A Garden Of Memories

When the Past Catches Up

She didn't even finish her meal after meeting Mathews, she felt drained, not physically, but emotionally. Even before, Mathews had been the source of her emotional struggles. She recalled the times when she thought she knew everything about him, and in the blink of an eye, she realized she didn't.

She wandered into the mansion's garden, gazing at the blooming flowers that sparkled in the sunlight. Butterflies of various shades of blue, yellow, and orange fluttered freely, accompanying the gentle breeze that softly caressed her hair.

"How come there are so many butterflies here, and they never leave?" she wondered aloud, observing the butterflies that remained even when there were no flowers in the garden.

Stella and her family had moved into the mansion a few days ago, following her father's recent marriage. Originally, her father wanted them to move into their house, but her stepmother requested that they move into the mansion instead. Even before the newly transplanted flowers had a chance to bloom, Stella noticed an abundance of butterflies in the garden. She wondered why they were present, even when there had been no flowers before.

She didn't notice the approaching footsteps.

"They consider this place their home" answered a man with a smile, seating himself on the iron bench adorned with floral designs across from her.

He looked around the garden, also admiring the butterflies.

"That's why they don't leave"

Stella observed the man before her. His head was slightly tilted. Beyond the beauty of their mansion's garden, the side profile of this man was equally captivating.

A well-defined nose and perfect jawline were among his strong features, complementing his soft lips, thick eyebrows, and lush eyelashes. He resembled one of her celebrity crushes, the actor who played Cedric in one of the Harry Potter movies.

He caught her smiling like a child as she looked at his face and raised an eyebrow.

"Enjoying the view?" he teased.

Stella was slightly startled but quickly smiled, thinking of a witty response to this cheeky man.

"Hmm, it's alright. As my brother? Not bad at all" she replied sweetly to the man in front of her, who was now staring at her without expression.

Stella felt victorious because of that, so she happily stood up, glanced at the man once more, and then left the garden.

That night, they had dinner with her new step family. The man from earlier was her 'stepbrother' She almost didn't want to think about that term. The situation felt unsettling to her.

That man was Mathews Windsor, her long-time crush and the man of her dreams. Although he was somewhat cold at school and Stella had only minimal interactions with him, those moments made her happy quite the opposite of how she felt now.

Her eyes wandered over the people at the dining table. Besides Mathews, who seemed to have intentionally seated himself across from her, her father sat beside her, facing her stepmother. To her stepmother's left was an elderly woman dressed in a sophisticated manner.

Step-grandmother, I guess?

she thought. The old woman glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. Uh-oh, bad news she thought again.

The atmosphere at the table was pleasant, with the newlyweds happily sharing stories and occasionally including others in the conversation. The elderly woman occasionally joining in. Despite raising her eyebrow at Stella earlier, she seemed to like her father.

A little while later, an elderly man joined the dining table, wearing a warm smile and exuding an easygoing vibe. 

"Apologies for being late. How dare I be late for our first gathering with my son-in-law?" 

Stella's father stood up, smiling as he shook the older man's hand. The elderly man let out a hearty laugh before giving Stella's father two friendly pats on the shoulder, then took a seat beside the sophisticated-looking woman. 

"Alejandro, you better not be late for our appointment with the Rejindos, okay? Windsors are never late," the older woman lectured her husband. 

"Yes, yes, I know," Alejandro replied, adjusting his posture before turning his gaze toward Stella. Their eyes met, and she offered him a polite smile. 

"And is this Edward's only daughter? What a beautiful young lady! Do you have a boyfriend, dear?" 

Stella was caught off guard by both the compliment and the sudden question. She felt her cheeks heat up. She wanted to respond, but why did it feel like everyone at the table was waiting for her answer? Everyone except for the man sitting across from her, who simply continued sipping his wine, seemingly uninterested. 

Why are they so interested in my love life? she wanted to ask. 

"N-no, I don't…" she answered shyly. 

Just then, she heard a short chuckle. Startled, Stella looked up to see the man in front of her, Mathews smirking, as if he found something amusing. 

And what exactly is so funny? 

Her mother also glanced at Mathews in confusion. It seemed like only Stella and Mathews' mother had heard his laugh.

"That's alright, dear you're still young. But if you'd like, and if it's okay with your father, I can introduce you to the sons of the Windsors' business partners"

Her father chuckled, seemingly enjoying the fact that his daughter's love life had become a topic of conversation at the table.

"There are lawyers, doctors like your father, and successful entrepreneurs. What type do you prefer?" the elderly man continued.

"Uhmm..."

When Stella couldn't respond, the elders at the table laughed, leaving her feeling embarrassed as she took a bite of her food.

After dinner, the elders moved to the balcony to continue their conversation. Stella had just changed out of her dress into black fitted leggings and a fitted white shirt, which she preferred over pajamas. Now, she stood on the terrace near her room, leaning forward with her arms resting on the glass railing, gazing at the garden illuminated by artificial lights.

"Where was your wit during dinner earlier?"

Startled, she turned to see Mathews behind her, wearing a mischievous smile.

"Not bad for a stepbrother, hmm?"

Mathews remarked, his eyes lingering on Stella's attire wearing fitted clothes.