Chapter 4: Love Garden

"Lydia, let’s go shopping today,” said Melissa to her friend.

“I’m sorry, I’ll have to pass. I have somewhere to be,” Lydia replied, glancing at the clock.

“Where do you need to be?” Melissa asked, clearly curious.

Lydia smiled softly. “I have a date today.”

Melissa’s eyes widened. “Wow, so quickly! You guys made up just yesterday, and today you’re already going on a date? You didn’t even update me on how your talk went. And you also didn’t thank me for my help—only Dennis did.”

Lydia grinned, lightly brushing Melissa’s shoulder as she chuckled. “Thanks, girl. Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve been able to talk to him if it wasn’t for you. I really do appreciate you.”

“You’re welcome! But seriously, what did you two talk about?” Melissa inquired, genuinely curious.

Lydia took a deep breath. “Well, the girl was Dennis’s ex-girlfriend. You know, the one I told you he said cheated on him last year with a senior at his school. Apparently, she was at the play yesterday and tried to find him. She told him she wanted to rekindle things between them. And just as we walked in, she kissed him, threw herself at him. I don’t even know why I was so shocked. Maybe I’ve always had this fear of being cheated on, and seeing that just confirmed it.”

Melissa nodded, understandingly. “I completely understand, dear. You don’t have to feel bad about it.”

Lydia sighed, shaking her head. “I just didn’t expect that. It threw me off. But… have you completely forgiven him?”

Lydia thought for a moment, her gaze drifting. “Yes, I have. But I think I still want to play a little hard to get. I can’t let him think it’s that easy.”

Melissa laughed, shaking her head. “It’s not easy being a girl.”

They both chuckled, sharing a moment of camaraderie.

Lydia’s phone vibrated as she was finishing getting dressed. She looked down to see the text she had been waiting for: ‘I’m outside.’

Excited, she quickly brushed her hair, added some finishing touches to her makeup, and made her way downstairs. As she entered the living room, her younger sister gave her a teasing look.

“Mummy, looks like your first daughter has finally found a husband! Tell me, why does she have so much makeup on her face? And she still looks ugly with that amount of makeup!” she said, then dashed away, giggling.

Lydia quickly chased after her, calling out, “I’m the finest of all five children, Mom has!” But then she stopped, realising her date was waiting outside. She turned back, shouting, “Bye, Mom!” and hurried out the door.

As she stepped outside, she looked around but didn’t immediately see Dennis. Just as she began to wonder, she heard a car horn. A car window rolled down, revealing Dennis behind the wheel. He smiled as he stepped out to open the door for her.

Lydia smiled, feeling warmth in her chest. “Thank you,” she said, hopping into the car.

Dennis gave her a warm smile as he got in beside her. “I hope you’re okay with me driving,” he said.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you could drive.”

He shrugged. “My dad taught me right after I graduated from high school.”

Lydia’s face lit up. “I hope to learn how to drive one day. I think I’d be good at it.”

Dennis grinned. “I could give you lessons if you ever want. I’ve taught before.”

Lydia laughed. “I heard it’s not easy to be a driving instructor.”

Dennis nodded. “True, but I’ve taught before, and I’m a pro at it.”

“Really? How many people have you taught?” she asked.

“Just one—my ex-girlfriend,” Dennis said, his voice faltering as soon as the words left his lips, realising the mistake he had just made. He looked over at Lydia, worried about her reaction.

Lydia didn’t say anything at first, but her face hardened slightly. She tried to mask the annoyance building within her. “Oh,” she said quietly, before changing the topic. “So where are we going?”

Dennis smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “I’m taking you to my favourite restaurant. A place I only bring someone as special as you.”

Her mood immediately improved. “Sounds amazing.”

They arrived at the restaurant, and Dennis opened the door for Lydia, offering her his hand. As they walked inside, the cosy atmosphere made Lydia smile. They were led to their seats, and Dennis began enthusiastically explaining the menu to her, telling her about the restaurant’s specialities.

Lydia’s phone buzzed. It was Melissa.

“Are you on your date?”

