The Love that Never Was
Days and nights passed by, her father noticed her. Arabella tried many excuses but some of them are no longer to her father. Her father hired guards as he will be away for months. Arabella was happy as she will have more time with Antonio. She befriended the guards so that they would not become suspicious of her actions.
When her father returned after two months. She was called by her father. Her father asked her about her relationship with the gardener's son. Without any hesitation, Arabella admitted to her father that they have been together for a year and a half. Her father was shocked and warned Arabella to never see Antonio again. Arabella went to her room crying. Her nurse comforted her but she cried the whole night. From that day, her father gave him guards and followed her wherever she went. She felt suffocated around her own house.
Her father seldom speak to her because of disobeying him. She was confused if she would follow her father and leave or fight for Antonio and live a happy life with him. Again, she cried to her nurse. While crying her father opened her door and took away her nurse and gave her a new one. She feels alone and wants to kill herself if she cannot be with Antonio. She saw her nurse through her window bidding goodbye to her.
After many weeks of loneliness, her new nurse felt sorry for her and offered to help her by writing letters to Antonio and delivered it to him. Without any second thought, Arabella agreed. They exchanged letters and were devoted to each other. One evening, she heard her father and Renzo arranging their marriage. She quickly sneaked out of her house and went to Antonio's favorite place. She does not have any idea that one of her father's guards followed her.
Arabella and Antonio decided to elope to go to another island. There's a boat that will leave at dawn and Antonio prepares their journey two weeks ago. It was a stormy night, but Arabella insisted for them to go now or she might get married to Renzo. They hurriedly went to the port even at the stormy night. All things went well for them as the two of them planned.
Unfortunately, Arabella's father caught them. Her father tried to separate them and forced Arabella by her father. The guards of her father punched Antonio on the stomach and face. Arabella saw this and she told her father that he is a monster. Arabella escaped. Antonio told her to run to the secret port where there is a boat that he borrowed from a friend. Antonio told Arabella to wait for her while he was letting her father's guard go in a different direction. If it failed and caught him tomorrow morning she should go to the next town and Antonio will follow her. Before Antonio left her, he gave a ring to Arabella and told her it was a sign of his love for her. Antonio ran as fast as he could but the guards caught Antonio. She panicked so she rode the boat even there's a storm. Antonio called Arabella's attention but she could not hear it due to the storm.
The wind is so strong and raging waves on the ocean, the boat swept away. Her father was shocked by what he saw, but Antonio tried to save her but he couldn't. Her father tried to search for her and also Antonio did a search on his own. Both of them had no luck at all as they could not find the body of Arabella. Arabella's father was so eager to find her body and so was Antonio. However, after three months of no signs, his father held a funeral to Arabella. As for Antonio, he fled away to the town of Fides and no one knows where he went. Arabella's father died of loneliness. Since he does not have any heir, all his assets were donated to the town by the help of the governor the town became a tourist spot and earned money for the small town.
After two decades, Arabella's memory came back and decided to go back to Fides, to her hometown. She lived her life so simple and still possessed a golden heart. She worked as a seamstress regaining her memory. Everyone loves the dresses that she created. During the night, she was trying to remember her past. Her employer told her to seek advice from a professional to gain her memory back. She followed her employer's advice and every week she was seeing him. Week over week she was able to regain her memory. Until one day, she asked her employer that she will go back to her hometown, Fides. The place that she forgot, but still lies in her heart. She is now in her early thirties and not yet married. She wore again the ring that Antonio gave her the night that they decided to elope. The tragic moment in her life. Now, she is ready to go back. At the port of Fides, she started to smell the breeze and things have changed since the last time she was here. She rented a small apartment and started a small business as a seamstress. All the women in Fides loved her dress. She became popular through word of mouth. During her spare time, Arabella went to visit their old mansion. She found out that there's a new owner. She also found out that her father died and visited his grave to pay her respect. She blamed herself that she wasn't there when her father died.
