole time?" Karen asked as she clung to Frank's arm.

"Yeah," Frank nodded.

"It must've been freezing. It's snowing today," she said.

"It's alright. Snowfall isn't the coldest time—it's when the snow melts that it's really cold," Frank replied.

"Really?" Karen looked surprised.

"Of course. You've got to keep studying. This is basic knowledge," Frank teased.

Karen went quiet for a beat. Then she asked, "So… you heard my confession too. Do you hate me now?"

"Of course not," Frank grinned. "Our Karen's a total heartbreaker. A beautiful girl like you—of course tons of people are gonna fall for you. Even other girls can't resist you!"

The things Karen had done might be shocking or unthinkable to others, like something out of an adult film—but compared to what Frank had done in his past life, this was child's play. It wasn't even close.

"That's your gift. You should use it. Do you have a Facebook? Blog? I remember there's a woman named Dailyn who writes a blog…"

"I know her!" Karen's eyes lit up. "She sleeps with celebrities, boxers, wrestlers—then blogs about the experience. I'm a huge fan!"

"Exactly. You could do that too—share your thoughts, your stories," Frank encouraged.

"But… she's famous. And she sleeps with stars," Karen hesitated.

"So what? Even Sheila's a livestreamer now. She interacts with fans like it's nothing. What are you afraid of? Once you're famous, you can hook up with real stars—not just scruffy kids from the projects who don't even know what they're doing."

"Just one thing though—always use protection. You don't want to get sick or pregnant, right?" Frank added.

"Really?" Karen seemed intrigued now.

"Of course. When has Frank ever lied to you?" he said with a smirk.

They continued walking and chatting happily. It was as if the scene in the church never happened. Snowflakes drifted down, and under the glow of streetlights, the two of them looked like a close and loving father and daughter—despite the not-so-kid-friendly topics of their conversation.

" Frank… if you and Mom break up, will you still be my Frank?" Karen asked suddenly.

"Why ask that out of the blue?" Frank replied, patting her on the head. "Don't worry. No matter what happens, I'll always be your Frank. That'll never change."

"Thank you… Dad," Karen whispered as she leaned against him.

"No need to thank me. This is what dads are supposed to do," Frank said gently, stroking her hair.

When the two arrived home, Sheila looked surprised. "You're back already? The purity ball ended that fast? Where's Eddie?"

It had been less than half an hour since Karen and Officer Eddie left. John had already gone home.

"We just bumped into each other on the way back," Frank replied casually.

"What happened to your hand?" Sheila noticed the blood and ran to grab the first aid kit.

Frank had thrown his punch with enough force to split the skin, causing soft tissue bruising. The bleeding had mostly stopped on the walk home. That's why boxers wear gloves—to protect their fists.

As Sheila bandaged his hand, Karen pulled open the basement door and walked into the room where Officer Eddie had been staying.

"Sweetheart?" Sheila called out in confusion.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Loud crashing sounds came from below.

Karen wasn't the forgiving type. She hadn't forgiven Eddie. She trashed everything in the basement—every last thing that belonged to him.

When she came back upstairs, she looked refreshed, her anger finally vented.

"Karen, are you okay?" Sheila rushed over and hugged her.

"I'm fine, Mom. Just… don't ever let that man back in the house. He's not my father anymore. From now on, I only have one dad— Frank," Karen said firmly.

"Okay… I understand. I'm just glad you're alright," Sheila said softly, though she didn't fully understand what had happened.

Karen was exhausted. After resting on the couch a while, she headed to her room to sleep early.

"What happened at the purity ball?" Sheila asked once Karen had gone.

Frank had said they'd run into each other by chance—but Sheila wasn't stupid. Just a bit too kindhearted.

Frank must've gone to the ball. Something had clearly happened—Karen's attitude, her words… it all pointed to it.

"It's nothing now. It's over," Frank said reassuringly, not elaborating.

"Thank you, Frank. I don't know what I'd do without you," Sheila murmured as she leaned against his chest.

Frank said nothing, just held her close and rubbed her shoulders.

Meanwhile, outside the house, Officer Eddie pulled up in his car. His face was dark with rage and humiliation. Tonight had been a complete disaster. Everyone at the purity ball had known him—friends, neighbors. And Karen's words had completely shamed him.

Driven by ego and rage, he'd lost control and screamed at her in public, calling her a slut. Now that he'd cooled down, a small pang of regret crept in. Maybe he had overreacted. Maybe he could still fix things.

As he got out of the car and walked toward the house, a shadow silently appeared behind him.

"Hey there," a voice greeted him from the darkness.

"You—?" Eddie turned around, confused—only to feel a sharp pain on his head. His vision went black as he collapsed to the ground.