The Apple of My Eye novel Chapter 461

"Please don't ask me why," Leila said as she turned her head away to avoid confronting him. "We're not meant for each other, Burke. Since we got together, I have never truly felt happy. Today... I was planning to tell you that I wanted to break up with you, but I didn't expect things to take such a turn..."

With a guilty smile, she continued,"I really appreciate what you have done and all that you said to me today. But if I force myself to accept you and get married to you, I am sure both of us won't be happy. And I don't want that for either of us. We both deserve happiness, love and a bright future. We should stop seeing each other, Burke."

"Now that you tell me you don't like me, why did you agree to date me in the first place?" Burke asked as his anger began to build up. With a heart-broken expression, he stared at Leila while saying,"If you refused me at first, I wouldn't have gone so ahead to propose, let alone expecting anything from you."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Leila's face. If Ferry hadn't urged her to find a fake boyfriend, she would have never agreed to see Burke and lead him on the way she did.

"I'm sorry," Leila apologized sincerely again. She didn't know what else to say except that, her heart ridden with guilt for treating Burke the way she did. He was like a pawn in her plan.

Burke looked at Leila thoughtfully. 'She still looks like what she did ten years ago, but I feel that she has turned into someone else. Is she really the same girl I fell in love with almost ten years ago? It seems not...'

He had finally picked up the courage to make this grand gesture of proposing her in such a romantic manner.

Initially when he told his family his intention to marry Leila, no one took his side. But finally after much persuasion they gave him their consent. They agreed to let him marry Leila as long as he proposed successfully.

But much to his surprise and dismay, he had failed miserably.

Leila shook off Burke's hand and softly said,"I'm really sorry with all my heart, Burke. I strongly believe that you will meet a better girl. But you and I are impossible. I give you my sincere blessing for your future, the girl who marries you will be lucky and blessed."

After remaining silent for quite a while, Burke finally blurted out in anger,"That's enough of this charade! You can leave now. From today on, I won't dote on you."

He had loved her with all his heart had to offer over the past decade. Today, he finally decided to put an end to his unrequited love and move on. He had made up his mind to go on several blind dates and also would see suitable girls his family would arrange for him.

This time he was resolute in his pursuit to get over Leila and move ahead in life.

Burke said to Leila coldly,"I will not drop you home. Please fend for yourself and have a safe journey."

Leila felt upset as she noticed the immediate change in Burke's attitude toward her. She moved forward, held Burke's hand and said to him optimistically,"Even we can't be a couple, but at least we are still classmates, and can be friends. We can still meet each other, can't we?"

"I think there is no need for that anymore," Burke declined her offer almost immediately. As he took a glance at Leila, he went on,"I liked you for so many years. Now that time is gone and I cannot recover it. So I don't want to waste anymore of my time or energy on you. From now on, I think it's better for us not to keep in touch at all."

He feared that if he continued to meet her and have her around as a friend, he would never be able to move forward.

Even though she had no feelings for Burke, Leila still enjoyed being the center of his universe where she was showered with love, attention and care.