One day, one of the servants of the Governor's wife came to her shop and asked if she could create a dress for her mistress. Without any hesitation, she immediately went to the servant. They stopped at their old mansion. The servant told her to wait in the living area while she will call her mistress. The house is a bit different inside, there are few changes on it. She also saw the garden where she first met Antonio, the bridge where she goes every night to wait for her Antonio, and lastly the library where she's fond of reading books with Antonio. Things have changed. She is no longer the Arabella, daughter and heiress of the town of Fides. She is now a simple unmarried woman and waiting for Antonio.
She went back to his senses, when the mistress of the mansion came down. She greeted her and she gave her samples of drawings on what she wants for the ball. The mistress of the mansion was very impressed with her design. Arabella told the mistress that she has a beautiful garden. The mistress told her that her husband loves the garden so much and should be well maintained and manicured. With amazement, she was happy that someone maintained their secret place. The mistress and Arabella agreed of the design and will return next week for the gown fitting. The mistress offered her to do the dress in the mansion as she wanted to supervise it. Arabella agreed as it will be her chance to live in the mansion again. The mistress gave her a room together with other servants. Some of the servants are happy to see her and want to sew dresses. Arabella agreed and the dress' price was way too cheap. Even the servants adored Arabella's work. For the entire three days, Arabella worked on the mistress dress day in and day out. The mistress of the house was happy and fond of Arabella. They had a good conversation until the master of the house came that evening. It was her beloved Antonio. She was very stunned and did not have any idea how she would react. She was talking to Arabella the whole time and did not have any idea her name was. Arabella lied about her name as she called herself as Bella.
When she got back to her room. She was so surprised and cried. Her beloved Antonio was already married, an influential man, and a philanthropist. Also, a respected businessman through the entire city of Fides and outside the town.Antonio and his wife have two sons, which he loves dearly. His wife is gentle, sweet and kind. However, the servants of the household told her that the master of the house does not love his wife. Every second of the month, the master went to the bridge and released butterflies. For a few months, Arabella observed this gesture of Antonio as she does not have any idea what the butterflies are for. Arabella always watched Antonio from afar doing this monthly as she worked as a personal seamstress of the mistress. She worked as a servant to be with Antonio. Every day of her life seeing them so happy, she felt that it should supposedly be her. She endures the pain every time she sees Antonio. She wants to touch, hug and kiss Antonio every night but she couldn't. All that she can do is to cry until she falls asleep. She wants to tell Antonio that she is alive, but it is too late.
On the seventh of October, Antonio asked one of his servants to prepare a snack and get millions of white butterflies in the market. As soon as Arabella heard it, she ran immediately to her room and got the letter prepared for him. She told herself that this is the perfect timing to let him know that she is alive. She tried to talk to the servant preparing the snack and slip the letter into the basket. She immediately asks permission to the mistress to go to the town and buy something. She went outside and followed Antonio. Antonio stopped on the bridge and opened a locket. The locket that Arabella gave her. She saw Antonio start to cry while he releases the butterflies. Arabella wants to run towards Antonio to comfort her, but she resists herself. From afar, Arabella cried. After releasing the butterflies, Antonio saw a piece of parchment. At last, Arabella was so delighted to see her letter. Antonio read the letter while he was crying. After reading the letter, Antonio looked everywhere and Arabella hid from the tree as she continued crying. Hours passed, Antonio went back and Arabella was still on the tree looking at him. The tree where they first met. While reminiscing, Arabella saw carved letters on the tree. Letter A, a heart and another letter A. It was Antonio who carved that on the tree. The tree is the only witness of their love story.
Antonio went back to the garden and thought. A deep thought as he was so confused. That night, he asked his wife to get a divorce. Her wife was so devastated as she signed the divorce papers. That same day, Arabella left the town and was never seen again. As for Antonio, after three weeks the divorce papers were signed, he flew back to Paris and started a new life. He left his wife and his kids to the mansion and had constant communication with his kids.
Before he left the town, he asked someone to carve a scripture at the east side of the bridge. "for the couple who locked their love forever, until their last breath."
Since then, couples within the town exchange their vows until all people around the world go to the town of Fides to exchange their undying vows. Throughout the years, there are thousands of locks at the bed of the river until it washes away on the ocean.