WIFE IN 365 DAYS

Chapter 01

It's been a month since Manuela lost her parents. It feels like just yesterday, but their absence has had a huge impact on her. With their passing, she inherited two responsibilities: her parents' business and taking care of her younger brother, Lucas.

Now that they are the only ones left, Manuela has become both mother and father to Lucas, doing everything she can to ensure his future.

With the continued support of their employees, Manuela is slowly learning the ropes of their business.

Manuela's parents left behind a furniture company. She focused on securing its future, but despite her busy schedule, she never forgot to make time for Lucas, who is now attending kindergarten.

Manuela drives Lucas to and from school every day. Unlike other children, Lucas is quite mature for his age, so Manuela doesn't need to worry about him too much.

"It's a good thing Lucas has a sense of responsibility, even at the young age of seven. You can leave him at the center and focus on your work."

Manuela smiled at the words of her personal secretary and friend, Suzie, as they examined the cabinets and tables being crafted by her workers.

All the employees at Ibañez Furnitures had grown close to Manuela, and she felt happy about the respect and trust they showed her.

"I don't know who Lucas takes after, but I think he's more mature than I am. At just seven years old, he's the one encouraging me," Manuela said with a smile.

"Why don't you look for a man to marry? You're of the right age; why not give Peter a chance to court you?" Suzie suggested, to which Manuela shook her head while continuing to inspect the furniture being made.

"I'm not at that stage yet, Suzie. Marriage is no joke, and I'm focused on the business and Lucas right now. As for Peter, I don't want to give him false hope, so I rejected his advances. Isn't dating supposed to be mutual? I only see Peter as a friend and nothing more," Manuela explained, which made Suzie let out a sigh.

"Poor Peter, still waiting for you to let him court you, but all you can give him is friendship," Suzie said, making Manuela smile and shake her head in response.

“Wait, Manuela, what do you want in a man? I'm sure even if you’re not interested in a romantic relationship right now, you have an ideal man in mind, right? Can I know?” Suzie asked with a curious smile, prompting Manuela to look at her.

“We're at work, Suzie. Such personal questions aren't appropriate here. Do we have any new customers? How are our suppliers doing?” Manuela replied, causing Suzie to pout slightly since she didn’t get an answer to her question.

“We have two customers. One is newly married and is just moving into their new home. The other just wants to replace some old furniture in their house. As for our suppliers, the delivery of mahogany wood will be delayed by a week, but it won’t affect production since we still have enough supplies of mahogany wood,” Suzie informed Manuela, who nodded in response.

“Oh, and you have a board meeting with our investors later, and there’s someone scheduled to visit your office today.”

“Huh? Who?” Manuela asked, furrowing her brow as Suzie checked her schedule.

“It’s Mr. Uno Juaquin Urquio, a businessman who owns La Corrs Container Company from Seattle,” Suzie replied, making Manuela frown even more.

“La Corrs Container Company? What does he want with a furniture company?”

“I’m not sure either, but according to his email, he has something important to discuss with the CEO of Ibañez Furnitures. He went through the proper process to schedule a visit, so he’s set for today.”

Manuela was puzzled about why a container company owner would be interested in a furniture company, as the two businesses were quite different.

Manuela decided to set aside her thoughts about the scheduled visit from the owner of La Corrs and focused on her tasks. Her day was busy and productive.

She had already spoken with the investors from IFC, and their discussions went well, leading to plans for the growth of IFC’s production. There were no major issues in production, and the number of no-good products that failed quality control was minimal.

Back in her office, Manuela was reviewing some documents when Suzie entered.

"Mr. Urquio is here, and wow, Manuela. He's incredibly handsome! He has a striking presence, but even though he's good-looking, it seems like he doesn’t know how to smile. He looks very serious,” Suzie commented, to which Manuela merely nodded.

"It's not good to judge someone like that; luckily, Mr. Urquio didn’t notice you. Go ahead and let him in; I want to find out what he wants with IFC," Manuela replied, prompting Suzie to step out again.

Manuela tidied her desk, stacking the folders she had been reading when she heard the door open.

"Boss, Mr. Urquio is here now," Suzie announced, and Manuela stood up from her seat.

"Welcome to Ibañez Furni...ture..." Manuela slightly stumbled over her words as she laid eyes on her visitor.

Just as Suzie described, he was indeed handsome. Among the men Manuela had seen and met, she would say he looked like a son of Zeus, blessed with striking features.

"Mr. Urquio?" she asked.

"Ms. Manuela Iriz Ibañez, it's an honor for me to finally meet you in person," he said, his voice smooth and commanding, almost making Manuela feel a chill from its depth.

But Manuela's mind was more focused on the way he addressed her by her full name, as if he knew her well. He looked intimidating, but she smiled at him and gestured to the sofa in her office.

"Have a seat, Mr. Urquio," Manuela offered, watching as he walked over and settled onto the sofa.

"He looks so expensive," Suzie whispered to Manuela, giving her a slight nudge.

"Stop it, Suzie. Just get our guest something to drink," Manuela softly chided before taking a seat across from Uno.

“Honestly, I can’t understand why you scheduled a visit to my office, Mr. Urquio. The nature of our businesses is so different,” Manuela asked without hesitation.

"I know there’s a significant difference between our businesses, Ms. Manuela, but the reason I wanted to meet you isn't about business. I waited a month out of respect for your mourning, so I believe this is the right time for us to talk," Uno said seriously, causing Manuela to furrow her brow in confusion.

"What do you mean, Mr. Urquio? I don't understand what you're saying," Manuela asked, her voice tinged with confusion. Instead of responding, Uno reached into the depths of his tailored coat and retrieved a small, elegant object, placing it on the polished surface of the center table. Manuela’s gaze was immediately drawn to the delicate red box that now occupied the space between them, its vibrant hue stark against the wood.

Her brow furrowed deeper as she looked back at Uno, who remained impassive, his expression serious and unwavering.

"I don't understand, Mr. Urquio..." she repeated, her heart racing with uncertainty.

"That box contains a ring, a real diamond if you must know," Uno replied, his tone steady and grave, leaving Manuela feeling even more bewildered by his intentions.

"Can you please be direct with me, Mr. Urquio? Why did you put a ring in front of me?" she pressed, her voice growing firmer despite the turmoil inside her.

"Be my wife for 365 days, and that ring will be proof of our marriage," he declared, each word hanging heavily in the air like a weighty promise.

The atmosphere in the room shifted as a loud clatter filled the space, pulling Manuela's attention away for a moment. Suzie, who had been silently observing, dropped the tray she was holding, juice spilling across the floor like a cascade of shock. But Uno remained focused, his gaze fixed on Manuela, who was frozen in disbelief, her expression a mix of astonishment and confusion.

"W-what did you say?" she stammered, her heart pounding in her chest, the absurdity of the proposal reverberating in her mind.

"I said, wear that ring and be my wife for 365 days," Uno reiterated, his voice unwavering. Manuela's mind raced as she abruptly stood, the chair scraping against the floor, her surprise palpable.

"What?!" she exclaimed, the word escaping her lips like a gasp of disbelief, echoing in the tense silence of the office.