WIFE IN 365 DAYS

Chapter 02

"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.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Uno's face as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs while fixing his intense gaze on Manuela, who still couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

"Are you deaf? Can you not comprehend something that has been clearly stated? I had no idea that the eldest child of Mr. Ibañez could be so foolish," he said, a hint of condescension in his tone. Manuela felt a surge of indignation, prompting her to straighten up in her seat.

Meanwhile, Suzie hurriedly picked up the shattered pieces of glass from the floor, unable to resist eavesdropping on the tense exchange between the two.

"For your information, Mr. Urquio, I am neither deaf nor stupid. It’s entirely natural for me to react this way to what you’re saying. Seriously? You’re offering me the chance to be your wife for 365 days? I can’t grasp your point, Mr. Urquio. You came to my office just to propose this? For a year?!" Manuela exclaimed, her voice rising with disbelief.

"You heard what I said, didn’t you? I don’t need to repeat myself," Uno replied flatly, his expression unyielding, leaving Manuela in a state of disbelief.

"I think you’ve come to the wrong person, Mr. Urquio. We don’t even know each other well enough for you to propose something like this—"

"I know you. Eldest daughter of Mr. Ibañez, twenty-five years old, with a seven-year-old little brother. I know all about you. Should I list everything I know?" Uno stated seriously, sending a chill down Manuela's spine.

"H-how do you... what do you really need from me?" she stammered, her voice laced with apprehension, which caused Uno to let out a resigned sigh.

"I guess you don’t know about your father’s debt to me. It seems he’s kept this from his daughter."

"What are you talking about? What debt does my father owe you?" she asked, confusion and concern mingling in her tone.

"Your father owes me a significant amount of money, and he needs to pay me back," Uno stated bluntly, causing Manuela's eyes to widen in shock.

"W-what? Why would my dad owe you money? That’s impossible! Are you a scammer? Suzie, call security—"

"I know you won’t believe what I’m saying," Uno interrupted, pulling out a brown envelope from his coat and placing it firmly on the center table, drawing Manuela's attention.

"This is the contract your father signed before he borrowed money from me. This is not fake; it bears your father’s authentic signature. You can have it checked for verification," Uno asserted, watching as Manuela swallowed hard. She reached for the envelope, her hands trembling slightly as she opened it and examined the document.

Her heart sank as she saw her father’s signature and the amount he owed—two million dollars—staring back at her in stark black and white.

"Two million dollars? My dad owes you this much?!" she exclaimed, panic rising in her voice as she looked back at Uno, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.

"Indeed. You read the contract, didn't you?" Uno replied plainly, his calm demeanor further fueling Manuela's disbelief.

Manuela couldn't fathom how her father had accumulated such a massive debt.

"W-why did my dad have such a huge debt?" she murmured to herself, a conversation with her father before her parents' accident flashing back in her mind.

FLASHBACK

Manuela had just turned twenty when her father revealed their future business venture. Their family wasn't wealthy, so she was surprised and overjoyed to learn they were getting their own company.

"This is huge, Dad! Is this really going to be our business?" Manuela asked, her face beaming with excitement, viewing it as the best birthday gift ever.

"Yes, my child. This is the start of a more comfortable life for us. A furniture company where we'll offer high-quality furniture."

"But Dad, how did you get such a large building for our business?" Manuela asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I borrowed a significant amount of money for this. Once the business starts making a substantial profit, I'll be able to pay it back so we can fully acquire this building," her father had answered.

END OF FLASHBACK

Recalling that conversation, Manuela realized that Uno was the person her father had borrowed from, and now he had appeared to collect the debt.

The massive debt her father owed was beyond what Manuela's company could ever repay.

"W-what does my dad's debt have to do with what you're offering me, Mr. Urquio?" Manuela asked, a glimmer of understanding dawning on her, but she wanted to hear it directly from Uno, who straightened in his seat, fixing his gaze on her.

"Be my wife, Ms. Manuela. That's the only offer I can give you in exchange for your father's debt to me," Uno replied seriously, leaving Manuela still baffled as to why he wanted her as his wife to settle the debt.

"I still can't understand why you want me to be your wife for a year. And to pay off my dad's remaining debt to you, you want me to agree to be your wife? Please explain, Mr. Urquio, because I don't understand what you want to happen," Manuela stated.

"Let's just say you need to be my wife for 365 days so that my grandfather can transfer all his wealth to my name before he dies. One of his conditions is that I have to show him a wife, and that's your role, as p*****t for your father's debt to me. A win-win situation, right? I'll forget your father's debt, and I'll get what I want," Uno explained, despite the fact that explaining himself wasn't exactly his forte.

"But why me?" Manuela asked, her gaze fixed on Uno, searching for an answer.

"There are many women I could get to do what I want, but in your case, Ms. Manuela, can you offer anything to pay off your father's debt to me? If you don't agree to me, you can pay me with your business. What do you think?" said Uno, making Manuela realize the dire situation her father had left her in.

"Why do you need to get your grandfather's wealth? I searched some information about your business a while ago, and I saw you're on the Forbes list of billionaires," Manuela couldn't help but ask, her annoyance evident in her expression.

"Do I really need to explain everything to you? It's just a yes and no that you have to answer to me, Ms. Manuela," Uno retorted, his gaze unwavering.

"I want to know the reason, because I don't understand what you want to happen. Obviously, you already have everything; why do you still covet your grandfather's wealth?"

"Because wealth brings power, and for your information, Ms. Manuela, I am not just a businessman. I am a mafia boss, and to be at the top, I need my grandfather's wealth," Uno replied, his statement widening Manuela's eyes.

"Y-you're a mafia?!"

"Tss! I don't have time to explain everything to you. Your answer is all I need. Be my wife for 365 days, and I'll forget your father's debt to me. Just be Mrs. Urquio for one year, then I'll set you and your brother free. If you refuse what I want, expect unnecessary things to happen to you and your brother," Uno declared, making Manuela feel the danger emanating from him, especially now that she knew her father was in debt to a mafia boss.

"W-wait! Can I think about this first? It's not easy to make a decision," Manuela protested, overwhelmed by everything Uno had said and demanded.

"I'll give you a week, Ms. Manuela. I expect your decision after a week." Uno declared, picking up the red box before standing up and silently walking out of Manuela's office without even a goodbye.

Manuela was left staring blankly at her desk, prompting Suzie, who had overheard everything, to approach her.

"Manuela..."

"What have you done, Dad!" Manuela exclaimed, unsure of what to do with all the information she had just learned and the decision she had to make.