Chapter 116 The Donation

"Olivia, you should totally hang out with this guy. Who knows, you might even hit it off and become a thing. A heart of gold like his is rare nowadays," Hailey Anderson said with a laugh.

Hailey's teasing made Olivia blush. "Knock it off, Hailey," she replied, her cheeks turning pink.

"Alright, alright, no more jokes. Since you borrowed money from someone, you should hurry up and pay them back, Olivia. We don't want this kindhearted guy thinking we're swindlers," Hailey said as she handed the cash to Olivia.

"Yeah, I'm on it," Olivia nodded, then dashed outside.

"And don't forget to say 'thank you'!" Hailey called after her retreating figure.

Hailey would have been surprised to learn that the "kindhearted guy" Olivia mentioned was Eric Phillips.

Outside the hospital, Olivia approached Eric with a sunny smile.

"Sir, I can't thank you enough. My friend just brought the money; here's what I owe you." Olivia handed the cash to Eric.

Taking the money, Eric chuckled, "Seems I haven't been duped after all."

"You're really one of the good ones, sir. It's hard to find anyone as altruistic and principled as you these days," Olivia beamed.

"By the way, is it your child who is sick?" Eric queried, noting Olivia's youthful appearance which hinted she might not have children.

"Oh, sir, I... I don't even have a boyfriend, let alone a child. I'm a volunteer at the orphanage; the sick child is one of the orphans," Olivia explained, somewhat awkwardly.

"You’re a volunteer at the orphanage?" Eric seemed taken aback.

This revelation struck a chord with Eric. The fact that this young girl would kneel and beg for a child she had no blood relation to moved him deeply. In that moment, despite her petite frame, he saw her as nothing short of magnificent.

"Your name is Olivia, right? You're quite remarkable," he said as he handed her ID back to her.

"You're too kind, sir. I wish I could do more for the kids," Olivia replied with a gracious smile.

"Say, could I get your contact information?" Eric inquired.

"Of—of course!" She nodded, her smile still warm. Olivia then rummaged through her bag and pulled out a business card.
"Here's the orphanage's business card; it's got my number on it," Olivia said as she handed the card to Eric.
"Sir, I've got to head back, got things to do," she added.
After bidding farewell, Olivia turned and made her way to the hospital.

Eric watched her retreating figure, mumbling to himself, "She’s really something, dedicating your youth to an orphanage without expecting anything in return. What a remarkable young woman."

"Eric."
Wolfman appeared out of nowhere beside Eric.
"Jesus, man—you scared the living daylights out of me," Eric said, catching sight of Wolfman.
"Think we could give that orphanage a hand?" Wolfman asked.
Eric was momentarily taken aback—it was the first time Wolfman had ever asked him for a favor.

Recalling that Wolfman, too, had grown up in an orphanage, he understood. Wolfman had lived that life and now sought Eric’s help for the orphanage, to support kids who were in the same situation he once was. Eric smiled and nodded enthusiastically, "Of course, no problem! Let's do it tomorrow morning."

The next morning, Eric called Olivia to let her know he wanted to visit the orphanage and meet the kids.

Hailey Anderson was also at the orphanage.

"Olivia, who was that on the phone? You seem thrilled," Hailey said.
"It was that kind gentleman from yesterday—he said he's coming over this morning to visit the kids," Olivia replied with a smile.
"You’re this happy about him visiting? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for him?" Hailey teased, covering her mouth with a giggle.
"Oh, Hailey, stop it," Olivia blushed, feeling flustered by the mere thought.

"Alright, alright. Since this kind-hearted soul is coming by, I'm curious to see what he's like. And I'll get the chance to thank him for yesterday," Hailey continued.

"Sure!" Olivia nodded.

Just then Hailey's phone rang.
"Hey, Max."
"What? Okay! I got it; I'll be right there."
Hailey responded to the call in quick succession.
After hanging up, she said to Olivia, "Something urgent came up; I have to rush back. Guess I won't be meeting our kind-hearted visitor today. I'll find time to see him another day."

"Go ahead, Hailey, handle your business," Olivia nodded.

...

Outside the orphanage.
Today, Eric Phillips hadn't rolled up in his Lamborghini; instead, he arrived in a corporate van, feeling it was more appropriate to keep things low-key during his visit to the orphanage.

As he parked, Eric caught a glimpse of a familiar figure emerging from the orphanage.

"Is that Hailey Anderson?" He muttered to himself in disbelief.

Indeed, it was Hailey.

"What's she doing coming out of an orphanage?" Eric mused, a hint of surprise in his voice.

Hailey briskly walked past the tinted windows of Eric's van, too rushed to notice him inside. She headed straight to a police cruiser parked nearby and, within moments, drove off with sirens silent.

After she had disappeared, Eric, accompanied by Wolfman, stepped out of the van and headed towards the aged orphanage. The place bore the weight of many years, its old facilities were likely on their last legs.

"This place has seen better days; many of these fixtures must be out of order by now. It really could use a renovation," Eric remarked as they walked.

"Orphanages often run on a shoestring budget. Just managing the daily expenses is an achievement—they can hardly afford renovations," Wolfman commented with intimate knowledge, having grown up in the system.

Eric nodded in understanding. Just like yesterday's ordeal—when the orphanage couldn't scrape together any cash and had to ask for public assistance.

Upon reaching the main building, Eric was met by Olivia and an elderly woman with silver-streaked hair, clearly waiting for his arrival.

"You made it!" Olivia greeted Eric with a warm smile.

The matronly director greeted him with an equally pleasant expression, "Hello there, I'm the director of the orphanage. On behalf of everyone here, I welcome you. Olivia briefed me about yesterday's incident. We can't thank you enough for your support."

"Nice to meet you, Director," Eric said, moving forward to shake her hand.

"Oh, and let me introduce you to my friend, this is Wolfman," Eric said, gesturing toward his companion.

"Pleased to meet you," Wolfman stepped forward with a greeting.

"It's a pleasure, Mr. Wolfman," the two women responded, exchanging pleasantries with Wolfman, despite finding his name a bit peculiar.
“Director, Miss Olivia, the main reason we’re here today is to make a donation to the orphanage,” said Eric Phillips.

“This check represents the heartfelt generosity from Wolfman and myself.”

Eric reached into his jacket and produced a neatly prepared check, which he then handed to Olivia.

“A...a million dollars?!”

The Director and Olivia, upon hearing the number, couldn’t hide their utter astonishment.

For them, this sum was astronomical. They were accustomed to donations of varying amounts, sometimes a humble few hundred or even several thousand dollars, but a donation reaching into the millions was unheard of!

“This...this is too much!” Olivia said in shock.

“Olivia, this donation is for the orphanage, not a personal gift to you. You really don’t have the right to refuse,” Eric teased with a smile.

Having said that, he firmly placed the check in Olivia’s hand.

“Then... I’ll accept this on behalf of the kids. Thank you so much.” Olivia bowed profoundly to Eric.

“I speak for all the kids when I say thank you. Honestly, our orphanage is under serious financial strain; we even struggle with the funds to provide medical care for the children. This money is truly a godsend for us,” the Director said, her hands trembling with emotion.

“Yes, this money is so crucial for the orphanage. Mr. Phillips, Mr. Wolfman, you’ve done a tremendously good deed,” Olivia spoke as tears of gratitude welled up in her eyes.

She knew precisely how vital these funds were for the orphanage.