Shameless AF: Dad of the Damn Multiverse

Chapter 43: The Fake Wedding

"Your mom just wants to see you get married, to witness a wedding. So, why not just hold a wedding ceremony for her without registering it legally with the state?" Frank suggested.

A marriage license is what legally binds a couple as husband and wife. Without it, even if you hold a wedding ceremony, you're not legally married and won't commit bigamy.

Frank recalled a video he once saw from a certain notorious lawbreaker who joked that as long as you don't get a marriage license, you could have weddings with multiple women without it being considered bigamy—just a moral issue.

"A fake wedding?" The three of them exchanged glances.

"Think about it, it counts as a wedding, just not a legal one, and it's not against the law," Frank said.

"Frank, you're a genius!" Veronica exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

"But what's the point of doing it?" Kevin was still trying to wrap his head around it.

"For the free gifts, the wedding presents, and my dead father's inheritance, sweetheart," Veronica laughed, wrapping her arms around Kevin's neck.

"Thanks, Dad," Fiona said, watching Kevin embrace Veronica.

"Sheila would love to help you with the wedding dress," Frank said, putting an arm around Fiona's shoulders with a smile.

The next day, Fiona, Veronica, and Debbie went to Sheila's house to prepare for the wedding.

"You're getting married? Congratulations!" Sheila exclaimed excitedly, holding Veronica's hand.

"You'll make a beautiful bride," Sheila said as she took Veronica's measurements.

"Oh, Sheila, you're making me feel like Cinderella. You're my fairy godmother," Veronica joked.

"Screw Cinderella. She's a starry-eyed brat and a terrible role model for young girls. Marriage is the most useless institution humans have clung to," Karen said while doing her homework.

"How do you know?" Debbie asked.

"I watched a marriage fall apart. Marriage is unreliable. In the old days, it was just a way for parents to legally sell off their daughters," Karen replied.

Parents are role models for their children, and their actions greatly influence them.

Sheila and Officer Eddie's unhappy marriage had left a negative impression on Karen's view of marriage, making her quite cynical about it.

"Honey, those are just some cases, special circumstances. You'll eventually meet the right person and get married. When that happens, I'll walk you down the aisle," Frank said, feeling a bit uneasy.

Fathers everywhere feel similarly. There's a saying that it's easy to marry off a son but hard to give away a daughter. It's a psychological thing.

Fathers are thrilled when sons marry, even if the couple doesn't get along, as long as a new member joins the family. But when it comes to daughters, fathers feel as if their precious treasure is being stolen and often resent the son-in-law.

Frank felt this way too, troubled by the thought of his daughters marrying someday, and growing increasingly annoyed with Steve, the young man courting his eldest daughter.

"I wonder who you'll marry," Frank sighed.

"Dad, I'll always be with you," Debbie said, looking up at Frank.

"Good girl," Frank said, patting Debbie's head.

"Hmph!" Karen huffed, feeling a twinge of jealousy watching Frank and Debbie.

"Alright, tell me about my bachelorette party. We're going to have a blast," Veronica said excitedly.

Bachelorette parties might not be common in some places, but they're a must before getting married in the West. Of course, these parties sometimes get out of hand.

Typically, bachelorette and bachelor parties are separate. Veronica and her girlfriends would have theirs, while Frank and Kevin would have theirs with the guys.

Veronica's party would be at a nightclub, while Kevin's would be at the Alibi Bar, where they could party harder on home turf.

After measurements were done, everyone left to prepare for the parties.

"Karen, why don't you join Fiona and the others?" Frank suggested.

"I don't want to go," Karen said, reluctant.

Although Karen often hung out with Lip and visited Frank's house, she only knew Fiona and the others casually, not well enough to feel comfortable joining them, especially Veronica.

"Go with them. They're like your sisters," Frank said, understanding her hesitation.

After that night's events, Karen and Frank had formed an unspoken father-daughter bond, akin to an adoptive relationship.

But, being an adopted daughter, there was still a gap compared to his biological daughters, Fiona and Debbie.

Frank's words reassured Karen that, whether adopted or biological, he would treat all his daughters equally.

"Have fun," Sheila said, helping Karen with her coat.

Everyone left, leaving Sheila alone at home. If she could leave the house, she would've joined the girls.

'Ding dong.' A while later, the doorbell rang.

"Eddie!" Sheila was surprised to see him at the door.

"Where are Karen and Frank?" Officer Eddie asked, stepping inside.

"Karen and Veronica are getting married. They're preparing for their parties tonight. Wait, tell me what happened at the Purity Ball?" Sheila asked, following Eddie.

Eddie opened the basement door, entering the chaos of broken TVs, fish tanks, decorations, and paintings, but showed no emotion.

He didn't hide anything, recounting the events of the Purity Ball to Sheila calmly and without emotion.

"Get out! Get out of my house!" Sheila screamed in rage upon hearing what had happened.

"You're her father, and you called my daughter a slut. Her heart should be full of love, not hate. Never come back!" Sheila shouted, shoving Eddie out and hitting him.

No wonder Karen had trashed the basement after the Purity Ball, filled with anger and hatred toward Eddie.