The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 470 Leila's Badgering (Part Five)

"And I'm supposed to believe you? It's obviously an excuse," Leila said. "Stop dreaming, Burke. I am not going to give up!" she exclaimed. Leila was getting impatient, but could not resist sneering. "I will not give you up as long as you're not married. You wait and see!"

Leila's threat made Burke frown. He was annoyed at being pestered by a woman with no shame and disgusted by her humiliating behavior.

Pamela, who was standing beside Leila, chirped in,"Miss Zhang, I forgot to tell you we are soon getting engaged. And that's the reason why I came back here." She peered at Leila to see if the woman was listening. "Our families are long-time friends. And I think it is best to marry someone who is more your equal." Leila remained silent. "Well, I am not sending you a wedding invitation because I'm certain you'll be able to see this when the media reports on it," Pamela said, still smiling.

'Leila doesn't have to know that everything I've told her is not true,' she thought. Pamela simply wanted the other woman to stop badgering Burke, and this prompted her to lie.

"What are you talking about?" a shocked Leila blurted. She glanced at Burke to check his reaction. "Is she telling the truth? Tell me!" she cried.

"Of course it's true," Burke asserted. "In fact, we will be announcing our engagement soon!" Burke looked straight at her. "So, Leila I hope you can congratulate me and wish me a happy marriage," he added. To make the pretense appear more credible, he held Pamela's hand and said softly, "Let's go. You must be hungry. Didn't you just say you wanted some Chinese food?"

Pamela smiled at him and replied, "Oh, yes, I am hungry. Let's go." Their ploy worked because seeing them so cozy nearly drove Leila crazy. She hated seeing the two acting so sweet in front of her.

As soon as they were out of the hospital, Pamela let go of Burke's hand. Her cheeks were flushed from embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Burke. I shouldn't have said those things. But I just wanted to help you get out of that unpleasant situation," she said shakily.

Burke stopped her. He smiled apologetically. "Pamela, please don't say that. I should be the one apologizing because I should not have involved you in this." He blew out a breath. "Will you blame me for playing along? I had no intention to make you part of it."

"It's okay, really," Pamela assured him. She then grinned at him. "It was worth it if she finally stops pestering you," she added.

Burke sighed in relief. "Thank you for understanding, Pamela." He took her arm and started walking. "Now, I did promise we'd eat. So, let's go."

The two left feeling so much better. Meanwhile, Leila remained anxious in the ward. She wondered, 'Shall I give up just like that?' Agitated, she kept pacing in the room.

Leila was frustrated. She had yet to decide between Charles and Burke. She was admittedly thrown off by Burke's announcement of their break-up. She was likewise shocked to learn about Pamela, Burke's beautiful and elegant girlfriend. Leila thought they were well suited. She knew Burke's mother, Madeline, was a tough nut to crack, and she would be another challenge for Leila.

If she picked Burke, Leila figured her chances at success was extremely low.

Now, if she chose Charles, things would be different. Yes, Charles was married and his wife, Autumn, was pregnant. But Ferry owed her a favor and would help her out. It would be risky, but she believed her success rate would be higher with Charles than with Burke.

Leila did everything to make Burke change his mind but without success. The situation now seemed impossible to change. She decided it was better to go back to the original plan and make sure this one worked.

As the plan began to form in her mind, Leila decided to leave the hospital as soon as possible. She had already lost face and could no longer stay.

At the China Town Restaurant, Burke played a gracious host.

He had ordered several of the restaurant's specialty dishes but still encouraged Pamela to choose something she liked. "Look through the menu and order anything else you want Pamela," Burke urged. Pamela laughed and shook her head. "You ordered enough food already." She was pleased with how things turned out. Pamela wasn't really interested in the food but wanted to be alone with the man. She was content to spend this time with him. "The food is more than enough for us. We shouldn't waste food," she told Burke.

He looked a bit guilty. "It's quite reasonable," he rationalized. "But all right, we can just order more dishes later." Burke was beginning to appreciate Pamela more and liked that she was understanding. "Thank you!" Pamela nodded and grinned at him. She became silent for a minute and then looked at him seriously. "Burke, are you really going to resign?"

He nodded slightly. "Yes, I have made my decision." Burke sat up straighter and continued, "I've considered submitting my resignation for a long time. But I only decided to push through with it now." He quickly added,"And I won't change my mind about this."

Coming from a notable family whose property holdings were extensive, Burke now found it difficult to pursue a different career path. He became even more content after his mother Madeline promised to give him two years to do anything he wanted.

He had been planning to tell Leila about his real family circumstances and resigned from the hospital after she accepted his proposal. But he didn't expect things to get messed up as it did.

Burke thought of all that happened and then let out a sigh. "It's time to help my parents manage the company," he told Pamela.

She frowned at this. "But I heard your mother said you really wanted to be a doctor. If this is something you enjoy so much, why are you giving it up?" Pamela inquired gently.

Burke lowered his head momentarily trying to think of how to explain himself. "Yes, I like being a doctor and treating patients. But you can't understand what I'm feeling right now." With bitterness in his tone, he continued, "There are rules in my world. Many restrictions make it nearly impossible to live as we please. I was only given a limited time by my mother to be a doctor. That time is now up, so I have to abide by our agreement. Even if I am reluctant to leave the hospital, I have no other options."

Burke no longer wanted to discuss the matter and quickly changed the subject. "Let's talk about something else. Tell me, Pamela, why are you suddenly back?"

She was taken aback by his question and hesitated before answering. Pamela looked Burke in the eye and replied, "Would you believe me if I said I came back for you?"

She looked so sincere that Burke suddenly felt uncomfortable. "What? You're joking, right?" Burke coughed slightly to ease the awkward situation. Her statement embarrassed him. "You are quite amusing. We haven't seen each other for more than ten years, yet here you are making fun of me already," he declared.

Now it was Pamela's turn to feel awkward. She finally got the courage to confess her feelings to him but was disappointed by Burke's reaction. But she was not giving up. Smiling shyly, she told Burke, "I've been studying music the past few years. And I still have not adapted to life abroad. I received an offer to be a music teacher at a nursery school in Y City, and I decided to take it.

"Wow, that sounds good," Burke said, impressed. He continued to inquire about the nursery school and learned it was one of the prestigious bilingual kindergarten schools in Y City. "It is an excellent place to work. You know, my annual salary can barely pay for the tuition of a student for one year," he exaggerated.

"Now you're making fun of me!" Pamela retorted. She suddenly looked worried and confided to Burke, "While I do like children, I'm not quite sure if I would make a good teacher." She leaned forward. "And I'm afraid that children might not like me."

Her admission surprised Burke. He decided to assure Pamela and reached out to touch her hand. "Hey, don't worry. I believe in you. You will make an excellent teacher," he assured. The waiters arrived to serve their dishes. Burke sat back and smiled. "Let's eat. Try everything. I'm sure you'll like them."

While it was true they had not seen each other for many years, Burke and Pamela were comfortable talking about many things they had in common. She was even amused when Burke recalled how much fun they had during their childhood.

After finishing their meal, Burke invited Pamela to take a walk since it was a long time since she been back. So many things had changed in Y City over the years, and Pamela was no longer familiar with the place. They reached the nursery school where Pamela was going to work.

"Oh, so this is Eton Kindergarten," she said, while taking in the surroundings. She stood for several minutes, a smile lighting her face.

Pamela suddenly felt excited to start working, although she was still nervous about her new job.