Chapter 43 A Busy Workday
Olivia couldn't quite understand what Matthew meant by "surprise."
It wasn't until they finished breakfast and arrived at the pet hospital that she finally realized what he had planned.
The moment Olivia stepped through the doors, she was stunned. The place was filled with even more noise than yesterday—dogs barking, cats meowing, and even occasional bird calls mixed in.
The hospital lobby was packed with cages containing various cats, dogs, and birds. These animals all shared one common trait: they were dirty and injured.
"Thank goodness you're here, Olivia!" Peter rushed over, his forehead covered in sweat and his white coat stained with dirt and blood.
"Someone dropped off a huge number of pets this morning for treatment. I've been in this business for years and never seen anything like it. I'm completely overwhelmed. I'm so glad you're here—we need to get to work!"
Rather than jumping into action, Olivia stood frozen, slowly turning to look at a proud-looking Matthew beside her.
"You did this?" Her finger pointed at the animals, trembling slightly.
Matthew rubbed his nose, his face radiating pride and satisfaction.
"That's right. I saw these poor strays with injuries and felt terrible for them, so I had people gather them all for treatment at once! Don't you think that shows how compassionate I am?"
Matthew smiled at Olivia, pleased with himself. This was his plan after taking Wesley's advice. He was certain Olivia would appreciate his kindness, giving them something in common and bringing them closer.
"Mr. Howard, you arranged all this?" Peter's eyes widened. "My goodness, you're incredibly generous! You've done something I've always wanted to do but never could."
Peter excitedly shook Matthew's hand, then gestured toward the stray animals.
"I've always felt so bad for these poor animals, but my resources are limited. As you know, medications for animals cost several times more than human medicine! Not everyone can afford treatment for these creatures, so I just do what I can. You've accomplished in one day what I couldn't do in ten years."
Peter's voice grew increasingly enthusiastic. Matthew nodded along, occasionally glancing smugly at Olivia, only to find her expression had grown cold.
"Did you think I wasn't busy enough, so you needed to find me more work?" She snapped. "Damn it! I get paid a fixed salary each month, and you've just multiplied my workload by ten times. Ten times!"
Olivia's frustration exploded into a shout.
Matthew stood awkwardly, finally realizing he might have made another foolish mistake.
Peter seemed to catch on as well, his smile turning rueful.
"I nearly forgot—we're severely understaffed right now. The owner said the new hires won't start until tomorrow at earliest."
Seeing Olivia's furious glare, Matthew scratched his head awkwardly.
"I'll call right away and have some of these animals transferred to other hospitals."
Afraid that staying would only further enrage Olivia, Matthew quickly excused himself to make the call and rushed out of the pet hospital.
A short while later, a group arrived to take half the strays to other facilities, but Olivia and her colleagues were still left with the remainder.
It wasn't until Matthew returned to his office and sank into his chair that he fully grasped how stupid his gesture had been.
Even though he'd removed half the animals, the remaining half was still enough to ensure Olivia would have an exhausting day.
Just then, his office door opened and John walked in.
John looked equally exhausted, his expression filled with reproach as he looked at Matthew.
"Sir, every pet hospital in the city has been overwhelmed by those stray animals. Should we perhaps pause the rescue operation for now?"
"What do you mean, overwhelmed?" Matthew jumped up from his chair, staring at John in shock.
"How can there be so many strays in this city? Oh my God, are people really that heartless?"
John rolled his eyes and handed over several envelopes.
"There are plenty of compassionate people, actually. Several animal welfare organizations have filed complaints against us. Apparently, we re-spayed animals that they had already spayed and released."
Matthew didn't even glance at the complaint letters, simply waving them away.
"That's easy enough to fix. Just hire people from those animal welfare organizations to work for us. And inject some funding into their organizations."
John nodded; this wasn't particularly difficult to resolve.
"Alright, I'm tired. Let me rest for a while."
Matthew rubbed his temples when suddenly his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he saw it was Wesley.
When he answered, Wesley's laughter boomed through the speaker.
"Buddy, do you know what today's headline is? Some mysterious billionaire bought up all the city's stray animals and sent them to hospitals. My God, do you think someone found out about our plan and decided to sabotage you?"
John, who hadn't gone far, overheard Wesley's words and struggled to contain his laughter, his expression growing increasingly strained.
Matthew's expression darkened. Only after John left the office could his hearty laughter be heard echoing down the hallway.
Wesley, oblivious to the situation, continued his mockery.
"Oh my God, what kind of absolute moron would come up with such a ridiculous way to mess with you?"
Wesley laughed for several more moments, but when Matthew didn't join in, he grew puzzled.
"Come on, buddy, isn't this hilarious?"
Matthew took a deep breath, preparing to have a serious conversation with Wesley.
As he walked toward the parking garage, he spoke calmly into his phone.
"It's really not that funny, because the moron you're talking about is me."