Our dog had been diagnosed with cancer and since we’re poor and didn’t want her to suffer, the best course of action was putting her down. Because we found out and decided kind of quickly (we had been talking about her various conditions and putting her down for a few weeks), I didn’t really feel comfortable taking off of work. I got updates from my girlfriend and roommate about her status, and I even excused myself to go say goodbye to her over the phone. I was in sales so I was trying to hold it together and be upbeat, but it was difficult. I didn’t really tell anyone.
Suddenly, my girlfriend starts blowing up my phone. Dozens of calls and texts while I’m working. I dashed outside to see what happened, and she was hysterical. She told me my 18 year old cat had passed in the time that they were gone at the vet with our dog. She hadn’t even put the box with the dog in it down yet.
I was breaking down crying because I lost two animals in one day and I wasn’t even there for them, and just managed to get a grip before I talked to my manager.
All I could really get out was “Um… I think I need to go… we put our dog down today… and now the cat… and…”
He says, “so they’re..?”
I say, “Dead. They’re dead.”
He replies, “Ohhh…soo…. Are you coming back today, or….?”
And that stopped any sadness or other emotion in its tracks. I was speechless. I could just barely tell him “Well it’s already 4, I live almost an hour away… I- I don’t know.”
He had no words for me. My cat was cold when I said goodbye to him. We decided to go back and get both animals cremated (the original plan was just to bury the dog), and I told my girlfriend sitting in the back with me everything that happened while she sat there horrified. She told me to absolutely fuck that guy. And I should have quit then and there. But instead, I took 10 days of bereavement leave because it didn’t require manager approval. I didn’t care if I could have gotten in any trouble, I just wanted to be away from that place. I only lasted 2 more months after that, and left after I had a breakdown in front of everyone.
Just… holy shit. Imagine being so “strictly business” that you can’t even tell your employee that you’re sorry she lost 20% of her family in one day. I should have quit sooner and with a better image, but I wanted to prove I could stay and be tough. And I was. But I shouldn’t have been.