The Substitute Bride

"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 wa

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.