The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 463 Pamela

The moment Madeline finished requesting Leila, Spencer went straight to the cashier compliantly and asked for the bill to be printed. He fetched the bill as quickly as he could, handed it to Madeline, and said with an obsequious smile, "Mrs. Zhou, here is the bill as requested." He went the extra mile to impress his boss. Since Burke's proposal had failed rather miserably, he lent his unwavering support to his boss to teach this ungrateful woman a lesson.

Madeline didn't check the bill at all. Instead she stuffed it into Leila's hand and suggested in a harsh tone, "As you can see, he is drunk as a skunk and will not be awake for a while. In this state it will be impossible for him to pay the bill. Miss Zhang, you two are friends, so why don't you settle it? Do you agree with my suggestion?"

"880, 000 dollars?" Leila cried out in surprise as she least expected the conversation to take this turn. In all honesty, she thought Burke was Madeline's son. That was the only reason she said she was Burke's friend. It was beyond what she thought would happen to hear Madeline urging her to clear the bill. Besides, it was a rather huge amount and she didn't even have so much money. Of course, even if she had enough money, she wouldn't waste it on a man who she didn't love. When he made the grand gesture, she did not even think about all the effort he made.

Leila pretended to concentrate on the bill in her hand as she put up a concerned expression while in her heart she was thinking of a way to get out of the mess she got herself in.

"Yes, 880, 000 dollars," Madeline replied indifferently as she ignored her anxious expression. Her unwavering gaze was fixed on Leila. Pamela then tugged on Madeline's arm and asked in surprise,"Aunt Madeline, why are you ...?"

It was hard for Pamela to comprehend why Madeline said Burke had to clear the bill. The hotel was Madeline's. It was funny to ask her own son for money moreover to ask his friend to clear the bill on his behalf.

"Pamela, I know you have questions but just remain calm," Madeline stroked Pamela's hand and gently said. "I will explain everything to you a little later. Now, let me handle the situation first." She knew very well that her son was obsessed with Leila for years. Even though the proposal had fallen flat, she still wanted to find out what kind of person Leila was. Of course, it didn't matter whether the bill was paid or not She thought, 'If she is a good girl, I will stop interfering Burke's love life. If she is not, I will persuade him into giving her up and starting a relationship with Pamela. I am sure he will fall in love with Pamela soon after he sees what a wonderful person she is.'

Pamela nodded and waited for Madeline silently and yet obediently. She was a clever girl and knew how to adapt her behavior in different situations.

"Miss Zhang, are you done checking the bill?" Madeline asked in an aggressive tone as she looked at Leila with clear contempt. She would commend Leila for her loyalty to her son if Leila checked out. If Leila left directly, she would actually be happier. Because that would mean Burke would give up on her forever.

Leila coughed and murmured under her breath, 'Site use fee is 500, 000 dollars. The dishes and the wine are altogether more than 500, 000 dollars. My parents are not rich at all. Although I do have some saving after working for all these years, but my bank savings are still not enough to cover the bill.' She forced a smile and stammered, "Mrs. Zhou, on this matter... Unfortunately I can't handle this for him." Leila put the bill on the table and said with a guilty expression wiped across her face, "Oh, I just thought of something I have to do. I am leaving now. Mrs. Zhou, see you later. We will chat next time." "You are leaving?" Pamela inquired as she pointed at Burke. "You are going to leave him alone here in this state?"

Burke was too drunk and had fallen asleep on the table. She was astonished about Leila's cold-cut behavior. She complained in her mind, 'How can she leave a drunk man alone? Even if she doesn't love him, they are at least friends and he did so much for her. How can she possibly be so heartless?'

Leila left that instant without looking back at Burke. She had reminded him of the hotel's expensive tariff. But he didn't care for her advice. It was reasonable for her to refuse to pay the bill.

"I have some emergency to handle right away. You can ask him to pay the bill. I am sure he willsober up pretty soon," Leila said vaguely. It was evident that her only wish that moment was to leave there as soon as possible without paying a cent from her pocket.

Pamela was immensely shocked to see Leila run away. She hesitated and said, "Aunt Madeline, this woman..." She wasn't expecting her rival in love to be so stupid and ruthless. It was hard for her to believe Burke had been infatuated with such an unkind and selfish woman.

