Five: Awkward Setup

Antonio, while sipping his wine, nearly choked upon hearing Maria introduce him that way. "Are you okay?" they all inquired as Antonio struggled to regain his composure.

“Ermm, yes, I am,” he managed to say. He gave Maria a stern look, but Maria didn't meet his gaze.

“Carlos, Lucia, meet my fiance, Antonio,” Maria continued the introduction. Antonio felt a mix of confusion and disbelief.

“Antonio, meet my niece, Lucia, who is opening this gallery tonight, and her husband, Carlos,” Maria said with a warm smile.

“Awww? Happy for you, sis,” Lucia chimed in. “Nice to meet you, Antonio.”

Antonio could sense the fakeness among them but managed to smile. He shook Carlos's extended hand, all the while wondering about the kind of situation he had been pulled into. The questions in his mind continued to multiply.

"Make yourselves comfortable while I attend to my other guests, including you, our 'fiance'," Lucia said still smiling before excusing herself.

"See you around," Carlos added before he too departed.

Antonio seized the moment to question Maria about her unexpected introduction.

"'Fiance,' really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Maria responded nonchalantly, "Just play it cool, I'll explain everything when we get home. Brace yourself; you're about to meet more people than you can imagine." She paused briefly and added, "Oh, there's my dad. Come with me."

They hurriedly approached Andres, who had just arrived at the event.

"Hey, Dad," Maria greeted, leaning in for a hug. "I just met Lucia."

"Great, I hope you're both having a great time?" Andres asked, but before they could respond, one of his guards whispered something in his ear.

"Maria and, um…,"

“Antonio” Antonio interjected, reminding him of his name.

"Antonio, yes. Come with me," Andrés said, leading them to a table where other people were seated.

"Welcome, brother," one of the people at the table greeted as they arrived. They exchanged greetings, and after offering Andrés a seat, the conversation continued with Maria greeting her uncles and aunties.

Antonio found himself facing the Montagues, a name that carried significant weight. As one of the men turned to Antonio and asked, "And who do we have here?" the atmosphere was filled with tension. Antonio braced himself, curious to see how he would be introduced this time.

Before Maria could respond, Andres, her father, stepped in, saying, "Well, he's Maria’s fiance.

Antonio was more shocked than ever; Maria's father had echoed the same introduction as his daughter. Antonio's mind was not at ease. "What are these people planning?" he wondered, his unease growing.

They all turned their gaze towards Antonio, they look surprised. Maria quickly confirmed, "Yes, he's my fiance." She then proceeded to introduce her uncles, "These are my uncles, Uncle Rafael and Uncle Luiz, and their wives."

Antonio felt compelled to greet them properly, considering the introduction he had received. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet all of you," he said courteously.

Please, have a seat,” Rafael said, gesturing to an empty chair next to him. Rafael appeared to be the eldest of the group. Antonio quickly took the offered seat.

Unfortunately, there was no available seat for Maria, so she had to stand.

Rafael leaned in and initiated the conversation, "So, tell us about yourself. I must say, this family has quite a reputation. You've entered the right one." The others nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on Antonio, awaiting his response.

Antonio found himself uncertain about what exactly they expected him to say. He desperately searched for something meaningful to say, glancing at Maria and her father, Andres, for guidance but they were looking elsewhere. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke, "My name is Antonio Torres..." He paused, struggling to think of something noteworthy to share with this wealthy crowd. Eventually, he concluded, "I'm truly honored to be welcomed into this family."

The group fell into an awkward silence before Luiz finally decided to break it. "Alright, Antonio, we've got your name, but tell us more about yourself. What do you do for a living? And as for your family, the name Torres doesn't sound familiar," Luiz said, prompting a soft chuckle from the others present. Antonio couldn't help but feel disoriented by the situation. He glanced at Maria and Andres, who had placed him in this predicament, but they avoided his gaze, leaving him to navigate these questions alone

Antonio struggled to find the right words. "Well... my father is Torres, and my mother..." Antonio hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I'm just an ordinary guy."

"Pretty much a nobody," Rafael chimed in, and laughter erupted around the table, including from Maria and her father.

Antonio couldn't help but feel that he had been set up, and he knew he was in for much more than he had bargained for. The embarrassment he felt was overwhelming, and he couldn't wait to leave the premises.

Maria decided to intervene. "Seriously, stop it," she exclaimed. "He's my fiance, don't treat him like that. You're right; he may not be from a prestigious background, but he's going to be a great husband."

Her words were met with another round of laughter from the family, and Antonio was already on the edge. He felt the room spinning around him as he shifted his chair backward.

"Excuse me, please," he muttered and swiftly left the gathering. He needed some space to collect his thoughts.

Where are you…," Maria began to ask, but Antonio had already disappeared, leaving her question hanging.

"Are you not going after him?" Luiz's wife inquired.

Maria shrugged nonchalantly. "He'll be fine."

As Antonio left the table, Lucia approached them.

“Hey dad, hey uncles and aunty,” she greeted, rolling her eyes before mentioning her stepmom.

“And stepmom," she added with a forced smile.

“There’s my baby girl, congratulations once again on this big opening, my love,” Rafael stood up to hug his daughter.

“Congratulations, Lucia,” Andres also hugged her.

Greetings and congratulations flowed as the family celebrated Lucia’s big art gallery opening.

"Where's our fiancé?" Lucia turned to Maria, inquiring about Antonio.

Maria leaned back in her chair. “Oh, he excused himself just now," she responded casually, taking the seat Antonio had vacated.

Antonio, on the other hand, hurried outside to catch his breath. He considered leaving the event at that moment but wasn't ready to return to his former, less fortunate life. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"You okay?"