Seven: Upcoming Wedding

Resting his back against the wall, Pedro declared, "We're here for Antonio."

Mrs. Torres, initially frightened, recognized the loan shark. "Why?" she inquired.

Pedro, growing impatient, advanced closer to her. "Don't ask me questions. Is he in?" he repeated.

She sighed in response. "I haven't seen Antonio in days."

Pedro let out a loud laugh, then turned to his men and signaled with a nod. "Search the house."

His men barged past Mrs. Torres, shoving her aside, and commenced their search. They ransacked the room, scattering items in their haste. Mr. Torres, in his drunken stupor, was incapable of intervening, and Mrs. Torres' pleas fell on deaf ears.

The search extended to the bathroom, and then they proceeded to check the backyard, in case Antonio had escaped through a window. When their thorough search was complete, they reported back to Pedro. "She's right, he's not here," they confirmed.

Pedro's anger flared, and he paced back and forth, fuming. "Where is he?"

"I've been telling you, he's not here. I haven't seen him in days," Mrs. Torres repeated calmly.

"Your son is toying with death. He fled because I mentioned I'd be here in five days. But he can't escape me. I'll find him, and I'll end him," Pedro declared ominously.

Mrs. Torres remained unfazed by the threat. "Please, don't return here," she pleaded.

Pedro gestured to his men, signaling it was time to leave. "Let's go, guys," he commanded, and they obediently followed him away from the Torres' residence.

Antonio, however, was too relaxed to recall the loan shark's ultimatum of five days. He enjoyed his breakfast with grace that morning before they all assembled in Andres's home office.

Andres had already settled into his seat when they entered. He wasted no time getting to the point, addressing both Maria and Antonio. "Let's get this over with quickly. I have to get to work, and you, miss," he said, referring to Maria, "make sure you show up at work today."

Antonio nodded in anticipation, his curiosity building within him.

Without delay, Andres delivered the unexpected news, causing Antonio to raise his head in disbelief. "Well, there's no need to beat around the bush. You shall marry my daughter."

Antonio's emotions were a mix of happiness and bewilderment. He saw potential benefits in the arrangement but remained puzzled about why they would choose a nobody like him to marry into their influential family.

Antonio, still in shock from the sudden news, managed to stammer, "But, sir... why..."

Andres cut him off bluntly, "You don't want to marry her?"

Antonio quickly corrected himself, "No... yes, I do. Of course, I want to."

"Not like you have a choice." Andres continued, dismissing Antonio's concerns with a wave of his hand. "Well, that's that. The wedding is in two days. Go get ready."

Stunned by the rapid rush of events, Antonio finally spoke up. "Two days? That's too quick."

Andres replied firmly, "For a wedding fully funded by me?"

Antonio realized he had no say in the matter and reluctantly accepted the timeline. He glanced at Maria, trying to find some shared understanding in their predicament. "Looks like we're getting married then," he said, attempting to smile. But Maria's expression remained stoic.

"Yeah, right," she replied. "Can I go now, Dad? I need to prepare for work."

Andres granted her permission, "Yes, of course. Inform your friends about the wedding. I'll notify the rest of the family." With that, the meeting concluded.

Antonio returned to his room, a whirlwind of emotions stirring within him. On one hand, the prospect of marrying into wealth excited him, offering a life he had never dreamed of. On the other hand, he realized he might have little control over this new life.

With both Maria and her father at work, Antonio found himself alone in the sprawling house, except for some staff and guards. His hunger eventually pulled him out of his contemplation, so he used the home phone to call for food. Sara answered the call and assured him that his meal would be brought to him shortly.

As he awaited his food, Antonio couldn't help but think, "I need a phone badly. I just hope Maria considers it." After enjoying his lunch, he decided to rest for a while, but fatigue quickly overcame him, and he drifted off into sleep.

Antonio woke up hours later, the clock showing noon. Maria still hadn't returned, so he decided to take a stroll and explore the area.

As he wandered, he suddenly realized, "Damn, I need clothes too," having worn the same outfit repeatedly since his arrival. Despite his clothing concern, he ventured outside, finding the neighborhood peaceful and serene. The pleasant atmosphere made his walk enjoyable.

Antonio realized it was time to head back home. When he arrived, he was met by an irate Andres, who was scolding the guards and inquiring about Antonio's whereabouts.

Nervously approaching Andres, Antonio stammered out an apology for going on a walk without permission. His words were abruptly cut off by a stinging slap across the face from Andres. Shocked, Antonio held his face in disbelief, his eyes locked on Maria's father.

Andres, still fuming, didn't seem done. "You think you can come here and behave anyhow you like? Who the heck do you think you are?"

Antonio, holding his stinging cheek, finally found his voice. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble, sir. I just went for a walk to familiarize myself with the neighborhood."

Andres scoffed, "Nuisance," and then went inside. Antonio was left in disbelief. He stood there for a moment, his hand still on his reddened cheek, as Andres stormed away in anger. Antonio couldn't comprehend what had just happened; he felt humiliated by the public slap. He slowly made his way back to the house, deep in thought about the strangeness of the new life he was entering into.

When he reached his room, he sat on his bed, his face still reflecting his surprise. His thoughts raced, and he murmured to himself, "Compared to what I've endured from my own mom and dad, this is nothing."

He was jolted back to reality when Maria entered the room and threw a card at him. The card landed on the floor.

Curious, Antonio asked, "What's this?"

Maria replied coolly, "The wedding card. I just wanted you to know what it looked like, not like we're entertaining anyone from your end."

Antonio wasn't ready to let her go just yet. "Wait, please. I have some requests," he implored.

"Go ahead," Maria replied.

"Thank you. I need some new clothes; I've been wearing the same ones for a while. And I could use a phone," Antonio explained.

After a brief pause, Maria simply said, "Okay," and then left the room.