"Did you see what she did right now? That was why I didn't agree with Burke's choice of pursuing her. I didn't think a woman from a poor family deserved his love," Madeline sneered. She admitted she was duping Leila. But it was not her intention to break up them but that didn't steer her away from denying the fact that the result was satisfactory. It was proved that Leila was a heartless snob. She thought, 'If Leila realizes she has missed the wealthy son of a hotel mogul, she will be filled with remorse and regret.'

Pamela and Burke grew up together. Pamela was studying music abroad. These days she had holidays, so she came to visit Madeline occasionally. When Madeline heard her son was planning to propose to his girlfriend, she took Pamela to embarrass Leila. She didn't expect to see a woman as evil as Cinderella's malicious sisters to break her son's heart. Asking Leila to pay the bill was like a litmus test for her personality. She was glad to get rid of that wretched woman with such a simple trick.

After all it also proved to be worth it to keep the other customs out of the hotel tonight. The loss of money held no worth when compared to Burke's happiness. After this, it was certified impossible for Burke to get close to Leila ever again.

"Naughty boy! I prevented him from becoming a doctor but he remained unwilling to help me manage our hotels. He insisted that he wanted to dedicate his life to make a difference by treating patients and curing injured people. I tried my best, but he didn't listen to my advice." Madeline sighed. "Pamela, you surely won't mind Burke's occupation, will you?"

"I won't. In fact, I respect him for it. It is a noble profession." Pamela bent her head to hide her blushing pink cheeks as she added, "I have been in love with Burke since I was a young girl. He was always kind and good to me. It was a pity that he met such a wretched woman. I feel sorry for him. Aunt Madeline, don't worry. I will give him company these days to help him get over the disappointment and sorrow of the break-up."

Madeline held Pamela's hand and happily said, "The best way to move on from a heartbreak is to start a new relationship. Burke is single now. If you are sure you like him and see a future with him, please don' hesitate to pursue him. I will help you in any way I can."

The more Madeline looked at Pamela, the happier she became at the thought of her son with her. With a broad smile, she joked, "If you become my daughter-in-law, I will be the happiest woman." "Aunt Madeline, stop joking with me." Pamela's face grew even redder. She stared at Burke with concern and sighed, "I am afraid Burke may forget me. We haven't seen each other for years. He looked desperate. I am sure he loved that woman truly." Pamela knew it was hard for her to win Burke's heart. After all, he had been infatuated with Leila for so many years. His history with Leila seemed to intimidate her.

"Infatuated? Oh does it matter? It is over now and that is the important thing to remember." Madeline looked at Pamela and sniffed, "You saw her reaction. She left my son alone in his time of need. 880, 000 dollars has scared her away. She is not a good girl and doesn't deserve my son's affection or even his attention. If you want to share a future with someone or fall in love, he or she must have the same background as you. That kind of relationship can be a harmonious one and will last longer. That's my thought about love. What do you think?"

She smiled at Pamela and continued, "All these years, Burke was disillusioned, and he mistook a total gold-digger for his soulmate. After you spend some time with him, he will find you are a good girl. When he moves past that woman, he will fall in love with you. I fully support you."

Pamela gazed at Burke who fell asleep at the table with optimism. Her eyes were glittering with love and tenderness.

She swore in her mind, 'Burke, don't worry. I will help you forget that shameless woman.'

"Spencer, please come here now," Madeline said loudly as she then asked Spencer to carry Burke into the car. Leila had left, so there was no need to pretend.

Leila had left the restaurant but not the building. As soon as she came out of the hotel, she found it had started raining all of a sudden. As she didn't drive here, nor did she have an umbrella, she had no option but to wait. So after calling for a taxi, she waited in the lobby impatiently.

In a few moments, the lift door ringed and opened. Spencer came out holding Burke on his shoulders. Right behind them Madeline and Pamela came out of the elevator.

They all looked rather anxious. Madeline repeatedly reminded Spencer to "Slow down and be careful."

As they were in a hurry to get Burke home, they didn't notice Leila but Leila saw them and realized she was being fooled. Before she could say anything, she heard Madeline say, "I should have taught that Leila Zhang a lesson. My son has been waiting for her so many years. I thought she was an excellent girl but she clearly turned out to a gold-digger."

Madeline's words were filled with scorn and anger. She should have agreed to meet Leila years ago. If she had done that earlier, Burke would have known what kind of person Leila was. It was a pity she had rejected Burke's request earlier without even considering it.

"Come on, Aunt Madeline. There is no need to be angry at that shameless woman. Things will now get better," Pamela patted Madeline's hand and comforted her,"Burke has broken up with that woman. You should set your mind at ease now as the worst is over and the best is yet to come."