Lydia smiled and replied, “Yes, I’m at a restaurant.”

Melissa responded with a simple, “Okay, dear. Enjoy your date.”

Lydia set her phone aside and turned her attention back to Dennis. They continued to talk about the menu, laughing over different options, and sharing their thoughts on food.

After ordering, their meal arrived, and it was even more delicious than Lydia had imagined. Just as they finished their main courses, the staff came over and asked if they wanted to participate in a tradition at the restaurant—having their picture taken to be placed in the “lovers’ garden.” The idea thrilled Lydia, as she had heard about it but never experienced it. They posed for the photo, enjoying the moment together.

After their meal, the waiter handed them the photo along with a pin to hang it on the wall. Lydia excitedly went to the “lovers’ garden” and carefully pinned their picture to the wall. She looked back at Dennis with a grin. “This is so special. I love this place.”

Dennis smiled, clearly pleased with her reaction. “I’m glad you do. I’d love to bring you back here sometime.” He said.

They returned to their table and shared dessert, still savouring the food and the wonderful atmosphere. They chatted about everything and nothing, feeling relaxed and happy.

But then, as they finished their dessert, Lydia’s phone buzzed again. It was another message from Melissa: “How is your date going, she asked?”

Lydia typed quickly: “It's amazing. You should check this place out when you get a boyfriend.”

After resting and chatting for a bit, it was time for them to head home. Dennis went over to ask the waiter for their receipt to pay. While he did that, Lydia quickly filled Melissa in on the exciting experience she had had that day. Melissa wrote down the name of the restaurant, saying she would definitely visit it when she got a boyfriend. Lydia told Melissa she'd send her a picture of the love garden where she and Dennis had put up their photo.

Lydia stood up from her seat to take a picture of the love garden for safekeeping and to reminisce about this great experience. She admired the picture they had taken and was amazed at how handsome Dennis looked in it.

However, as she was about to head back to her seat, something caught her eye: Among the pictures of couples, there was another photo of Dennis—this time with the girl from the changing room. The very same girl who had kissed him in front of Lydia just the day before. Her stomach sank. Anger surged within her, threatening to overwhelm her. How could he bring her to the same place he had come with his ex?

Lydia’s heart began to race as she stood up abruptly. Without saying a word to Dennis, who was at the counter paying the bill, she grabbed her things and left the restaurant, her mind a storm of emotions. She murmured to herself in frustration, “How disrespectful. How could he do this to me?”

Dennis, unaware of what had happened, returned to their table and couldn't find Lydia. Initially, he thought she might have gone to the restroom. After about 30 minutes, he called her, but Lydia wouldn’t pick up. Concerned, he went to the restroom to check if something had happened to her, but it was empty. He felt scared and confused as he searched everywhere for Lydia.

Panicked, he went to the staff and asked if they had seen Lydia. One of the waiters informed him that Lydia had left, carrying her bag. Dennis immediately dialled Melissa’s number.

“Melissa, have you heard from Lydia? She’s not answering her phone, and I can’t find her.”

Melissa paused. “In our last conversation, she mentioned wanting to send me pictures of the love garden… Maybe she went to do that?”

Dennis’s heart sank as he rushed to the photo wall at the thought that Lydia could have seen the picture of him and his ex, and misinterpreted his intentions for today. Sure enough, he found that the picture of him and his ex had been ripped apart. He realised, with a heavy heart, that it must have been the trigger for Lydia’s sudden departure. He had failed to realize how much that could have hurt her.

Meanwhile, back at home, Melissa was sitting in front of her TV when a news story caught her attention. A familiar face appeared on the screen—one that made her heart race. The girl in the news report was covered in blood, but Melissa knew she had seen her before.

“Who is that? I know this person, but why can’t I remember where I’ve seen her? Why is she covered in blood?” Melissa thought, her mind struggling to place the face.

She replayed the image in her head, but the memories remained elusive. She stared at the screen, a deep sense of unease settling in her chest.

Then it hit her—she had seen this girl before, but where?

The questions swirled in Melissa’s mind, unanswered, as the unsettling familiarity of the girl’s face lingered.